May 07, 2020

Greetings,

I was walking Chester this morning (Tuesday) and I noticed a garbage truck picking up trash. It started me thinking about all the people out there whose jobs are riskier these days because of the pandemic. Here are people touching the trash we throw out and don’t want to touch!

Thank goodness for nurses and doctors who are still attending to us, particularly those who have come down with COVID-19. Also, I would like to thank police officers and EMTs who continue to deal with (not always careful) people. Plumbers and electricians continue to go into peoples’ homes as do those who clean and shop. Those agencies that fight crime or deal with unstable people continue on with their work while I have the great luxury (and mandate) to stand behind a camera. Thank you so much for all that you do - especially those I have not even thought of. Know of a prayer coming your way.

IN OTHER NEWS:

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!:  Speaking of those in the trenches and still hard at work every day, a blessing to all of our mothers! How I wish we were together this weekend for Mass! I hope you have a great Mothers Day and please know of my prayers.

FIRST COMMUNION:  This weekend was also supposed to be our First Communion Mass! How terrible to have reception of the Blessed Sacrament so close and then for it to be moved later! Second graders, my prayers and thoughts are with you. But do not fear! You will be able to receive Our Lord as soon as it is safe to do so. Please keep our second graders in your prayers.

LIVE-STREAMING:  From the responses that you have sent in, I have decided that we will continue with live-streaming even after the Stay at Home mandate has been lifted. It will never be as affordable to accomplish as it is right now. Live-streaming was considered years ago but was set aside because of the expense involved. Now that COVID-19 allowed us to be put into a position to already be half invested both with equipment and know-how, it seems a great opportunity to pull the trigger and move ahead.

There has been a fund created in the Foundation called the “St. Gabriel Fund.” The purpose of this fund is make our installation complete (right now there are wires running through the rectory, under carpets and down hallways to the church), purchase equipment to replace that which we are borrowing (a few of the “pieces” have been loaned to us) and to have monies set aside to pay for licensing. (Music may not be live-streamed without obtaining a yearly license from the music publishing companies.)

If you would like to support this new ministry, please contact Kathy Holaday in the Foundation office at HoladayK@stsebastian.org or by calling 330-836-2233.

THANK YOU GARDENERS:  I ran into one of our gardeners who came out to work on our grounds fearing for the worse but was happy to see that busy bees have already been at work pulling weeds, preparing flower beds and doing a little trimming. The cutting garden is starting to take shape and plans are shaping up for the school garden. Thank you to everybody who is pitching in!

God bless,

Fr. Valencheck