Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church

With the Election Tuesday, I am inviting you to prayer before our Eucharistic Lord, Monday evening, night, and all day Tuesday. I renew last week’s exhortation to vote with a well formed conscience, and then drop by St. Mary’s to pray for our country.

One hidden blessing this year was that during the time without public Masses, we were able to keep our church open from 6am to midnight with Adoration. Jesus was on the altar all day prominently and centrally! It was noticeable and fitting and a source of great comfort to many. Jesus is the source and summit of everything that we do in the church. We are a church of and for the Eucharist.

This led to a discussion at Parish Council in May about the possibility of moving the tabernacle to the center of our sanctuary directly underneath the crucifix with the priests chairs moving to one side. The proposal was warmly received and people immediately offered to help defray the costs. Over the summer, options were weighed and the permission of the Bishop was obtained. The simplest option was chosen, which is moving furniture and purchase of a tabernacle stand and new candles, not a renovation.

In two weeks, on November 10th, we have a contractor coming to install a stand for the tabernacle that matches the cabinetry. It is being manufactured by the same builder (a local Virginia company) who built our custom woodwork so that it matches seamlessly, and donations have been secured to pay for this.

The candles are being purchased from the same manufacture in Spain who built the tabernacle, so that they will properly match once these arrive at a later date. Many of the candles have also been covered with donations from Parish Council members!

I am grateful for the generosity of the Parish Council who received this suggestion with great enthusiasm and generosity. Placing the tabernacle where it is in the direct sight line of every seat will be a visible reminder to everyone that Jesus Christ is the priest, victim, and the living heart of our parish family and church.

pax et bonum,

Fr. John Mosimann

Yes, we all know an election is coming. If you don’t, then there is no way you are reading this.

Prayer: I must start here. I do not put hope in presidents. That belongs to God. I invite / inform / insist that we start with prayer. To that end we will have a vigil prayer service at 7 pm the night before the election. I would like to have adoration all night, leading into adoration all day on election day. Come beg Jesus to have mercy on our country.

Education: learn the Catholic moral principles that are at stake and where the candidates stand on them. Here is the link to the website which is a joint effort of the bishops here in our Commonwealth: vacatholic.org

Conscience: Yes, you must vote your conscience. However, this does not mean your feelings. It means your last, best judgment in applying moral principles to the specifics of the decision. This is why learning the Catholic moral principles above is essential. Beware of wolves in sheep’s clothing. Many Catholics will try to turn the principle of conscience to justify immoral positions. A judgement of conscience which rejects revealed truth is sinful.

Turn off the news and avoid listening to ad hominem arguments, smear campaigns are accelerating, all in an effort to prove how vile the enemy is. Satan is the father of lies, and he is slinging them in full force.

My new principle I have come up with during this election cycle: Spend more time praying than watching the news. Ouch. Am I seeking first the Kingdom of God, or the USA?

Respectfully,

Father John Mosimann