Friday, March 27, 2020

Special Note:  MAGNIFICAT Way of the Cross @ 3:30 Central time with "Father Rocky" on Relevant Radio. Click here and follow in the MAGNIFICAT Holy Week issue on page 167.

Message from Fr. Glen:

We will have confessions at each of our cluster parishes this Saturday - at St. Thomas from 9:00-10:30AM and at Ss. Peter and Paul from 12:30-2:00PM. 
 
We will have confessions in the evenings at both parishes - Tuesday at Ss. Peter and Paul from 6:30PM to 7:30PM and Wednesday at St. Thomas from 6:30-7:30PM
 
There will be no adoration Saturday through Monday.   Adoration will resume in church next Tuesday through Friday.  Each of those days it will go from 8:00AM to 4:00PM.   Hand sanitizer is at the church entrance and in the confessional on the penitent’s side.  Please be sure to use it when entering and leaving the church and the confessional.
 
Also, each of those four days next week there will be confessions when adoration begins from 8:00-8:30AM, and before it ends from 3:30-4:00PM.

As Holy Week draws close, his holiness the Pope has given an additional way to receive a Plenary Indulgence.  Usually one needs to go to mass and confession, be free from attachment to sin in your heart and pray a devotion such as the rosary, chaplet of Divine Mercy or other prayers for the Pope’s intentions.  While one can still go to confession in our parishes, mass is not available.  Therefore, for the duration of this health crisis, one can substitute watching a mass on tv to be able to receive a plenary indulgence - a very appropriate adaptation given this situation.
 
If you receive the Catholic Spirit, the cover picture for this week’s issue is quite something.  It shows the archbishop saying mass in the empty cathedral.  It is a very good visual for the whole situation we are living through!  Each day we just need to remember - with the Lord Jesus, our Good Shepherd, we will all make it through this!

God bless!

 

Thursday, March 26, 2020

Message from Fr. Glen:

As I am sure everyone has heard, the governor has asked people to stay home as much as possible.  The “Shelter at Home” decree he issued, which begins tomorrow night at midnight, amounts to just that.  So far, no additional businesses are being asked to close.  We must all be careful and attentive to our personal safety and that of our family. 
 
At this time, we are canvasing our Eucharistic Adorers to see if they are willing to continue to come to church for adoration at Ss. Peter and Paul in Loretto.  We will know by tomorrow if that is the case.  By tomorrow we should have heard something from the Archbishop, which would indicate if he will impose any further restrictions on what we can do at church.  If no further restrictions are imposed and our adorers continue to be willing to come to church, adoration and confessions will continue next week and Holy Week as we are doing it currently.  If adoration can continue, I will add further times for confession for Holy Week.
 
From my observations, even with confession now offered during adoration, there are never more than a few people in church, and they are well spaced. Of course, if you are uncomfortable leaving home, you are under no obligation to visit church for adoration or confession.  I plan to go grocery shopping tomorrow. I realize that to check out I may not be able to maintain a full six feet from the checkout person.  We will do what we can for the faith just as we do for groceries and other essential supplies.  We do have hand sanitizer at the entry to church and disinfectant wipes in the confessional.  Please stay six feet or further from anyone else in church.  If we use our heads and are thoughtful, the church is no more dangerous to be in than in a store, arguably less so as we don’t have to check out in church and hand money or credit cards to another person as we do at a store!
 
We will update this tomorrow to see if the Archbishop has anything more to say.  If adoration can continue, we will have it Holy Week as well so that we can at least do something for those most holy days of the Christian year.  Maybe even Easter Sunday in lieu of mass!  Stay tuned!  Be not afraid my brothers and sisters.  Jesus our Good Shepherd is with us and will be watching over us.  Psalm 23 is perfect during these days!  Also, the Litany in Time of Trouble that the Archbishop has asked us to pray is so helpful as well.  See prayer resources we have put on our website for these and other aids for prayer.

Today and tomorrow we have confessions during adoration from 8:00-8:30AM and 3:30-4:00PM.  Saturday, as last weekend, we will have confessions at St. Thomas from 9:00-10:30AM and at Ss. Peter and Paul from 12:30-2:00PM. 
 

Wednesday, March 25, 2020

Message from Fr. Glen:

Governor Walz has declared that effective this Friday, March 27^th at Midnight, we will go into shelter in place.  The full implications of this will become clear in the news in the next two days.  Unless there are further declarations from the governor or the Archbishop, all currently scheduled activities such as adoration and confession will continue through Friday.  This is not an unexpected development in light of the situation in this country with the coronavirus. 

