August 26, 2020

Dear Friends:

Lately we have been hearing a consistent wish: when are things going to get back to normal? Ah if I only had the answer to that! One of the constants in life and in discipleship is change and the need to adapt to it. The Gospel this weekend encourages us to take up the cross and carry it faithfully with courage and perseverance.

The next few weeks will be tense as schools re-open and families, teachers, school administrators and healthcare personnel try to navigate their way through a myriad of changes and adaptations to help the children get back to a learning model they are used to or at least they can work with in these times. They will need our prayers.

In the parish we have been doing the same. We appreciate all the hard work of our volunteers-be sure to thank them as they greet you when you arrive, bring you to a seat, and stay after to sanitize. It is so important for all of us to stay patient, calm and kind. Because we are obliged to follow so many different directives, it is important that all of us do our part. We know that phoning in every week to secure a spot is not ordinary but doing so helps us to be prepared to welcome you and makes the entry process so much simpler and efficient, as well as ensuring we are not going over our provincially mandated limit of numbers. So far we are doing ok but the Sunday 10:30 am at Our Lady of the Atonement is very popular and fills up quickly.  Remember that the Bishop has extended the dispensation for the Sunday obligation so it is ok to skip a week if you have been coming weekly  in order to allow others to attend for the time being. So far the other masses are doing ok.

The border remains closed so the Hungarian priests are not able to come so the mass for St. Anthony remains cancelled but we welcome them to any of the other masses. As well, the 8:30 am mass for St. Vincent will continue to remain at Our Lady of the Atonement and this one is gaining in numbers each week. It is certainly easier to sanitize two buildings rather than three.

We continue to celebrate the Sacrament of Baptism each weekend, trying to accommodate families and clear up our baby backlog. We also completed the celebration of First Communions with the children-such joyful moments and a real treat to be with the kids once more. This week we will complete that process with the celebration of the Sacraments of Initiation with children over 7- Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist and help them to begin their faith journey. Please keep them all in your prayers.

We continue to celebrate funerals-this week 6 already, and help families mourn the loss of a loved one. We also remain on call for the hospitals following strict emergency protocols. We cannot at this time resume ministry to the nursing homes. It will be a while yet for that in order to keep those residents safe.

So in the midst of these challenges we strive to bring a little of the familiar to our day. We remain working hard as a staff. Phone the office if you are in need of some assistance. We have not resumed regular office hours yet-we are looking at that for sometime in September when we have everything in place for safe visits. Our voice mail system died on us this past Tuesday and won't be up and running until next Monday so please bear with us as they work to fix it.

We cannot at this time resume regular parish group ministry meetings-CWL, KofC, St. Vincent de Paul Society, choir practices, socials  etc. It will be a bit of time before that can happen so we ask for your patience and understanding. Groups are encouraged to continue with your virtual gatherings.

Building wise we hope to begin the roofing project at St. John Vianney on September 21st if not sooner I pray. We are in process of examining the replacement of the two large heating/cooling units in the Atonement Family Centre and have engaged the help of a mechanical engineer to draw up the required specifications. The old ones are original and must be replaced soon. The washrooms also required some major mechanical repairs so that has been accomplished. So it has been a summer of finding cracks, dents, needed work projects etc so in a way this has been a good thing to ensure our facilities continue to function and meet the needs of our communities.

Please continue to pray for one another, embrace the Cross with both hands and remain faithful. And as Pope Francis is fond of saying-"And please don't forget to say a prayer for me!" So that means us-your parish team- we rely on it! God bless!

Love Fr. Rob, Fr. Daniel, Rachelle and Maria