There will be no confessions on Wednesday, June 24th.
 

Please click here to learn about safely wearing and removing masks!

A Message from Fr. Pat Keane

June 20, 2020
 

My Dearest Parishioners,

 I pray that you all are well and and that Our Lord is working wonders in your lives although you might not feel it just yet.  I want to first of all ask God's richest blessing upon all of our Fathers, both living and those who are truly living in God's Kingdom.  More than ever our world needs the heroic example of true fatherhood and I thank God for all of the fathers in our great parish.  You are an inspiration to me and I join in your prayers for your children and grandchildren.

As we continue our communal worship in this time of pandemic I would like to thank you for your concern for your brothers and sisters in Christ and for your patient compliance with the protocols that are being asked of us.  As you know the mayor of Raleigh has asked that people over the age of 12 use face coverings in spaces where it is not possible to maintain social distance.  There is an exception for people who cannot wear a face covering due to medical or behavioral conditions (As pastor, I can vouch that many of y'all fall into the latter category!)  I would like for us not to judge or question why someone at Mass is not wearing a face covering.  Due to privacy laws we must not ask if someone has a medical condition and for that reason is not wearing a mask.

Whether we wear a mask or not we MUST maintain at least six feet of social distancing between us and someone who is not of our household, not just in the pews but while entering, exiting and during the communion procession.

Another source of concern for many is those who receive Holy Communion on the tongue.  I would ask, if it is at all possible, for us to receive Holy Communion in the hand during this time of pandemic in order to protect the minister and everyone else receiving communion.  This cannot be mandated by me or any priest because reception of Holy Communion is a very personal and sacred act.  The normative way to receive is on the tongue and it was in 1977 that communion in the hand was officially permitted through an indult.  But in this time of emergency and out of charity and concern for the priest and the extra ordinary ministers, not just our fingers which we will purify with hand sanitizer, but for our closeness to hundreds of open mouths which masks don't protect us from, I invite for now those that can, to receive on the hand. If you can't, PLEASE don't worry or be agitated.  You may continue to receive on the tongue.  We are employing a new protocol where the minister will purify his or her hands with hand sanitizer after every mouth communion.  If everyone receives on the tongue then the communion flow will take a very long time due to the constant pausing and it also puts us close to hundreds of open mouths. 

We now have hand sanitizer bottles in the main aisle and on the side aisles for those who would like to purify their hands while they are in the communion line.  I know that all of this is very different from what we are used to but let's flip the script and use this as an exercise in humility, charity, and patience.  If you receive in the hand, ask Our Lord to transform your hands into instruments of healing and not agents of sin.  If you receive on the tongue, ask Our Lord to give you temperance of speech and loving words, especially when speaking of your shepherds who only want what is best for you.

Asking a Catholic to be obedient at times is like herding cats (Ask our Bishop whether I am a cat or a sheep!) but our model for obedience, charity, humility and patience is Jesus Christ.  I beg your prayers for me.  I am only a man of flesh and bone with feelings just like anyone else.  I love you more than you will ever know and I pray that together we will be better disciples through the many sacrifices that we offer together.

Our offertory is down by $45,000 with just two Sundays left in the fiscal year.  Rightfully so we are concerned about covid-19 and the amount of deaths that are occurring worldwide.  But far more people have died of hunger during this time and many more will die because of the depletion of funds to help the poor.  The poor need us more than ever, especially our Children of God program which has not been able to have their monthly sales of Fair Trade coffee and chocolate.

Please consider making a Holy Hour in the Adoration Chapel in the next week or two and pray for all of those in need.

Peace be with you.

