Greetings!
Due to our office closure, this e-mail will serve as our weekly bulletin. Announcements and updates are included below.
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A Message from Father Chris
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Thank you for all your messages of support following the closure of our church and offices this past week. I want to assure everyone in our community that we have been in compliance with the directives from the government and the diocese.
St. Francis suspended all Masses and public gatherings on March 18th, at the direction of the Governor and our Bishop. We have complied with social distancing practices and no more than 9 people have been permitted to be in the church at a time. Our building was regularly cleaned and sanitized, and after we learned that three staff had tested positive, the building was cleaned again in accordance with the recommendations given to me by the health department.
Anyone who might have been exposed to this virus through contact with our staff has been notified by the health department. I want to assure everyone that we take this seriously. This did not happen simply because we ignored guidelines or had public gatherings. There is no way to know for sure how or when exposure happened. Any decisions we made regarding staggering staff or the decision to keep the building open for those who wished to come for private prayer was done in consultation with the relevant authorities.
I know it is scary to have this happen right here in our community. I assure you we are doing everything we can based on the information and directions we receive. I ask you to continue praying for our affected staff members and their families. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to
email me.
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Thank you for your support.
God Bless You,
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Livestream from St. Francis
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- Morning Prayer with Father Chris on Monday through Saturday (yes, an extra day!) at 9:00 am.
- Reconciliation Service on Tuesday, April 7 at 7:00 pm.
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Sunday Masses and Holy Week
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- KOLO Channel 8 (Reno area)
- Livestream from the Reno Diocese, including Bishop Calvo celebrating Palm Sunday at 12:15.
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Or, do an on-line search. There are many options.
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NOTE: Please also search
Ascension and
Formed for Faith Formation, Bible Studies, Movies, Podcasts, Books and more. Sign-up for notifications or subscribe to their mailing lists to receive regular updates. You will be impressed with the number of choices!
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Although churches are closed for Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday, families can celebrate in the domestic church, the home.
Click here
for a PDF that provides an easy service for each day that the whole family can participate in.
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Why should I go to Holy Week Services?
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This article
is an easy read and a good reminder. Even though Holy Week will be very different this year, it is still important. Now more than ever.
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Week Six of Lent
Lent invites us to think about how to create a more
just world
by sharing our gifts. As we remember through other Lenten activities, we are entirely dependent on God, who gives us all good things. These things that belong to us are more than just financial resources. All our gifts, including our abilities, our personalities, our hobbies and every day of our lives, are from God and should be put to use for His glory.
With that in mind, apply time, talent and treasure more effectively this week and in the days ahead.
Suggestions:
- Make a monetary donation or a donation of time to a charity close to your heart.
- Volunteer, when we are cleared to do so, at a local soup kitchen, a home for the elderly, a warming center, or any other organization for which you are passionate.
- Consider making a contribution to St. Francis. We are dependent upon your generosity to pay our parish expenses.
For your convenience, the following local organizations would appreciate any assistance you may provide:
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Medical professionals are working around the clock to help people affected by the Coronavirus. Even with limited protective equipment, doctors, nurses and others are doing everything they can to help their communities during the pandemic.
Trinh and Maria Ana want to do the same.
They have seen the effects of illness in their families and communities. Trinh dreams of becoming a doctor, and Maria Ana wants to become a nurse to help those in need.
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Gather your family ...
around the table or over the phone or computer screen ...a
nd take time to reflect on Trinh and Maria Ana’s stories
. Let us pray for them and their futures, and for everyone who is responding to the needs of the world right now. Use the button below to access CRS Rice Bowl resources and videos for Holy Week. It's also a good time to review past weeks (tabs at the top of the page).
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Message from Catechesis of the Good Shepherd:
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In this time of global pandemic, we take our mission very seriously, we continue to support catechists, parents, and others in the Church and beyond, as they grow in their understanding of the religious potential of children.
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We believe the most valuable service that we can offer during this time is to help families pray with their children at home and so continue to assist children and adults live a common religious experience in which the religious values of childhood, primarily those values of contemplation and enjoyment of God are celebrated.
Click button below for our webpage to support children parents and families at home and catechists in their communities and parishes and schools. We are adding to it weekly (sometimes daily)!
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Looking for a bright spot in your day? A bit of hope for the world? A bit of calm?
Also sent to us by Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is
this video
by Ann Eilermann from Saint Gerard Majella Church in Kirkwood, Missouri. She asked families to send photos of their children with their home prayer tables. As the photos came in, she was inspired to put them into
an imovie
. Ann said: “
I found that our families needed to simply offer the time and space for prayer. Through a little encouragement, they did. It's all about prioritizing and right now we have that time. The work of the children through their prayer tables as well as making prayer cards has been a beautiful witness to their parents.
”
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Because of your continued generosity, we were able to assist a young mother who arrived at City of Refuge last week with a due date for her baby of April 10. We had various items in stock including diapers which we gave her and were also able to donate $300 to City of Refuge to purchase a car seat and other necessities for her. God bless you for your support of Project Dresser.
from
Denise Azzara
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Important to Know:
- Father Chris' homily is posted to our website (media tab) and MyParish app on Saturday evening at 5 pm.
- Weekly Mass Intentions will be included in a private Mass by Father Chris each day.
- If you know of anyone who needs help of any type in this time of isolation - if only a phone call, please e-mail stewardship@sftahoe.org.
- We appreciate your continued financial support by sending your envelopes by mail (address below) or Online Giving (button below). Collections will be posted in our bulletin when the office re-opens.
- Our office phones are being monitored but the best way to contact staff members while the office is closed is by e-mail. Please click button below for link to the web page with e-mail addresses.
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We will continue to publish a bulletin by e-mail or PDF weekly. Please submit notices and articles for the church bulletin to
LynneC@sftahoe.org by Tuesday at 5 pm.
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Stay Connected - Follow us:
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St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church
701 Mount Rose Hwy
Incline Village, NV 89451
(775) 831-0490
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