You,lol really hate our restaurants. Bryan county has no mask policy. And we have the lowest rates of COVID-19 in the metro area and our public schools have had in class teaching too since September.
Bryan County has 2,764 cases and 26 deaths from Covid. I'm sure the people mourning the dead "hate" the lack of mask wearing too.
But let's celebrate the absence of a county mask policy. Scapegoating the county is a cheap way to ignore your own pastoral responsibility to the people you serve.
I should have been more specific. Richmond Hill which is south Bryan County has had very few deaths compared to north Bryan County/Pembroke. Bryan County is huge and Richmond Hill is in the Savannnah deanery while Pembroke is in the Statesboro deanery.
As far as my parish is concerned, I have had only one actual parishioner die of Covid 19 which he caught during a Christmas family affair where the whole family contracted it. He was in his 60’s and his parents in their 80’s and four other siblings. All the others have recovered If he had been critically injured and eventually died from a car accident on the way to work with his family business or at their family Christmas gathering, would you blame the family for working together and having a Christmas gathering? I think not.
Father, I’m going to ask this as softly as I can: What is the big deal about wearing a mask? If I can protect one vulnerable person out there by wearing my mask, I’m going to do it. My husband and I have decided that we will not be returning to our parish church until masking is mandated by the pastor. We miss Mass horribly, but masking and social distancing are a must. (Masking is mandated in Columbia SC churches for good reason!). I would bet that the family of your deceased parishioner wish they had been more careful, and would love for you to enforce masking indoors in honor of his passing? Just this morning I saw an interview with a CDC Doc who said that right now 25 million folks are positive and know it, but another 45 million are positive and DON’T know it. He also said that is a conservative estimate. Not trying to be disrespectful here...
Anon 10:50 - No, I have no anger management issues. I take issue, however, with those who have take issue with facts.
The comparison between a person killed in a car accident and a person killed because of a foolish decision to expose him/herself and others is not apt.
If that person, while driving, made the foolish decision to text while doing do, THEN you might make a comparison between the foolish choice to text while driving and the foolish decision to expose him/herself to the virus unnecessarily.
You can very easily pick out the actual parishioners as the ones in masks. They are concerned for one another and want the Mass to be available to everyone, not just the cool kids club. The rest just show up once a week at this Mass to do whatever they want. It's a disgrace, really.
Thanks for sharing the pictures. Considering the way some dioceses/parishes have devalued such traditions, makes one think that the song "Give me that old time religion" would make a fitting accompaniment to the pictures.
The Ordinary form's Candlemas can be quite beautiful too, in its simplicity. The solemn form of blessing candles is striking. The priest and congregation gather outside or at some other suitable location. Then the laity's candles are lighted. Next comes the prayer of blessing and sprinkling with holy water and incensation as the laity hold the candles. There are lovely Latin or English chants in the Missal for the procession into the Church.
What I like, though, of the EF's blessing of candles is that they are first blessed with a series of prayer (even though I would prefer simplicity and maybe combining the features of all the prayers into one, like a canon. Then they are blessed with Holy Water and incense. I would prefer if the candles were at the foot of the altar on a table and that the priest face the candles for the blessing rather than the priest facing the altar at the Epistle side and the candles somewhere nearby.
I also think it is a very nice touch for the people to kneel at the railing to receive the unlit blessed candle from the priest. And then the lighting of the candles and procession outside the church can be accomplished in a longer or shorter version.
Fr. Khouri, The only “she” I know of in this thread is me. I posted two of the above Anonymous comments: a positive comment at 5:53 PM, then the comment at 11:39 AM. I do take issue with negative indoor masking comments, but otherwise have been a years-long supporter of Fr. McD. You might need to rethink your comment.
22 comments:
Given the number of stars on the American flag, it ain't 1921.
I took that flag with me back to the past and returned with it back to the future. Good catch.
Lovely...thank you Father!
I like the chapel and your vestments.
Can’t see much social distancing or face mask wearing being followed. Let’s hope it wasn’t a super spreader event.
Rather irresponsible in my opinion!
You,lol really hate our restaurants. Bryan county has no mask policy. And we have the lowest rates of COVID-19 in the metro area and our public schools have had in class teaching too since September.
You’ll not you, lol, dang auto correct,
Bryan County has 2,764 cases and 26 deaths from Covid. I'm sure the people mourning the dead "hate" the lack of mask wearing too.
