Dear Parishioners,

Happy May! As we begin this month of Our Lady let us hope that, through her intercession, we can get past this pandemic soon. This is also the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker. We can pray today that all workers will be able to return to their jobs soon.

With the weather forecast showing rain and thunderstorms for Sunday, we need to have our weekly outdoor Adoration tomorrow, Saturday. We will have it on Saturday, May 2nd from 11:00 am to Noon and the from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm. I will continue to hear confessions Saturday afternoon from 4-5 on the patio in back of the new rectory.

Today is the day when many Bishops will consecrate our country to Our Lady. Archbishop Gregory will participate at the National Shrine at 3:00 pm. Here is the information on the event and how to participate:

Nationwide Renewal of the Consecration of the United States to the Blessed Virgin Mary

Archbishop Gregory will celebrate a brief liturgy tomorrow, May 1, at 3 pm (EDT) at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception as part of the Nationwide Renewal of the Consecration to Mary, Mother of the Church.  Live stream is available as noted below. Please communicate this to your communities in the way you deem best.

Archbishop Gregory will join with the Most Rev. José H. Gomez, Archbishop of Los Angeles and President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, and bishops from across the United States and Canada, who, from their respective dioceses, will seek the intercession of Mary, Mother of the Church, during these unprecedented times of COVID-19.

Though the Basilica is closed to the public due to the coronavirus pandemic, the faithful will be able to participate via live stream on the Basilica’s website at nationalshrine.org/mass, on its YouTube channel at YouTube.com/MarysShrine, and on its Facebook page at facebook.com/nationalshrine.

Worship aids are available here in English and here in Spanish to follow along with the live stream of the archbishop, to use if you plan to live stream from your parish, and to share with your parishioners to use in their homes.

Finally,

Thursday, May 7th is the National Day of Prayer. We usually have an interfaith prayer service. Of course, we can’t this year. Brother Lawrence Brown is taking the initiative to bring us to prayer that day. Here is the message and sent me asked me to share with the parish:

Greetings To Fellow Christians and Friends:

In these trying times, we want to remember that prayers can unify families and friends and bring about positive results.   For that reason, we would like to encourage groups to  pray together this year on the National Day of Prayer, celebrated each year on the first Thursday in May. This year, if you can, start a prayer, wherever you may be, on May 7, 2020 at 12 noon, do so.  Join hundreds of others, maybe thousands; spread the Word.  Each one tell one. Better still, each one tell ten or more. It’s okay to have a Pyramid Prayer. God can handle it.  He loves it when we pray to Him. When prayers go out, blessings come in.  If you can have hope with science, you can have so  much more with God.  Do you think He’s not watching all this?  You better ask somebody!!!!!!!

We are asking people to join us at the same time in spiritual prayer, wherever you are, keeping with the safety rules of social distancing and staying at home in groups no larger than 10 people.  Groups can also try to join together through technology such as streaming, zooming, teleconferencing and other ways where they can hear shared prayer with other friends and family members.  Wherever you are, and whomever you are with, please try to be in prayer starting at 12NOON.

 We don’t have much time to get this word out, or to gather information, so please do what you can, as soon as you can, to help with this project. We would like to pray for whatever needs we are aware of  with family members, friends and others.

In particular, we would like groups to have shared prayer for those who are working as doctors, nurses, etc., in hospitals and medical areas with the coronavirus illness, and those victims of the coronavirus, both illness and death.  Groups can try to share specific names if possible. Please share this information among your group no later than  May 3, 2020, so lists can be put together  to be shared, by May 4^th or 5^th.  If names come in later, they might not be added to the list, but they will be in our hearts, and we know that God knows.

We do want to include other needs, but at this time we cannot make a list of all people with all issues of sicknesses and death.  Because the coronavirus pandemic is such a worldwide and serious issue, we will try to concentrate on that prayer need for a list of those specific heroes, to be sent out or shared, and we can still include the others we know about as we pray collectively in smaller groups, calling out their names. The names of  everybody won’t be included on this list because of time and how large that might get, but we know that God will hear our voices and our hearts anyway.

If you can, or would like, please share with your group the names the victims and of those who are on the front line as medical personnel in hospitals or medical centers or specific medical facilities.  You can use this suggested format as an example.

Name                   Position                  Facility             State             

We pray blessings and thanks to all of you for the love, prayers and support you continue to share to so many, in the name of Jesus, and we remind you that these prayers should not stop on that first Thursday in May, they should continue every day.

We look forward to this unification in fervent prayer, wherever you may be, of all races, creeds, nationalities and persuasions, hopefully in unlimited numbers, continuing to share God’s love always.  With God, something good can come out of something bad.  An example prayer is attached for those who desire. Feel free to share this information with others. God bless.

Brother Lawrence

IAAG Ministry)

(It’s All About God)