Pastor’s Piece – June 20

Father Christopher Murphy – St. Katharine Drexel Mission

Pastors Piece – June 20, 2020

 

Pastor’s Piece – June 13

I apologize for any confusion earlier this week for information found on the webpages and or parish bulletin regarding the schedule. It’s tough getting back into the swing of things. Please, note well. Mass times for the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, June 14 are 8:00 & 10:00am in English and 12:30pm in Spanish. There is no Saturday evening Mass of anticipation for Sunday. Daily Mass is 8:30am Monday – Saturday. Also, we have Spanish Mass, Wednesday evenings at 6:30 in Spanish before the Eucharistic Holy Hour starting at 7:00. The Sacrament of Penance is available in that hour.

Some things worth reviewing for the participation in Mass at SSM:

  • Those attending Mass in the church nave, narthex, front porch and parking lot are to come to Communion at the altar rail.
  • Please, make a single-file line in the main aisle.
  • Follow the tape markers on the floor for social distancing.
  • Where the aisle widens there are two tape markers abreast.
  • The side you choose directs you to which side of the altar rail from which to communicate.
  • Regarding the altar rail:
    • There are six Communion stations (three on each side of the main aisle).
    • Each Communion station is properly spaced from social distancing and has a pad for kneeling.
    • One may receive Communion standing or kneeling but the pad is the location from which to communicate.
    • One may receive on the hand or on the tongue regardless of posture.
    • Wearing a mask for Holy Communion will require extra time that the altar rail provides, such as:
      • The removal and reapplying of masks.
      • A moment extra to recollect oneself for the great unique privilege of sacramentally receiving Our Lord.
      • I ask that the mask be lowered from one’s mouth when I present the Eucharist.
    • Those in the parish hall, please, wait for me to bring Communion to you at your place.

With a video feed to the parish hall, a speaker system to the hall and exterior of the church, and a video of the 8am Mass on the inter-net, I was relieved last week not to have transmitted the Mass via FM radio. This particular medium has been waning in popularity since public Masses are now available in our area. Therefore I’m discontinuing its use. I can easily enough enable it for a need. Just let me know beforehand.

 

Regarding the video feed of the 8:00am Mass. I am sorry that it didn’t arrive in cyberspace until about 10:30am. We are having difficulty uploading it quickly. We shall try some new ideas this Sunday, and hope for better outcome. This recorded version of the 8:00am Mass will be available on YouTube and Facebook hopefully from 9:30am-ish until Monday. You may find the link on our webpages: https://www.saint-stephen.org, https://www.katharinedrexelcc.org, or https://www.facebook.com/katharinedrexelcc

 

In preparation for Mass this Sunday, as you walk into church, look for a QR code posted on the columns of the church and on our webpage. This will provide your smartphone with the lyrics to the hymns that we’ll be using. In addition we have limited disposable copies of these hymns printed for your use. You have permission to look at your cellphone during Mass. I know that you’re not following the ball game. There are none.

Volunteers to wipe down pews, chairs and door handles after Mass to prepare for the next one are welcome.

For all of you at SKD who are concerned about getting back to our routine at Bull Run Middle School, my third apology this Pastor’s Piece but things aren’t any clearer to me this week than last week. I think that we can comfortably bet that July isn’t available. Interestingly it is a different story in Loudoun County and so I do not believe this to be a State issue. If anyone has an influence with Prince William County, please, apply some pressure. In the mean time come and be with the members of your parochial family in Middleburg. You’ll find familiar faces and some neighbors. Once again we should have some very pleasant weather for attending Mass with the windows open or sitting on our front patio.

The big news for SKD this week is that we now own the Mission Office, 4100 Mill Creek. Finally we can get to work on repairing the deck and hopefully have an event or two while the weather is still nice. The diocesan offices are beginning to open up this week, so I expect to have group meetings at the Mission Office by the end of June.

 

Christ’s Peace,

Fr. Murphy

 

St. Katharine Drexel Altar

SSM Sunday Mass Now Available on Facebook

Fr. Murphy has added a video feed to the St. Stephen the Martyr Church parish hall and now will be offering a recording of the Mass available on the St. Katharine Drexel Mission Facebook page.

