From Your Pastors
There are signs everywhere that our parishes are getting back into full swing after the summer slowdown and the inevitable impact of the pandemic. Both parishes have returned to the regular Mass schedules and we are seeing an increase in parishioners return to Masses in person. Live streaming from both parishes continue – 5 PM Saturday evening from Assumption and 11:15 AM Sunday morning from St Boniface. Mass schedule click here.
This past Sunday, Assumption welcomed a new Music Director, Maureen Kelly, and a new organist, Justin Green. St Boniface saw the return of the choir and a regular cantor.
Both parishes have new Parish Pastoral Council members and they were introduced at or after the masses this past Sunday. We plan to continue to ensure all the work they do behind the scenes is shared with you. Both PPCs are keen to ensure they represent the entire community and are eager to receive your ideas and participation. To that end they each have new emails:
stbonifaceppc@oratorychurch.org assumptionppc@oratorychurch.org
Christina Matone continues her stellar ministry as the director of the program, along with the support of generous and dedicated volunteers, and we are pleased to announce that Patti DeBonis will be joining us as the youth and family minister this year.
The very successful small group program on the Charism of the Oratory is starting up again. See details below. The RCIA is accepting new participants. Again, listed below. Our Social Action committee and the Anti-Racism committee have begun programing. We will notify you in the Link about upcoming events for these and other parish groups.
Assumption will begin Phase 3 of the renovation project. This week the side yard of the church will be fenced up to allow the eastern side yard to be excavated for the new entrance to the church hall and the installation of an elevator. When Ida came through our city, street water runoff caused flooding in the nearly completed parish hall. Working various aspects and partners of the diocesan insurance network, remediation work will begin this week and moving to repair damage in the coming weeks.
This past Sunday at St Boniface we closed Duffield St and held a successful outdoor Coffee Hour, modified by pandemic realities with spaced seating and individually served homemade baked goods and beverages. There is a new indoor bathroom installed and we continue to improve a small kitchenette and are looking at options to improve storage. The development project is still in motion and we completed a lease amendment that has enabled the Developer to go back out to seek financing after the pandemic interrupted the original arrangements. All going well, we anticipate demolition of the existing buildings on Willoughby Street to begin early in the new year.
The Diocese and the appropriate civil authorities are advising us to continue to be prudent about hygiene, masks and social distancing, especially at larger open gatherings where it is difficult to monitor vaccination and COVID status. We will continue to monitor all activities with an eye to the safety and security of all our parishioners. We are grateful for your continued support, participation and understanding as we negotiate the changing realities.
Fr. Mark Lane, c.o. and Fr. Michael Callaghan, c.o.