Yesterday we posted the longer version of the Serenity Prayer on our website.  Praying that will prove helpful in maintaining calm and making good decisions in the coming days.  God is with us!  Do not be afraid.  If we believe in God, then trust in Him.

In Christ,
Fr. Glen

Remaining Scheduled Confessions -

• 6:30-7:30pm....................Tonight (Wed., March 25) @ St. Thomas
• 8-8:30am & 3:30-4pm....Thursday @ Ss. Peter & Paul
• 8-8:30am & 3:30-4pm....Friday @ Ss. Peter & Paul
• 9-10:30am.......................Saturday @ St. Thomas
• 12:30-2pm.......................Saturday @ Ss. Peter & Paul

• 8am-4pm......Thursday
• 8am-4pm......Friday

Join the Marriage, Family & Life Office as we unite our prayers with Pope Francis:

1. A WORLDWIDE BLESSING on FRIDAY ~ 6 pm Rome Time (12 noon our time)

The Holy Father will preside over a moment of prayer on the sagrato of St Peter’s Basilica, the platform at the top of the steps immediately in front of the façade of the Church. “I invite everyone to participate spiritually through the means of communication”, he said. 

The ceremony will consist in readings from the Scriptures, prayers of supplication, and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament; and will conclude with Pope Francis giving the Urbi et orbi Blessing, with the possibility of gaining a plenary indulgence for all those who listen to it live through the various forms of communication. The blessing “to the City [of Rome] and to the World” is normally only given on Christmas and Easter.

Tuesday, March 24, 2020

This Wednesday, March 25^th, is the solemn feast of the Annunciation which we also honor in the 1^st Joyful Mystery of the Rosary.  Be sure to offer the Joyful Mysteries this Wednesday in honor of this beautiful feast of our Lady!  If you pray the rosary again on that day, then the Glorious Mysteries usually prayed on Wednesdays could be prayed.
 
In addition to the scheduled confession times Father has set up on Saturdays and the two weekday evenings (see March 19 message located in Archives tab), he is going to add some times during Adoration at Ss. Peter & Paul. Starting this week, he will have confessions on Thursdays and Fridays, 8-8:30am and 3:30-4pm.

If you received the March 22nd bulletin via snail mail this week, it means we do not have an email address for you in our parish database. If you do have an email address, please send it to the Parish Office so that you can instead receive it electronically through our Flocknote emails. This will help keep down the cost of postage. Thank you.

Cody has added a tab called Virtual Programming in this section. He will be changing it weekly, if not daily, so it is important to check in each day for new content.

We have a growing list of volunteers ready to help the elderly by running errands for them, delivering groceries, prescriptions, etc. If you know of anyone who needs help, please let the Parish Office know. Thanks.

NEW:  
Pope Francis has announced a request to pray the “Our Father” on the Annunciation.
This Wednesday, March 25th,at 12 noon on the feast of the Annunciation, he has invited “the Heads of the Churches and the leaders of every Christian community, together with all Christians of the various confessions, to invoke the Almighty, the omnipotent God, to recite at the same time the prayer that Jesus, our Lord, taught us - the Our Father.  He will pray this at 12 noon Rome time (Rome is six hours ahead of us so 6am here) but has asked us to say this at 12noon Wednesday wherever we are.  
 
The Holy Father is also giving a special Urbi et Orbi blessing ("to the city and to the world" usually only done on Christmas and Easter) on Friday, March 27th at 12 noon Minnesota time.  He will preside over a moment of prayer on the steps of St Peter’s Basilica in Rome.  The area around St. Peter's will be empty, but millions will join in by watching or listening through Internet, TV, or radio.  “I invite everyone to participate spiritually through the means of communication”, he said.   Check the Vatican website, EWTN or your favorite Catholic broadcaster to tune in. 

**Please click the BOLD for the links to the resources...

• Reflection for the 5th Sunday of Lent!

Sunday, March 22, 2020

Adoration will begin in Ss. Peter & Paul Church this Tuesday, March 24th, from 8am to 4pm - barring further restrictions from the government and the archdiocese. It will go from Tuesday through Friday each week during those times.

For those who are not signed up for an hour, please remember - if you decide to drop in to visit our Lord during these hours, no more than 10 people can be allowed in the church. When you see someone come in that would push us over the limit, if you have been there for awhile, please leave so they can come in and have time before our Lord, too.

For health reasons, please sit no closer than every 3rd pew. Father is asking that each person sign in with their own pen or pencil. Please use hand sanitizer before you enter into the church and as you leave. Everything in church will be sanitized each morning before Adoration begins.
 

March 19, 2020
An adorer has recommended this website for live-streaming Adoration.
 