Fr. Pat
 

MASS COUNT

MAY 23/34 
Saturday 5pm: 111
Sunday 9am (Church): 144
Sunday 9am (Fallon Center): 13
Sunday 11:30am: 66
Sunday 1:30am: 171
Sunday 5pm: 26
TOTAL: 531

MAY 30/31
Saturday 5pm: 176
Sunday 9am (Church): 186
Sunday 9am (Fallon Center): 14
Sunday 11:30am: 144
Sunday 1:30am: 243
Sunday 5pm: 71
TOTAL: 834

JUNE 6/7
Saturday 5pm: 195
Sunday 9am (Church): 158
Sunday 9am (Fallon Center): 12
Sunday 11:30am: 117
Sunday 1:30am: 276
Sunday 5pm: 124
TOTAL: 882

JUNE 13/14
Saturday 5pm: 147
Sunday 9am (Church): 227
Sunday 9am (Fallon Center): 15
Sunday 11:30am: 201
Sunday 1:30am: 246
Sunday 5pm: 142
TOTAL: 978

A Message from Fr. Pat Keane

June 5, 2020

My Dearest Parishioners,

I pray that you are all doing well and are staying safe, sane and sober-ish.  As you remember at our first full weekend back we saw 531 souls spread over six Masses.  This past weekend (May 30/31) we saw 834 souls at the following Masses: Saturday 5pm: 176, Sunday 9am: 186 in the Church and 14 at the Fallon Center Mass, 11:30: 144, 1:30pm: 243, Sunday 5pm: 71.  I hope this information is helpful to gauge which might be a better Mass to go to.  Again, you still have the dispensation from the Bishop to not attend Mass if you don't feel comfortable coming out.  Daily Mass is a good option for those who would like more space and a shorter service.

Here at Our Lady of Lourdes we have had Perpetual Adoration for over 25 years and it has brought tremendous blessings to all who have been involved and I'm sure untold miracles to those who were prayed for.  For many years we have had difficulty getting the required two adorers for each hour.  Many appeals have been made and we always get a few new people who will make a weekly commitment for a critical hour which is greatly appreciated. 

It dawned on me recently (Actually I named my Guardian Angel Dawn which covers all bases because in the South, Dawn and Don are pronounced the same: Dawn) that our dentists do a thriving business and have hourly scheduled appointments two or three months out from patients that they only see two or three times a year and not the same person every week at the same day and time.  Same with our doctors.  It is the same with getting an oil change or maintenance on our car.  Not many would want to do that weekly but we GLADLY do it every four months or so, especially if it were free, because we know that our car would be a hot mess if we didn't.  We have no problem going to a hair salon or barbershop every couple of months and making an appointment and sitting there reading a Field and Stream magazine from 1998 while we wait.  After our Quarantini-hairdos for the past two months we can see who is in desperate need of a buzz.  Well imagine the state of your immortal soul.

I don't want to just target people for a weekly commitment but to take the maintenance approach and get EVERY parishioner to treat your soul at least as well as you would your teeth, car and hair.  We all make a scheduled appointment in our secular lives whether it is twice a year or once a month and we know that we are better off for it.  The bread and butter of dentists and doctors are the patients that they see infrequently but who know that their wellness will improve as a result of that one visit.

Please give Jesus Christ access to your heart by going to our adoration website: oll.weadorehim.com and sign up for an hour that currently has only one scheduled adorer. Do so again when you feel the NEED and not because you feel OBLIGED.  If we all do this then our Chapel will be booked solid with at least two adorers in the Heavenly waiting room 24/7 and the floodgates of grace will pour out upon the world.  Imagine the difference that you can make and imagine the personal transformation.

The night before He died Our Lord asked his three closest apostles for just one hour of their time to pray with Him that night.  He never got that hour.  Jesus awaits you in the Adoration Chapel to give Him that one hour that He so desperately needed.  We pray that it will lead you to desire a daily encounter with Our Eucharistic Lord but we must all start with baby steps.

You are all so very dear to me and I thank God that I am your pastor.  Thank you for all that you do.  Peace be with you.

Fr. Pat

A Message from Fr. Pat Keane

May 28, 2020
 

My Dearest Parishioners,

Happy Pentecost!!!  This weekend we conclude our Easter Season with the celebration of Pentecost which is the outpouring of The Holy Spirit upon the Church 50 days after the Resurrection of Our Lord.  We have all had a most strange Lent and an Easter unlike any other. 

