Dear Friends,
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of encouragement." With these words, St. Paul begins his
Second Letter to the Corinthians.
When he wrote this letter, the people in Corinth were experiencing a time of crisis and confusion. But St. Paul assured them that we worship a God who always give us compassion and encouragement. I pray that you will experience those same divine gifts of compassion and encouragement in the days ahead, so that we can share them with others.
DAILY REFLECTION AND PRAYER FOR MARCH 27
Our parish staff has been diligently working to create effective and engaging on-line resources which allow us to pray together as a faith community. Today, we are pleased to provide an additional on-line prayer video for you and your loved ones.
Click here
to pray with us. This prayer video uses the popular liturgical music composed by the community of Taize in France. We use many of these pieces at Mass (e.g. "Jesus, Remember Me," "Eat this Bread," etc). The repetition of these beautiful refrains is designed to create a peaceful experience of prayer, which we have combined with photos taken in our parish church when gather for this form of prayer during Lent. This video also includes a passage from Scripture and a reflection by Fr. Mike. We hope to provide a Taize prayer video at least once a week.
POPE FRANCIS LEADS WORLD-WIDE PRAYER ON MARCH 27
The Holy Father led people across the globe in a time of prayer and reflection on Friday (1 PM Eastern Time).
Click here
to read the beautiful reflection by Pope Francis.
PARISH SCHEDULE
Moving forward, we plan to observe the following schedule here at the parish:
- PARISH OFFICES will be open Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 3 PM.
- PARISH CHURCH will be available for personal prayer Monday through Friday from 9:30 to Noon. Please enter the building through the lower level and check in with receptionist.
- CONFESSIONS will be celebrated Saturdays from 2:30 - 4:30. Enter through the main doors of the Church.
- SUNDAY MORNINGS the church will be open for personal prayer from 10 AM to Noon.
For all of the above, we must limit the total number of people in the building to no more than 10. This schedule may be changed as the situation evolves so please check the web page for daily updates.
FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP
We know that during this difficult time many parishioners may have to change their giving habits or giving levels. However, in order to keep our parish and its ministries running in these difficult times we need to have regular income. If you can give during this time, please consider using one of the following methods:
- Register for E-Giving via the St. Mary’s website (www.stmarysrichmond.org) and select the E-Giving tab and then select the ConnectNow Giving link and follow the prompts.
- Text “Donate” to 18042590555 on your smartphone
- Mail your regular giving envelope to the parish via the US Postal Service
- Drop your giving to the parish office during office hours
- Use your bank’s BillPay option if possible, to send a check to St. Mary’s
We thank you for your generosity to St. Mary’s Catholic Church! And may the God of compassion and encouragement give you peace.
In Christ,
Rev. Michael A. Renninger
