The mayor and I got back from the morning walk about 8 minutes earlier than usual. Actually, the start time of the walk has been creeping up as the days have gotten longer. The mayor and I both agree that walking after the sun or as the sun is coming up is preferable to long, dark, winter walks. The longest day of the year happens this week. From here on out the days will get shorter.
Just yesterday morning the mayor noted that the longest day was coming. He said, “The longest day of the year is coming and you haven’t started complaining yet about winter coming.” He was right. Normally around this time of year I begin dreading the oncoming winter. This year however, I’ve decided to put off the complaining as long as possible preferring to center on the bright, sunny, warm low humidity days. This past week was breezy and as I walked along I was grateful for the breeze which mitigated the heat. It’s the small things we have to center on while we’re all still locked away from each other.
This week every registered member of the parish should get a letter from me explaining how we will all come back to church. It won’t look like it used to until there is a vaccine and yet small groups of us meeting each week will continue the long tradition of gathering around the one table, the one word, the one cup and the one bread.
Our first public Mass will be Saturday 27 June. We will celebrate First Eucharist so only students who were in second grade and their immediate families may attend. It turns out we have just enough pews for every family to have a pew. Of course it won’t look like First Eucharist Masses of the past. The children will not come up around the presider’s chair, everyone will have to wear a mask and only the deacon will distribute communion. I am grateful to our catechists who always do an incredible job of preparing the children.
Just this week four epidemiologists got together and made a list of activities that are risky, less risky, no risk. It’s on a 9 to 0 rating with 9 being the most risky. Interestingly enough, going to church is a number 8. Part of that is because of the singing and spoken responses over a period of time. Please read my letter carefully, assess the risk to yourself and those in your immediately household and if you wish to come to our public Masses beginning 4 July, email the parish office and ask for a spot…GRS