May 21, 2020

Greetings,

Next Sunday we return to having public Sunday Masses. It is time. We owe God worship.

That being said, this does not mean that everything is going to be Okay. COVID-19 is still out there and even if we were able to hire an enormous staff to do every one of the bullet points handed on to us from the diocese, there is still a chance, even under the best of conditions, that you (or I) could get sick.

After reviewing what it would take to enact the four pages of bullet points plus subsequent updates, I realize that there is no way we can do them all well. It appears that this has been the general consensus of other pastors as more recently we received another memo that said, “Do what you can. We trust the discretion of the pastors.”

For those who will come to Mass, we will probably be, at one point or another, within 6’ of someone. We will touch something someone else has touched and then accidentally touch our face. We will breath much the same air. Some people’s nerves may be on high alert. It is a time to be extremely understanding with each other. Remember that there is still no obligation to come to Mass. If you come to Mass, it is assumed that you are willing to take the risk of becoming ill just as I accept that same risk. But I am ready for it. We won’t be cavalier about it, but understand that (10? 100? 200?) people in a confined space will require a lot of forgiveness and risk.

I look forward to seeing those who are able to risk gathering and will continue to pray for those who will remain in prayer at home.

IN OTHER NEWS:

NEW RESIDENT:  We have another seminarian staying with us. I will let him introduce himself:

Hello community of Saint Sebastian,

My name is Cameron Ferrell and I am a seminarian for the diocese of Cleveland. I am currently moving into my senior year and I am excited to be able to stay with this community for the summer.

My home Parish is Saints Peter and Paul in Doylestown, about 20 minutes away from St. Sebastian. I was blessed to go to high school at Archbishop Hoban which was a great experience. I understand that there is a large Saint Vincent Saint Mary community within St. Sebastian’s, so I hope I make a good impression ha ha. After high school I immediately entered seminary and have enjoyed its joys and struggles ever since. In past summers I have had the opportunity to travel the country while setting up for home rebuilding retreats and now I am excited to stay close to home in a fun atmosphere.

In my occasional visits for morning Mass at St. Sebastian’s, I have seen nothing but beautiful God-loving people and it has touched me greatly. I pray for everyone’s health and I truly feel blessed to be around such a great community. Thank you all for a warm welcome and I look forward to seeing you very soon.

In Christ,

Cameron Ferrell

Welcome Cameron!

God bless,

Fr. Valencheck