March 18, 2020
Dear Adorers,

Our Lady of Loretto Chapel will be closed effective Wednesday, March 18^th, at 7:00 P.M due to concerns with the coronavirus.  The Eucharist will be removed from the chapel.  We are asking that you do not go there to pray.  Our church will be opened at certain times to pray, and the Eucharist will be in the tabernacle in church.  Please check the parish website for updated information on this.  Please be willing to return to your time slot when our chapel reopens. 

We ask that you would prayerfully consider setting aside the hour you usually adore Our Lord and pray to Him during that hour.  If you cannot do that time, please pray sometime during your scheduled day for one hour.  We are sure Jesus will be very pleased that we have not forgotten Him. 

Please try to pray the rosary and the Chaplet of Mercy every day so that we can combat this virus.  Many prayers are needed at this time so that chapels can reopen and masses can be celebrated once more.  Hopefully this situation will bring us all closer to God. 

God Bless,
Our Lady of Loretto Core Team 

March 14, 2020
Due to concerns regarding the coronavirus, we are taking additional steps to protect our adorers:

• Please wash your hands in the chapel bathroom with antibacterial soap before entering the chapel, using paper towels to dry.
• Disinfecting wipes are available for wiping the chair arms and the arm rest of the kneeler.

• All Masses
• Religious Education (until April 15, then will re-evaluate)
• Lenten Mission
• Ss. Peter & Paul Ham Bingo
• St. Thomas Ham Bingo
• CUF Annual Easter Egg Hunt
• Stations of the Cross

• You need someone to pick up supplies or prescriptions for you
• You know of someone who would like the bulletin mailed to them weekly

For Daily Mass on Relevant Radio, click here.

​​​​​​​
An Act of Spiritual Communion

My Jesus, 
I believe that You
are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. 
I love You above all things, 
and I desire to receive You into my soul. 
Since I cannot at this moment
receive You sacramentally, 
come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You.
Amen.
 
 

• Letter from Archdiocese about LITANY in TIME of NEED Prayer
• LITANY in TIME of NEED Prayer

• Litany of Trust - written by the Sisters of Life

Magnificat:  During this challenging time, many of the faithful are unable to attend Mass.
Magnificat is honored to provide complimentary access to its online version to help people pray from home.

Formed.org:  Catholic Movies/Videos for adults & kids, Catholic Studies, Audio and E-Books

• Go to www.formed.org
• Click on Sign Up
• Select I belong to a Parish or Organization
• Under Find your Parish or Organization, enter our parish cluster code:  e223ff
• Ss. Peter & Paul will come up—click on it
• Click Next
• Enter your name and email address
• Click on Sign Up

• Daily Lenten Activities
• Fun Video & Audio selections
• Activity Downloads
• Fun Quizzes

Sunday, March 22, 2020

Adoration will begin in Ss. Peter & Paul Church this Tuesday, March 24th, from 8am to 4pm - barring further restrictions from the government and the archdiocese. It will go from Tuesday through Friday each week during those times.

For those who are not signed up for an hour, please remember - if you decide to drop in to visit our Lord during these hours, no more than 10 people can be allowed in the church. When you see someone come in that would push us over the limit, if you have been there for awhile, please leave so they can come in and have time before our Lord, too.

For health reasons, please sit no closer than every 3rd pew. Father is asking that each person sign in with their own pen or pencil. Please use hand sanitizer before you enter into the church and as you leave. Everything in church will be sanitized each morning before Adoration begins.
 

Friday, March 20, 2020

AN UPDATE FROM FR. JENSON:

As we move into this time of fasting from mass and Eucharist, we will keep everyone informed on our website about what is happening and provide resources for spiritual growth and ways to be connected as a faith community.  Someone mentioned that the word corona means crown, I believe in Spanish.  As we struggle with the effects of the Corona Virus, we can consider this to be a time in which we are all wearing a crown of thorns as Jesus did on his way to the cross. 
 
Please note, the parish staff will be working from home more frequently than before.  The office doors will not be open.  If you have a question not answered on our website or need to speak to someone in the office, please call or email.  Phones and email will be answered as usual during business hours.
 
We are continuing to work on getting enough adorers willing to cover hours of adoration in church instead of in the chapel.  As soon as we have that taken care of, we will announce when adoration will begin in church and for what hours.  Watch our website for this important information.
 
For Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, there are new regulations for bringing communion to the homebound.  If you presently bring communion to family members or other parishioners, please contact the parish office as we need to update you on new procedures. 
 
Every business day we hope to have updates on our website for your information and with ideas for prayer, worship online, etc.  I know that the Archdiocese is working on being able to provide online streaming of a mass from our Cathedral by one of our bishops.  It will be more important than ever to visit our website daily for any new updates and important notices.
 