Here are the details. It won’t be a live-stream. It will be a recorded version of the 8:00 AM Mass that will be available on YouTube and Facebook from 9:30 AM until 5:00 PM. You may find the link on our webpages: https://www.saint-stephen.org, https://www.katharinedrexelcc.org, or https://www.facebook.com/katharinedrexelcc

Pastor’s Piece – June 6

It is time to gear up for another challenging Sunday in America. I just noticed that today marks the 76th anniversary of D-day. That should help us see that we are not unique in having challenges. And also help us see that our challenges pale in comparison. After all what’s a little riot gear and a N95 respirator mask to wear on the way to Sunday Mass in comparison to landing on a beach and scaling cliffs under the barrage of Nazi artillery, mortars and gun fire. We got this.

Nothing has changed regarding guidelines for Mass attendance. Nevertheless there are some things worth reviewing. I invite those attending Mass in the church nave, narthex, front porch and parking lot to come to Communion at the altar rail. Please, queue up single-file in the main aisle. Follow the tape markers on the floor for the spot to wait.

Regarding the altar rail:

  • There are six Communion stations.
  • They provide proper spacing, time for preparation and recollection, and speed.
  • Each properly spaced Communion station at the rail has a pad for kneeling.
  • One has the option to receive standing or kneeling but the pad is the location from which to communicate.
  • One may receive on the hand or on the tongue regardless of posture.
  • Look for tape on the floor for guidance as to where to stand while waiting for the communicant ahead to receive.
  • Wearing a mask for Holy Communion will require extra time that the altar rail provides, such as:
    – The removal and reapplying of masks.
    – A moment extra to recollect oneself for the great unique privilege of sacramentally receiving Our Lord.
    – I ask that the mask be lowered from one’s mouth when I present the Eucharist.
    – Counter-intuitively the altar rail will be faster because I am the one moving and therefore the whole congregation doesn’t depend on the speed of one individual communicant.
  • Those in the parish hall, please, wait for me to bring Communion to you at your place.

Last week I added a video feed to the parish hall, this Sunday there will be one more thing done differently. I’ve hesitated offering the televised Mass because of all the various other ways that I was making Mass available. Last Sunday went well and my new IT engineer, Kendall Parker is ready and willing to attempt to bring the Mass that I offer to cyber-space this Sunday.

Here are the details. It won’t be a live-stream. It will be a recorded version of the 8:00 AM Mass that will be available on YouTube and Facebook from 9:30 AM until 5:00 PM. You may find the link on our webpages: https://www.saint-stephen.org, https://www.katharinedrexelcc.org, or https://www.facebook.com/katharinedrexelcc

This may be the nearest thing to a Mass at SKD that I can offer for a while. I don’t know when we can return to Bull Run Middle School. The next hoped for date is July 12. That is a date arrived at by hope and assumption, not any concrete information. Until then, please, feel free to make SSM your home. Additionally, I’ll not be sending my homily out in the e-mail. I think me through speakers, television, radio and computer is enough of me.

We are in need of some help. I need somebody who can arrive at Mass fifteen minutes early, park his vehicle near the front door of the church, and be willing to give me his cellphone number in order to man the FM Transmitter in the car during Mass.

We still need volunteers to wipe down pews, chairs and door handles after Mass to prepare for the next one.

In preparation for Mass this Sunday, look for a QR code posted outside of the church and on our webpage. This will provide your smartphone with the lyrics to the hymns that we’ll be using. In addition we have limited disposable copies of these hymns printed for your use.

Mass times for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, June 7 is 8:00 & 10:00am in English and 12:30pm in Spanish. There is no Saturday evening Mass of anticipation for Sunday. Daily Mass is 8:30am Monday – Saturday. Also, we have Spanish Mass, Wednesday evenings at 6:30 in Spanish before the Eucharistic Holy Hour starting at 7:00. The Sacrament of Penance is available in that hour.

Christ’s Peace,
Fr. Murphy