Pastor's Message

“My house will be called a house of prayer.”
Matthew 21:13

If all goes well, we will move the tabernacle from the Adoration Chapel to the sanctuary of our church the weekend of June 18th and 19th in time to celebrate the great Solemnity of Corpus Christi – The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. It seems fitting to choose this date to bless the new stand upon which the tabernacle will be held at the 11 a.m. Mass on June 19th. Moving the tabernacle will more than ever remind us to keep a spirit of reverence while in our church since the Lord’s presence is in the tabernacle. This means that while we often spontaneously converse with parishioners and friends after Mass has taken place, we should do so in a lower voice that does not distract those who may be staying in the church to pray. If one wishes to have a longer or more lively conversation, it would be best to gravitate to one of our ample sized foyers. This is also a time to reflect upon how we dress while in church. We shouldn’t dress as casually as if going to a sporting event by wearing athletic shorts or tank tops or in a way that may draw more attention to oneself by having too low-cut blouses or skirts.

Also, when the tabernacle is moved into the sanctuary, we will be expected to genuflect instead of bowing upon entering a pew. Also, the ministers including the priest, deacon and any altar servers that are not holding the processional cross or candles should also genuflect at the lip of the sanctuary. If due to age or other physical limitations one cannot genuflect, then it is acceptable to bow instead.

Another change will involve the Sacristans and Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist. Instead of needing an E.M. to take the ciborium with consecrated hosts back to the chapel at the conclusion of the distribution of communion, the deacon or priest will instead place the ciborium with consecrated hosts back into the tabernacle located directly behind the altar.

The candle, which is perpetually lit next to the tabernacle as a symbolic way of keeping vigil with the divine presence, will also be moved from the chapel and into the church sanctuary. Someone asked, “What will be left in the chapel?” Well, when Mass is not being said and adoration is taking place, we will still have a monstrance with a consecrated host that sits on the “luna”, or crescent moon shaped holder, that the host sits upon, located behind the circular glass covering. I anticipate that more persons will want to pray in the church once the tabernacle is moved. We had been locking the church between Masses due to sanitizing the church between Masses. However, now that the virus spread rate has greatly decreased and sanitization is no longer required, we will consider keeping the church open between Masses, but a final decision on that has not yet been determined.

-Fr. Dennis