The Lord is our Shepherd, we shall not want.  Jesus is watching over us.  Invite him into your day each morning as we bear this crown of thorns of made up of anxiety and fasting from mass and Eucharist.  Jesus, Mary and Joseph, O help us today!
 

Thursday, March 19, 2020

A MESSAGE FROM FR. JENSON:

Dear Parishioners,

These are very amazing and unsettling times we are going through due to the COVID-19 virus.  The Archbishop has ordered all public masses cancelled.  The government has directed that no more than ten people be in any place of assembly.  With this in mind, we have some initial plans for how we will move forward for this weekend and next week.  Plans may change as we see how things go during the first week.
 
Mass Intentions:  Every priest will be offering private masses every day to cover their parish mass intentions.  I have spoken to Fr. Bruno and he will share in offering private masses for some of our five weekend mass intentions for our two parishes.   Intentions will therefore continue to be offered as scheduled and they will be shown in the bulletin as usual.
 
Confessions:  There will be confessions each weekend at both parishes, but not as previously scheduled as they will not be arranged around scheduled masses, which are no longer being offered.  For the weekend, confession will be offered on Saturdays for both parishes. 
 
Weekends: 
St. Thomas:                  Saturday 9:00-10:30AM,        
Ss. Peter and Paul:    Saturday 12:30-2:00PM
 
Weekday Evenings:
Ss. Peter and Paul:   Tuesday 6:30-7:30PM
St. Thomas:                Wednesday 6:30-7:30PM
 
As we see how this works for people through this difficult time, the schedule may be adjusted.
 
Adoration:
We are working to make adoration available early next week.  To do so, we will have to move it from the chapel in Loretto, which is too small to maintain proper social distance, into Ss. Peter and Paul church.  In addition, to ensure that no more than ten people are in church at any time, and with the need to sanitize the pews each day, we are looking at daytime hours only at this time.  Watch the website for details of when we can begin adoration in the church.  It will be a very great blessing to have adoration again.  When adoration resumes, confessions will be scheduled at Ss. Peter and Paul during it at various times. 
 
Scripture:
Numerous links are being put on our parish website to provide you with access to Bible resources.  In addition, there is a very great value to memorizing scripture passages, particularly now when we do not have access to mass and Eucharist.  The best-known Psalm in the Bible is Psalm 23.  Its opening line, “The Lord is my shepherd,  there is nothing I shall want” and “though I walk through the dark valley, I fear no evil; you are there with your crook and your staff that give me courage”  are surely apropos for these times.   If you have a Bible at home, the easiest way to memorize scripture is by repetition.  Read the passage three times a day, perhaps morning, noon, and night.  As we move through these anxious days, these words will begin to come to mind more and more as they sink into your memory and become a part of you.  
 
Rosary:
Many now have the time to pray the rosary daily.  Many who didn’t think they could make time for it are finding it.  This is a perfect devotion for couples and families to pray together as well as individually.  No other devotion has been found to have as much effect as the rosary!  Keep your beads on you all the time and you may be surprised how often you begin to find yourself saying it. Thereby, an ocean of graces will be obtained for our hurting world.
 
In Christ,
Fr. JensonWednesday, March 18, 2020
Other ways to get updates from us:

• Sign up for Flocknote (below) to get email updates or email Sherry to be put on the list (selsen@saintsppta.org)
• Sign up for the myParish app on your cell phone by texting App to 88202, download the myParish app, and select our parish cluster (Ss. Peter & Paul | St. Thomas)
  • The myParish app will send you notifications on updates, has a button to get to our most recent bulletin, and has many other resources such as Prayers, Readings for the day, News from the Archdiocese, Inspirational articles, Reflections, Audio Bible, etc.

Tuesday, March 17, 2020
Click here for a message from Archbishop Hebda.

Sunday, March 15, 2020
Archbishop Hebda has sent out a letter to all parishes in our Archdiocese. Click here to read it.
 

Wednesday, March 11, 2020
Archbishop Hebda issued a statement of guidelines regarding our procedures during Mass in reaction to the coronavirus. He asks that we follow these guidelines until state officials give the all-clear. In response, we are asking you to:

• Stay home if you feel sick or have flu-like symptoms or if you are caring for someone who is sick,

• Offer the greeting at the beginning of Mass without shaking hands or touching, and

• Refrain from hand-holding during the Our Father.

 
Additionally, we have disinfected the pews, emptied the holy water fonts, and our Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion will sanitize their hands before and after distributing the Eucharist.
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