We had our regular schedule of Masses last weekend with the addition of a small audience 9 am Mass in the Fallon Center celebrated by Fr. Schriber (which will continue every Sunday) and I just want to share with you some numbers so that you know where we are at.

Remember that we (well, not me but the proverbial "we") have a dispensation from attending Mass from the Bishop during this pandemic.  The safest place is at home, especially for those in a vulnerable population, but for those who want to come to Mass this is what it looked like last weekend:

On a regular weekend we would normally average about 1,600 people at Mass.  This past weekend (which was also Memorial Day weekend) we had 531 attendees and Masses were 40 minutes or less in length.  There were 111 at the Saturday 5 pm Mass, 144 at the 9 am Mass, 13 at the 9 am Fallon Center Mass, 66 at the 11:30 Mass, 171 at the 1:30 pm Spanish Mass and 26 at the Sunday 5 pm Mass.  Daily Mass has been averaging around 40 people.

We have every other pew roped off and ask folks to maintain a minimum six foot separation from the next person who is not of your household.  We also ask that people wear masks or face coverings especially while coming up for communion.  This is to protect one another and also the hosts in the paten.  The priest and the other extraordinary ministers must be protected from multiple less than six foot encounters and so we kindly ask you to wear a mask as we wear one to protect you.  If I go down then we literally shut our doors again. 

It feels so good to be able to participate in Mass but we all must be more vigilant than ever with regards to keeping each other safe and healthy.  As I said at Mass we can't put out holy water but our hand sanitizer has been blessed so it kills germs and sins with one fell swoop.  Where else are you going to find that? 

We continue to have two priests hearing confessions every Wednesday at Noon and on Saturdays from 3 pm until 4 pm.  I will be inside the School Library with the door left open so look before entering.  Fr. Schriber will be hearing confessions in one of the classrooms that also faces the upper parking lot. 

I pray that you are all doing well and that God is showering you with many graces.  May Our Lady of Lourdes intercede for you and protect you with her mantle of love.  Peace be with you.

Fr. Pat

A Message from Fr. Pat Keane

Mary 22, 2020

Phase 2: Masses Resume

My Dearest parishioners,

I pray that you are doing well and are spiritually and physically healthy.  I have great news for y'all (no, I'm not being transferred):

We will be celebrating public Masses at Our Lady of Lourdes beginning this Saturday at 5 pm as we celebrate the Ascension of Our Lord. 

I can't emphasize enough that we must more than ever be vigilant and maintain proper hygiene and distancing protocols.  The Bishop has still given all of the faithful a dispensation from attending Sunday Mass and by zero means should anyone come out if they are sick, don't feel well or are reticent about being in a group larger than 10 people. 

We are offering Holy Mass for those who want to come out and we will provide the safest environment that we can.  Although the stay at home order is partially lifted it is still very much applicable to our parish's greatest treasure: our elderly and those with health complications. 

The Mass schedule will be the same as it ever was (cf. Talking Heads) with the addition of a 9 am Sunday Mass in the Fallon Center celebrated by Fr. Schriber for no more than 40 parishioners who are immuno-sensitive or health compromised.  Masks must be worn for the Mass in the Fallon Center and we kindly ask that we all wear masks or facial coverings while in the Church also. 

 Every other pew has been roped off to maintain 6 feet of distancing and we ask people to maintain a six foot separation between your family and the next person in your pew.  Please spread out and use the entire Church (including the gathering space and upper chapel if need be).  Hand sanitizer will be available but we ask you to bring your own and use it just before you receive Holy Communion.  We will not be singing hymns and our goal is to keep the Masses short (40 minutes or less) so as to minimize the time we spend indoors.  We will also not be sharing the sign of Peace nor receiving from the chalice.  In lieu of passing the offertory basket we simply invite you to drop your offering in a basket on the way out.

I know that it has been awhile since we have seen each other and I invite folks to catch up with each other outside the building after Mass and not in the gathering space.  Please resist the temptation to shake hands or hug folks who don't live in your house.  Don't hug the bug!  We must not let our guard down but be ever mindful of the over 94,000 Americans and over 700 North Carolinians who have died thus far from covid.  To honor their memory and to reduce the risk of sickness I implore us all to humble ourselves and heed the advice that our experts have given us.

