May the Light and Love of the Risen Christ be With all of You!

April 15, 2020
Dear Friends in Christ,
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.

First, I want to express the joy and peace I have in my heart as pastor that two Catechumens were baptized at the Easter Vigil last Saturday and 4 Candidates were confirmed and brought into full communion with the Catholic Church on Easter Sunday. As Fr. Evans astutely commented on Easter, the life of the Church continues. The journey of faith of our newest members of Our Lady of Lourdes is a source of inspiration and hope at this time. I offer my congratulations to them and thank Fr. Evans, Professor Susan Stabile and Fr. David Haschka, SJ for providing them with excellent formation in the faith. Please continue to keep them in your prayers.

I am also thankful to all those who put in so much hard work during Holy Week and the Sacred Triduum. Thank you to Fr. Evans for presiding and preaching throughout the Triduum and Mary Asp for her continuing work in so many areas, including the administration of the parish and taking care of so many important details – large and small. In addition, I am thankful to all those who participated in the Holy Week liturgies as lectors, servers, and those – Josh Zenner and Sarah Moon – providing excellent videography. I continue to be thankful to Julie Craven for providing stellar communications which help keep all of us connected at this time.

I understand that not being physically present for Mass, especially Easter Sunday, is a source of pain and a true sacrifice for many. Given this, our commitment to provide quality live streamed Masses and inspiring liturgies continues. Lastly, and not in the least, thank you to Dr. Jacob Benda for the beautiful and thoughtful selection of sacred music throughout Holy Week and the musicians and cantors who helped execute the music exquisitely.

I want to highlight a number of important opportunities to continue to be fed in your Catholic faith in the coming weeks. First, we are very happy that Archbishop Hebda will preside and preach this Sunday at 10:00 a.m. at Our Lady of Lourdes on the Feast of Divine Mercy. This is a special gift and I thank the Archbishop for his generosity of spirit. Second, Archbishop Hebda has asked parishes to provide the opportunity for Catholics to receive their Easter communion during this season. To that end, parishioners and friends will have the opportunity to receive their Easter communion in church during the hours that the church is open for prayer. Please note a shift in our weekly schedule. Beginning today, the church will be open Wednesdays from 5-7 (not 2-4) p.m. to accommodate those who are working during the day in essential services.

In addition, Fr. Evans and I will also extend reception of communion on Saturday afternoons in the courtyard at 3:30 p.m., after confessions. Whether receiving communion in the church or in the courtyard on Saturdays, I ask that you receive communion on the hand and not the tongue. We will take appropriate precautions to ensure the safest degree of reception of communion as possible.

In an effort to continue our commitment to faith formation, I will offer two 30 minute livestreamed presentations in church from 11:15 -11:45 April 26 on the “Resurrection Appearances of Christ” and on May 3, at the same time on “Healing our Wounded American Culture.” I hope you can join me.

Finally, I want to thank all of you who have generously contributed to Our Lady of Lourdes during these challenging times. As this is also a time of financial uncertainty, your ongoing support is especially appreciated. It has been a financially challenging time indeed for all churches, including Lourdes. Small, medium and large gifts and ongoing financial support allows us to continue serving you and supporting our parish staff and team. We remain United in Faith at Our Lady of Lourdes as we follow the path of light provided by our risen Lord.

Stay safe and well and join me in praying for all those affected by this global pandemic. Together with Christ and emboldened by God’s grace, we will rise from the ashes to new life and restoration. Remember, as always, God loves you!
Peace,
Fr. Daniel Griffith