Dear Parishioners,
It is my prayer and hope that you doing well during these difficult and challenging times. So many of you have commented via email on how meaningful the “on line” liturgies have been for your spiritual nourishment. Our parish staff has been working hard to make sure that we can offer you the best spiritual materials available as well as communicating to you the latest news regarding the Church and its guidelines during this time.
Please know that all of the scheduled Masses are being celebrated privately both by Fr. Sebahar and myself. Your intentions are always included in these Masses. If you have any prayer requests that you would like prayed for during these Masses, please go to: prayerrequests@stjamesge.org and write out your intentions. I check the list daily.
Finally, I would like to sincerely thank you for your continued financial support of the parish. It is truly inspiring to see our parish family being faithful to stewardship despite financial difficulties so many people have these days. I can also assure you that we are trying to keep our expenses down as much as possible.
Please know that you are remembered in my Masses and prayers every day. As St. Padre Pio tells us, “Pray, hope and don’t worry. Worry is useless. God is merciful and will hear your prayer.”
God’s blessings to you!
Fr. David
Honoring the Blessed Mother in the Month of May
In the coming month of May, Mary’s month, and at this time of pandemic, Pope Francis is encouraging us to pray the Rosary. He has added two prayers that we may say at the end of the prayer.
Below for download and/or printing we share with you his letter and the two prayers.
For a refresher on how to pray the Rosary, go to: http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/prayers-and-devotions/rosaries/how-to-pray-the-rosary.cfm
Consecration of the United States and Canada to Mary, Mother of the Church
Archbishop Jose H. Gomez of Los Angeles, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, has announced the U.S. bishops will join the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops May 1 in consecrating the two nations to the care of the Blessed Mother under the title “Mary, Mother of the Church.”
“This will give the church the occasion to pray for Our Lady’s continued protection of the vulnerable, healing of the unwell and wisdom for those who work to cure this terrible virus,” said Archbishop Gomez in a letter to the U.S. bishops. Each year, the church seeks the special intercession of the Mother of God during the month of May. “This year, we seek the assistance of Our Lady all the more earnestly as we face together the effects of the global pandemic,” he said.
This consecration reaffirms the bishops’ previous consecrations of the United States to Mary. In 1792, the first bishop of the United States, Bishop John Carroll, consecrated the nation to Mary under the title Immaculate Conception, and in 1846, the bishops unanimously chose Mary under that title as the patroness of the nation.In 1959, Cardinal Patrick O’Boyle of Washington again consecrated the United States to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. This was the year when construction of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington was completed. The national shrine was elevated to minor basilica status by St. John Paul ll Oct. 12, 1990. This was renewed by the U.S. bishops Nov. 11, 2006.
Archbishop Gomez will lead the prayer of reconsecration May 1 at 3 p.m. (EDT) and has invited the bishops to join in from their respective dioceses and asked them to extend the invitation to the faithful in their dioceses for their participation.This reconsecration follows the Latin American bishops’ council who consecrated Latin America and the Caribbean to Our Lady of Guadalupe on Easter.
To watch this event live on Friday, May 1st, visit the Facebook Page of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops: https://www.facebook.com/usccb/
St. James the Apostle Parish 