Daily Mass is open to all at the same Bat time, same Bat channel.  Daily Mass might be a better option for those who long for communion but would be nervous about being in a larger weekend crowd.  If you prefer an outdoor Mass for now please check out one of the local Churches for their schedule.

Although the diocese permits us now to hear confessions indoors, I am choosing to still meet outside in back of the School library on Wednesdays and Saturdays, rain or shine.  It is much easier to distance outside and the air is better.  Fr. Schriber will be assisting me from now on with confessions and will also be helping out in the parish from time to time.  Please join me in welcoming him home to Lourdes. 

You will also notice that we have seven new parishioners who have taken up residence in the Church and are waiting for you and your families to invite them into your spiritual life.  Their names are: Elizabeth Ann Seton, John Neumann, Pope Pius X, Padre Pio, Bernadette of Lourdes, Maria Goretti, and Anthony of Padua.  They are all Saints and they are my helpers to get y'all to Heaven.

I look forward to seeing you either this weekend or when you are finally able to come out.  We're not out of the woods but let's at least enjoy the shade, check our compass and take it slow.  Peace be with you.

Fr. Pat

 

You can read the official DoR Document regarding Phase 2 by clicking here.
 

Diocesan Reassignments

Our Lady of Lourdes is unaffected, but other parishes in our area are.

CLICK HERE to peruse the full list of assignments.

A Message from Fr. Pat Keane

Mary 8, 2020

Phase 1: The Light at the End of the Tunnel
 

My Dearest Parishioners,

I pray that you are well and that God is filling your hearts with great graces during this most difficult time.  I would first of all like to wish a Happy Mother's Day to all of our Mothers.  May Our Lady and St. Monica intercede for you and may God fill your hearts with many graces.  If your Mother has gone home to the Lord, may she shower you with her prayers, I know that mine does.

I have great news that I would like to share with you.  As we are now entering into Phase 1 of our reopening we can resume, in a limited fashion, our sacramental life here at OLL.  Beginning Wednesday, May 13th, the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima, we will have Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament in our Adoration Chapel everyday from 9 am until 4 pm.  The Eucharist will be reserved in the Chapel tabernacle at 4 pm and throughout the night and early morning and the Chapel will remain open 24/7 for prayer.  Once we are assured that we have at least two adorers for all of our hours we would like to go to Perpetual Adoration as soon as possible.  No more than 8 people can be in the Chapel at any one time and masks must be worn for the safety of all.

We will resume our confession schedule beginning this Saturday from 3 pm until 4:15 pm and Wednesdays at Noon.  Confessions will be heard on the benches in back of the School Library at the upper parking lot.  In case of bad weather it will be under the overhang of the entrance to the St. Bernadette Center.  Please observe social distancing while waiting your turn.  PLEASE call to make an appointment if you want a confession at a more convenient time for you.

We are limited to a maximum of 10 people for Mass unless it is outdoors.  Our grounds and logistics are such that an outdoor Mass would not be a viable option for us so we will wait for Phase 2 to begin, hopefully May 24th or 31st, before we resume with Sunday Mass, again with restrictions.

Our Parish Office will be open for normal hours beginning this Monday, May 11th.  Please feel free to call rather than come in whenever possible.

Groups are allowed to meet again at OLL provided that they do not exceed 10 people and all social distancing protocols, including masks, are observed.  If your group would like to return to meeting here, please contact the Parish Office to let us know.

There is light at the end of the tunnel and it's not an Amtrak coming our way.  I remind us all that this does not mean that we let our guard down and the storm is over.  Quite the opposite.  We can anticipate spikes in cases as people venture out and so we need to be more vigilant than before out of respect for our more vulnerable population and our health care workers.  This is a time for deeper prayer and devotion.