But let's celebrate the absence of a county mask policy. Scapegoating the county is a cheap way to ignore your own pastoral responsibility to the people you serve.
I should have been more specific. Richmond Hill which is south Bryan County has had very few deaths compared to north Bryan County/Pembroke. Bryan County is huge and Richmond Hill is in the Savannnah deanery while Pembroke is in the Statesboro deanery.
As far as my parish is concerned, I have had only one actual parishioner die of Covid 19 which he caught during a Christmas family affair where the whole family contracted it. He was in his 60’s and his parents in their 80’s and four other siblings. All the others have recovered
If he had been critically injured and eventually died from a car accident on the way to work with his family business or at their family Christmas gathering, would you blame the family for working together and having a Christmas gathering? I think not.
Anonymous at 7:51,
Do you have anger management issues? You sound a lot like someone else who posts here who snarks a lot
Father, I’m going to ask this as softly as I can: What is the big deal about wearing a mask? If I can protect one vulnerable person out there by wearing my mask, I’m going to do it. My husband and I have decided that we will not be returning to our parish church until masking is mandated by the pastor. We miss Mass horribly, but masking and social distancing are a must. (Masking is mandated in Columbia SC churches for good reason!). I would bet that the family of your deceased parishioner wish they had been more careful, and would love for you to enforce masking indoors in honor of his passing?
Just this morning I saw an interview with a CDC Doc who said that right now 25 million folks are positive and know it, but another 45 million are positive and DON’T know it. He also said that is a conservative estimate.
Not trying to be disrespectful here...
Anon 10:50 - No, I have no anger management issues. I take issue, however, with those who have take issue with facts.
The comparison between a person killed in a car accident and a person killed because of a foolish decision to expose him/herself and others is not apt.
If that person, while driving, made the foolish decision to text while doing do, THEN you might make a comparison between the foolish choice to text while driving and the foolish decision to expose him/herself to the virus unnecessarily.
Anonymous at 12:24,
You sound very judgmental. You also sound like what we call in the secular world, a Karen. Even Dr. Fauci has flip-flopped on the mask issue.
You can very easily pick out the actual parishioners as the ones in masks. They are concerned for one another and want the Mass to be available to everyone, not just the cool kids club. The rest just show up once a week at this Mass to do whatever they want. It's a disgrace, really.
...”Even Dr. Fauci has flip-flopped on the mask issue.”
Well he’s not flip-flopping in the past eight months. Shame on you for spreading that false info.
Oh come on! Don't bring all that logic and sound reason here! Trump said no masks and that means NO. MASKS. Science be damned!
Thanks for sharing the pictures. Considering the way some dioceses/parishes have devalued such traditions, makes one think that the song "Give me that old time religion" would make a fitting accompaniment to the pictures.
The Ordinary form's Candlemas can be quite beautiful too, in its simplicity. The solemn form of blessing candles is striking. The priest and congregation gather outside or at some other suitable location. Then the laity's candles are lighted. Next comes the prayer of blessing and sprinkling with holy water and incensation as the laity hold the candles. There are lovely Latin or English chants in the Missal for the procession into the Church.
What I like, though, of the EF's blessing of candles is that they are first blessed with a series of prayer (even though I would prefer simplicity and maybe combining the features of all the prayers into one, like a canon. Then they are blessed with Holy Water and incense. I would prefer if the candles were at the foot of the altar on a table and that the priest face the candles for the blessing rather than the priest facing the altar at the Epistle side and the candles somewhere nearby.
I also think it is a very nice touch for the people to kneel at the railing to receive the unlit blessed candle from the priest. And then the lighting of the candles and procession outside the church can be accomplished in a longer or shorter version.
Comments from Anon.are always negative or contrary...does she have a problem with Father that is personal?
She?
Fr. Khouri,
The only “she” I know of in this thread is me. I posted two of the above Anonymous comments: a positive comment at 5:53 PM, then the comment at 11:39 AM. I do take issue with negative indoor masking comments, but otherwise have been a years-long supporter of Fr. McD. You might need to rethink your comment.
"Fr." Khouri
It should come as no surprise to you that there are several people who post here who do not share the blog ownner's opinions or preferences.
A few of us also correct him when he is factually wrong.
For this Anonymous, it is not personal at all.
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