From Our Pastor

From Our Pastor

Dear Folks,

This week has been unlike any other in my lifetime.
All people of good will looked in horror, shock and anger at the video of George Floyd pleading for his life with his last breaths.  Msgr. Charles Pope wrote that this “moment of shared outrage and unified demands for action has so quickly devolved into partisan hatred, venomous blame-game accusations, racial strife and bitter division.”  Ouch.
I am your called by God to be your pastor, shepherd, and father.  I condemn racism, violence, rioting, and theft.  I applaud working, demonstrating and speaking for justice. I applaud those who live lives of public service protecting society.
To borrow from G.K. Chesterton, when asked “what is wrong with the world?”  the answer is “I am.”
We will not have substantial change unless we can change hearts.  Satan prowls throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls and he does so through deadly sins: pride, anger, envy, greed, gluttony, lust, and sloth.  I condemn all sin.  And I condemn it first while looking in the mirror.
But none of us can change our hearts on our own.  The battle is too ferocious, the wounds too deep, and the weapons of the enemy are too strong.  Jesus Christ has given us the only thing that can change hearts: Himself.
I exhort you to root out resentment and bitterness from your own soul.  These are the feeding ground of sin and the playground of the devil.  The group with whom I served as a missionary in Mexico prayed every morning as a part of their morning prayers, “I renounce Satan and all his works and I bind myself to you Jesus Christ forever.”  The world needs you and me to live what we profess.
You likely know the songs from the 70’s “The Lord Hears The Cry of the Poor,” and “Taste and See.”  Did you know that they both come from Psalm 34?  In this time of pandemic we have a greater hunger than ever for social justice and for the Bread of Life.
This poor one cried out and the LORD heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.
The angel of the LORD encamps
around those who fear him, and he saves them.
Taste and see that the LORD is good;
blessed is the stalwart one who takes refuge in him.
Psalm 34: 7-9
pax,
fr mosimann
June 7, 2020
June 7, 2020
Sign Up For Masses This Weekend

Sign Up For Masses This Weekend

The sign up for the next week’s masses can be found at the bottom of this post.  Please read the following rules before signing up:

  1. SIGN UP IS FOR SATURDAY AND SUNDAY ONLY FROM NOW ON–NO SIGN UP NEEDED FOR DAILY MASS ANYMORE. For the 12pm Daily Mass on Monday through Friday, we will no longer require a sign-up.  Instead we will be doing first come, first serve, until the building is full.  We have enough spots for 42 ‘households’.  We encourage you to arrive for daily Mass early.  If all the spots are filled, we will be turning people away for that day.
  2. PUBLIC MASSES ARE AT HOLY CROSS ACADEMY: 250 Stafford Lakes Parkway.  This is to maximize possible attendance, allow for greatest health safety, and ensure we are able to abide by the directives from the bishop and governor for re-opening.
  3. MASS TIMES ARE MONDAY THRU FRIDAY 12PM, 5PM SATURDAY, 8AM, 10, 12PM , AND 2PM BI-LINGUAL ON SUNDAY.
  4. DO NOT COME TO MASS IF YOU FEEL UNWELL, OR HAVE FELT UNWELL IN THE PAST 14 DAYS. Even if you think it is only allergies, you could potentially put the health of your fellow parishioners, volunteer staff, and priests at risk if you come to Mass and don’t abide by this regulation.
  5. EVERYONE MUST BRING A MASK AND WEAR IT AT ALL TIMES EXCEPT WHILE RECEIVING COMMUNION.
  6. IF YOU ARE FROM A REGION IN PHASE 0 (NO PUBLIC MASSES PERMITTED YET), PLEASE DO NOT SIGN UP AND COME TO PARISHES IN PHASE 1.  This would put everyone at risk.  Traveling to different region to attend Mass defeats the whole purpose of the quarantine.
  7. YOU WILL BE SIGNING UP FOR a ‘BOX of SEATS’. To keep with the social distancing instructions, and in order to accommodate the largest number of people, we have divided the school gym into taped-off sections.  One Box = One Spot = ‘One Monastic Cell’ = seating for One Houshold (2, 4, or 6 chairs).  You are not required to keep social distance from the people you live with, so the boxes allow us to seat households together.  If you are coming as an individual, please don’t hesitate to sign up for one ‘box/spot’, and have your very own space.  Likewise a family of seven would need to sign up for 2 ‘boxes/spots’ (of 4 chairs each) to have sufficient chairs and safely social distance.
  8. DON’T SIGN UP AND BRING FRIENDS INTO YOUR BOX.  That would violate the CDC’s social distancing guidelines.  If you don’t live in the same abode as the person, don’t bring them into your box.
  9. PLEASE RESPECT THE USHERS.  If the ushers give you an instruction, it is because of the governor and bishop’s guidelines that we are responsible for enforcing in order to open up.  Everyone who comes to Mass has the right to their good health and to ensure this as best we can, we enforce the best practices and rules that we sent to us by the relevant authorities.  If you cannot or choose not to abide by these rules, then please watch Mass on Facebook at home.  The dispensation from attending Mass is still in effect for all people in the Diocese of Arlington, whether your parish has re-opened or not.  The link to the FACEBOOK LIVE STREAMS IS HERE.

The Link To Sign Up to attend Mass in Person is HERE