Please consider giving an hour of your time (which is on loan from God) to Eucharistic Adoration.  Before all this, when things were "good", we had 55 slots that only had one adorer.  Many of our adorers are in a vulnerable category and shouldn't be coming back out anyway.  Who will take their place?  If not you, who?  If not now, when?

I again thank you for your generous support to the parish over these past two months.  We still need help in attaining our BAA goal so please make your pledge if you haven't done so.  I pray that you and your families are in good health and spirit.  For those of you who have pull in the supply chain, I tested positive for single malt scotch recently but am now out of test kits.  Oh the Greek tragedy that is my life!  (Again, just seeing who is reading this to the end!)  I miss y'all very much and I look forward to the day where we are gathered back home at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church.

Peace be with you and May Our Lady keep you as the apple of her eye.

Your Pastor,
Fr. Pat


----------

Mis queridos feligreses,

Ruego que estés bien y que Dios esté llenando tus corazones con grandes gracias durante este momento tan difícil. En primer lugar, me gustaría desear un feliz Día de la Madre a todas nuestras madres. Que Nuestra Señora y Santa Mónica intercedan por ustedes y que Dios llene sus corazones con muchas gracias. Si tu madre a partido a la casa del  Señor, que ella te derrame con sus oraciones, sé que la mía lo hace.

Tengo buenas noticias que me gustaría compartir con ustedes. Como ahora estamos entrando en la Fase 1 de nuestra reapertura, podemos reanudar, de manera limitada, nuestra vida sacramental aquí en OLL. A partir del miércoles 13 de mayo, la fiesta de Nuestra Señora de Fátima, tendremos la Adoración del Santísimo Sacramento en nuestra Capilla de Adoración todos los días de 9 am a 4 pm. El Santísimo Sacramento se guardará en el tabernáculo de la Capilla de 4 pm a 9:00am , la Capilla permanecerá abierta las 24 horas, los 7 días de la semana para oración. Una vez que tengamos la seguridad de que tenemos al menos dos adoradores para todas nuestras horas, nos gustaría ir a la Adoración Perpetua lo antes posible. No más de 8 personas pueden estar en la Capilla al mismo tiempo y se deben usar máscaras para la seguridad de todos.

Reanudaremos nuestro horario de confesión comenzando este sábado de 3 pm a 4:15 pm y los miércoles al mediodía. Se escucharán confesiones en los bancos detrás de la biblioteca de la escuela en el estacionamiento superior. En caso de mal tiempo, estará bajo el saliente de la entrada al Centro St. Bernadette. Observe el distanciamiento social mientras espera su turno. POR FAVOR, llame para hacer una cita si desea una confesión en el momento más conveniente para usted.

Estamos limitados a un máximo de 10 personas para misa a menos que sea al aire libre. Nuestros terrenos y logística son tales que una misa al aire libre no sería una opción viable para nosotros, por lo que esperaremos a que comience la Fase 2, con suerte el 24 o 31 de mayo, antes de continuar con la misa dominical, nuevamente con restricciones.

Nuestra oficina parroquial estará abierta durante las horas normales a partir de este lunes 11 de mayo. No dude en llamar en lugar de venir siempre que sea posible.


Se permite que los grupos se reúnan nuevamente en OLL siempre que no superen las 10 personas y se observen todos los protocolos de distanciamiento social, incluidas las máscaras. Si su grupo desea regresar a la reunión aquí, comuníquese con la Oficina Parroquial para informarnos.

Hay luz al final del túnel y no se trata de un Amtrak en nuestro camino. Les recuerdo a todos que esto no significa que bajemos la guardia y que la tormenta haya terminado. Todo lo contrario. Podemos anticipar picos en los casos a medida que las personas salgan y, por lo tanto, debemos estar más atentos que antes por respeto a nuestra población más vulnerable y a nuestros trabajadores de la salud. Este es un momento de oración y devoción más profundo.

Por favor considere anotarse para una hora de su tiempo (que es prestado por Dios) a la Adoración Eucarística. Antes de todo esto, cuando las cosas estaban "bien", teníamos 55 espacios que solo tenían un adorador. Muchos de nuestros adoradores están en una categoría vulnerable y no deberían volver a salir de todos modos. ¿Quién tomará su lugar? Si no eres tú, ¿quién? ¿Si no es ahora, cuando?

