14th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Dear Parishioners,
We have had a set back in our efforts to complete the work in our church. Whenever you repair an older building you can expect issues to emerge. A few weeks ago, a piece of limestone fell in the sanctuary. I was not aware and probably you are not aware that the ornate frames that the stained-glass rests in are made of limestone. At one time, before the windows were covered in glass on the outside, the decorative limestone frames were exposed to the elements. This led to the deterioration of the window which is located directly above the presider’s chair. That is the window that is damaged.
We have had to engage with a contractor to fabricate a piece to replace the limestone that fell and broke. This week two companies will remove the outside glass and take out the limestone that is damaged. We will send the remnants to Canada so a replacement piece can be made. All this will take extra time and money. It has been an unexpected turn of events. We still hope to have the balance of the work done sometime in August.
As we know, COVID cases are on the rise in our area and across the nation. I would like to compliment all those who have taken our safety protocols seriously. We will continue with the present Mass schedule for the near future. The numbers of people at our church Masses do not require adjustments right now. It looks like nothing is going to change for a while. We will continue to try and keep our parish community together by reaching out in creative ways. Check out our virtual Vacation Bible School.
I would like to thank Mike Maynard for working so hard to make our new livestreaming system a reality. We now can broadcast from our church. I invite all of you to watch a Mass. This has become an essential part of our ministry. We still have opportunities to donate toward the system. Just drop an envelope marked livestream with your donation into the collection.
May Our Lady and the Angels and Saints protect all of us this week.
Fr. Mark