On Sunday the 8th, from 11:30 AM to 2 PM, we will hold a “pot-luck” luncheon for Fr. Dung. I ask that everyone try and attend this Donnellan Hall luncheon, to thank him for all he has brought to our parish. If you are reading this on Saturday evening (the 7th), please try and bring a dish of food to share on Sunday. If you are hearing about this through this column for the first time and cannot bring a dish, don’t worry… just come and offer him your love and your promise of prayer.
***
On hearing the news of this change, I’m sure that most of you thought about how much you have enjoyed Fr. Dung’s pastoral care of SJN and how much you (we) will miss him. The luncheon organized for him is meant to show him something of our love and appreciation. But after the luncheon and after Fr. Dung has moved his few possessions to St. Thomas More (on or about 19 June), SJN will have some important things to ponder.
For several years now, we have celebrated holy Mass eight times every Sunday. Every Sunday, we offer our parishioners two Masses in Spanish and six Masses in English. When SJN had three priests, this schedule was already a full day of liturgical ministry. Now, with the new reality hitting us squarely in the face, how do we need to structure our Sunday Mass schedule, knowing that we have two priests to celebrate all the Masses on Sunday? It should be apparent to all… that we cannot continue to offer eight Masses each Sunday. Not only does this go against the liturgical and canonical norms of the Church; it would be (over time) a point of stress and significant fatigue for the two priests of the parish.
This is the plan I will follow, in answering the question of a changed weekend Mass schedule at SJN:
- The priests and deacons will meet and discuss the issues. We will study the actual Mass attendance over the last few years (our ushers have kept this count). We will seek to weigh all the variables of spiritual and pastoral need. Then, we will come up with two or three scenarios for change… two or three proposed Mass schedules.
- After this first step, I will ask the members of our Liturgy Commission to study the proposed schedules and offer comment and evaluation. I will also ask the same of the staff of the parish.
- After these first two steps, I hope to bring the two or three proposed Mass schedules to the parish at large (everyone reading this column), and ask you to offer your own advice and counsel.
- Then, after hearing from all, I will make a decision about the new weekend Mass schedule at SJN, and announce it to the parish. My hope is to have this done by the first part of August.
The Lord has blessed this parish with so many gifts: the strength of our lay leadership; a unified and collaborative staff; an incredible threesome of deacons and a wonderful young priest from Mexico. This same Lord promises blessings in abundance, as we seek spiritual renewal, as we seek to live the life of the Lord Jesus, here… now… and always.
AMDG
Msgr. David Talley
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