Nuevamente les agradezco su generoso apoyo a la parroquia durante los últimos dos meses. Todavía necesitamos ayuda para lograr nuestro objetivo BAA, así que haga su promesa si no lo ha hecho. Rezo para que usted y sus familias gocen de buena salud tanto física como  espíritual .  Para aquellos de ustedes que tienen un tirón en la cadena de suministro, recientemente obtuve un resultado positivo para el whisky escocés de malta, pero ahora no tengo un grupo de pruebas.  ¡Oh, la tragedia griega que es mi vida! (De nuevo, ¡solo viendo quién está leyendo esto hasta el final!) Los extraño mucho y espero con ansias el día en que nos reunamos en la Iglesia Católica Nuestra Señora de Lourdes.

Que la paz sea contigo y que Nuestra Señora te mantenga como la niña de sus ojos.

Tu Pastor,
Father Pat
 

A Message from Fr. Pat Keane

April 24, 2020

My Dearest Parishioners,

I continue to keep you in my constant prayers and I intercede for you before God at the celebration of Holy Mass.  It is hard to fathom that this Sunday will be the seventh week that we have not gathered to celebrate the sacred mysteries.

As we know Governor Cooper has extended the Stay at Home Order through May 8th and it will probably be a great while before  large gatherings will be allowed.  You might be wondering what sort of effect that has had financially on the parish.  We are currently around $32,500 in the red which, all things considered, isn't too bad.  I am so appreciative of how many of our parishioners have stepped up and have been mailing in their offertory or going to Auto draft.  More than ever we depend on your generosity so that we might continue to serve as a beacon of light and hope for others.

The Bishop just announced that our confirmation date of May 14th will be postponed until we are able to safely accommodate our 70 or so confirmandi and their families.  I have been given the faculty to preside at our confirmation, whenever that might be.

I also announce to you that although we are not allowed to have Eucharistic Adoration in parish chapels, our Chapel is now open every day for those who might want to spend time in private prayer. The Blessed Sacrament is reserved in the tabernacle on the left side of the Chapel below the Crucifix so you will be able to spend quality time with Our Lord.  We just ask that social distancing be strictly observed and that means that no more than 8 people can be in the chapel at any one time.  There are only eight chairs in the chapel and they are spaced 6 feet apart.  It would be a good practice to also wear a mask while in the chapel. 

If anyone has Lenten Rice Bowls that you would like to turn in, you may leave them outside the Parish Office.  You may also pick up the Spiritual Bouquet cards for Mother's Day and Father's day at the entrance to the Chapel.

I would like to congratulate Joe Ann Wright who was the winner of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus raffle.  Thanks to all who participated in our raffle which benefits our parish.

Please be assured of my daily prayers for you and please remember to call me or text me if there is anything that I can do for you spiritually or if you would like to make an appointment.  There is light at the end of the tunnel but let's pray that it's not a train coming our way!  Stay together yet apart.

May the Risen Lord Jesus guide you safely through this Easter Season and may His Most Blessed Mother shower you with her motherly care.  Peace be with you.

With great love,

Fr. Pat

 

A Message from Fr. Pat Keane

April 10, 2020

Easter Blessing & Keeping the Parish Connected

My Dearest Parishioners,

Our liturgical season of Lent is at an end and we are in the womb of the Sacred Triduum where we fast, and pray and await the celebration of the resurrection of Our Lord this Glorious Sunday.  As someone recently said, "This is the Lentiest Lent that we have ever Lented".  Who would have thought that as a world we would be fasting from the sacraments, abstaining from human contact, and feeling the anxiety of an unseen enemy?  Yet all the while Our Lord Jesus has been with us and will be with us.

