Pastoral Messages from Fr. Rick – July 18, 2020

1/ The latest directive from Bishop Solis regarding the wearing of masks at Catholic churches in Utah is that everyone but the liturgical ministers at the Mass MUST WEAR A MASK FOR THE ENTIRETY OF THE MASS.  This recent update is due to the urging of Governor Herbert whose concerns are driven by the recent sharp increase of positive tests for Covid-19 in Utah.

2/ The Office of the Bishop and the Office of Stewardship and Development from the Diocese of Salt Lake City have partnered to make a focused appeal for all parishioners to practice our much-needed stewardship in these very challenging times.  See the Bishop’s statement on our website and help as you can.

3/ Mass attendance has been a little lower than I expected once we have been able to gather safely.  Each person needs to make the health and safety decision most appropriate to their personal situation and remember that each Mass attended during the week will satisfy your Sunday obligation.  Be safe, BUT please know that we can almost always fit you in while practicing safe distancing.

4/  Thank you for keeping in touch with each other and maintaining a strong aspect of community love and support even in our somewhat limiting situation.  As always, if anyone would like to talk to me personally for any reason, leave a message at the parish office and I will get in touch with you pronto.

5/   From the Diocese:

Sharing the Principles of Catholic Social Teaching:

Parishes and other Catholic organizations are encouraged to share the Church’s teaching on the relationships between Christian faith and political life. The Church’s teaching on political responsibility, human life, human rights, and justice and peace need to be shared more widely and effectively. The Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship statement, bulletin insert, and other materials at www.faithfulcitizenship.org are useful for developing educational programs.

We strongly urge all parishioners to register, to become informed on key issues, and to vote. The Church does not support or oppose any candidate but seeks to focus attention on the moral and human dimensions of issues. We do not authorize the distribution of partisan political materials on parish property.

6/ July 19-26 is Natural Family Planning Week.  Please see some important and interesting information on this topic on our website as it relates to attributes such as temperance, prudence, chastity, self-awareness, and sensitivity to others.  During the pandemic and related economic and socials issues, we will likely be required to rethink and reconsider many things about our day-to-day cultural assumptions.  Natural Family has much to teach us.