Dear Friends in Christ, I hope this letter finds you well as we conclude the Easter season and prepare to celebrate the great Feast of Pentecost – the gift of God’s Spirit to the Church. This year our celebration takes place with hope and gratitude as we begin to see daylight at the end of the long tunnel of this global pandemic ...
"As a community, we must confront this disturbing reality – we must be willing to name the harm and to resolutely work for greater justice and healing. In my homily yesterday, I said that we are at a Kairos moment – a decisive opportunity for change in our lives, in our community and in our Church. Aided by the light of the risen Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit, Christians must lead as we seek to build a more just and peaceful community... "
Earlier this week, the Vatican Secretariat of State released a much anticipated 400 plus page report on theHoly See’s institutional knowledge and decision-making related to former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick ...
From Fr. Griffith: After consultation with parish leadership, myself and The Comprehensive Assignment Board, Archbishop Hebda has assigned Deacon Ripperton Riordan to our parish. He will be joining us September 1st ...
From Fr. Griffith: I hope this midpoint of summer finds you well as we continue to navigate in unchartered waters. My heart and prayers continue to go out to all those affected by COVID-19 – those who have died, those who suffered ill health, those who have lost loved ones, those who have lost jobs or are struggling with financial hardship, those who suffer injustice of any kind and those who are struggling with anxiety, fear or loneliness. It is critical that Catholics walk in solidarity with all of our brothers and sisters who are hurting at this time.
In this letter to the parish, Father Daniel Griffith shares several updates: the passing of Timothy Neeb, the celebration of life for Barbara Bye, upcoming memorial services for George Floyd, and how restorative practices offer a path to healing during this time of heavy sadness and helplessness.
From Fr. Griffith: I write to you today with sadness in my heart at the senseless killing of George Floyd and the tumultuous response that has resulted over the last couple of days in Minneapolis and neighboring St. Paul. These are challenging days for our community. Yesterday, I released a statement on these events, wherein I called on our civic community to address the persistent and systematic patterns of racial injustice that have afflicted Minneapolis and indeed the state of Minnesota for decades.
I am deeply saddened by the senseless killing of George Floyd and the tumult that has resulted in Minneapolis. My prayers and thoughts and those of the Catholic Community of Our Lady of Lourdes go out to the family and friends of Mr. Floyd as well as the African American community and citizens of Minneapolis ...
From Fr. Griffith: I write to you on the Feast of the Ascension of our Lord which communicates to all Christians the promise of the Holy Spirit and our life’s goal – to be raised with Christ for all eternity. I write to you on Sunday, the Lord’s Day, which is central to our life of faith and a sublime setting for the celebration of the Eucharist, which remains the source and summit of our Catholic faith ...
From Fr. Griffth: First and foremost to our life of worship, given Governor Walz’ recent order the plan to reopen public Masses in the archdiocese have shifted. Please see the video message from Archbishop Hebda that was released yesterday. I share Archbishop’s disappointment and I am similarly puzzled as to the allowance to open up retail stores and not churches, particularly when the latter enjoys first amendment protection. I am hopeful that the ongoing dialogue of the Minnesota bishops and Governor Walz’ office will produce an agreement that better balances public safety with the values and first principles of our nation. Thus, for now, plans to resume public Masses at Our Lady of Lourdes are on hold ...
As we continue our collective journey, as Catholics through the Easter season, aided by the light of the risen Christ, and as Americans amidst the challenges of the pandemic, I assure you of my continued prayers and support. The God of Jesus Christ continues to accompany us during this time. Like you, I continue to be inspired by the stories of sacrifice and valor by our fellow Americans who are on the front line providing health care and essential services ...
From Fr. Griffith: These days of crisis and challenge present a new invitation to receive the love of God and to say yes to God’s invitation to experience a life-giving relationship with him ...
From Fr. Griffith: I hope this letter finds you well as Christians journey through the Easter season together and as all continue to be challenged by the global pandemic. On one hand - I continue to be saddened by how many are suffering at this time from lack of health, loss of employment, anxiety and in many other ways – on the other hand I continue to be inspired by the acts of solidarity, love and sacrifice of so many Americans who are serving those in need ...
From Fr. Griffith: May the light and love of the risen Christ be with all of you! I write today in my weekly letter to wish you all a happy Easter and to provide you with further updates on our life together. I also write to express my gratitude to all of you who remain committed and supportive of Our Lady of Lourdes.
From Fr. Griffith: I continue my weekly letter to you - our parishioners and friends as we experience together a new and challenging reality brought on by this global health crisis. The United States has been hit hard, as we now have the most confirmed cases of Coronavirus in the world. National leaders have begun preparing citizens that the next 2-3 weeks may be particularly difficult ...
From Fr. Griffith: All of you remain very much in my thoughts and prayers during this challenging time where many of our brothers and sisters throughout the world suffer from effects the Coronavirus (COVID-19). My heart goes out to those who have lost loved ones and those struggling with unhealth, economic uncertainty, and anxiety ...
From Fr. Griffith: In the midst of these challenging times in the United States and globally, I wanted to reach out to our community of faith at Our Lady of Lourdes to offer words of encouragement in Christ and to update you on changes regarding our shared life together ...
From Fr. Griffith: Here is guidance from the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and a summary of our revised procedures here at Our Lady of Lourdes in response to this pandemic. If there are changes to our procedures or schedule, they will be available on this page ...