Our Guardian Angels for years have been trying to put spiritual masks over our mouths lest me contaminate our neighbor with gossip, slander or calumny.  These same angels have been trying to mask our eyes so that indecent things don't harm our souls and destroy our concept of each other.  These same angels have been trying to put spiritual gloves on our hands so that everything that we do when we reach out to another will be pure and free from the contagion of sin, vice or ulterior motive.  In these days our "angels" are visible in the form of nurses, doctors, nursing home and health care workers, police, fire fighters, our beloved military, first-responders, the check out clerk at the grocery store who isn't getting paid nearly enough to make sure that we have access to food, our restaurant employees and deliverers, and the list goes on.

In Italy over 100 priests have died due to covid-19 as they touched and comforted the dying.  They became priests of Jesus Christ at their ordination and they experienced the ultimate consummation of their sacrament by encarnating His Death.  One priest gave his ventilator to a younger person who needed it so that they might live.  Father was 72 years old when he celebrated his last act of charity.  Who will take the place of these heroic men who live in a country with a negative birth rate?  Perhaps a young boy or man at Our Lady of Lourdes in little old Raleigh, NC will be so moved by this void in the Church that he will hear as if for the first time the voice of the Father saying, "Whom shall I send?" And that soul will cry out from their depth, "Here I am.  Send me."

St. Paul tells us that all things are for the good for those who love God (Rm. 8:28).  We don't necessarily see it at the time, but where we are, Christ is already there and that's a pretty good deal.  Please remember that your home is the domestic Church which is the birthplace of all vocations: single, married or religious, and Christ is there.  Make your Church holy and vibrant!

I invite us all to begin today the novena for Divine Mercy which culminates on April 19th.  Please be assured of my continued prayers for you.  Although I pray for you daily and offer Mass for you, I miss seeing your faces.

On Easter Sunday I will be outside the office in the parking lot from Noon until 2 pm if anyone would like to drive by for a personal or family blessing.  I know that we have been seeing priests on the screen but there's just something about a live blessing from a priest.  I promise that it will be covid-free and gluten-free.

Please reach out to each other by phone and help keep our great community connected.  A number of OLL volunteers are contacting by phone our more senior parishioners to encourage them and to see if they are in need.  If you would be willing to make some phone calls or would appreciate a call yourself, please fill out this quick form to let us know: https://ourladyoflourdescc.org/phone-calls-during-an-interesting-time

Please remember the Good News that can never be quarantined: He is Risen and Lives and Reigns Forever!  Alleluia, Alleluia!


May God Most High bless you and your families abundantly this Easter, and May Our Gracious Lady shower you with her love and prayers.

With great love,
Your Pastor, Fr. Pat

A Message from Fr. Pat Keane

April 3, 2020

My dear parishioners,

You all are in my constant prayers and I pray that all is well with you and your families.  I desperately miss seeing you, particularly at Holy Mass, and I know that it will be extremely emotional to hear 500 voices in unison say "And with your spirit" when we begin our first Mass together, whenever that might be.

This Sunday we begin Holy Week with the celebration of the Passion of Our Lord, better known as Palm Sunday.  We will have blessed palms for you in the glassed-in entrance way to the Adoration Chapel, available at Noon this Sunday.  Please come on by and pick up this important sacramental and enthrone it in your home.

Remember that this Friday, Good Friday, is a day of fasting and abstinence.  It is so easy to lose track of the days and which day it is when we are all sequestered and out of our routines.

Below I am providing a list of liturgies that will be celebrated by our Bishop and will be live streamed from the Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral.  Please participate in the Sacred Triduum by watching these liturgies with your family.  This will be a very different Easter for the whole world but we must never lose sight of the fact that Jesus is Risen and lives among us and within us.  We have been deprived of the True Presence these last weeks but hopefully we are finding the inner True Presence within us.  We are not orphaned or alone.  Like the footprints poem it is Christ who is carrying us and He wont bring us this far just to set us on the curb.

If any of you would like to talk with me about anything please feel free to call me on my cell phone. I offer Mass for you daily and I lift up your families to God Most High.  Thank you to all who are mailing in your tithes or have signed up for auto draft, your stewardship is greatly appreciated and greatly needed.  

May Our Lady of Lourdes intercede for you all and  may her blessed spouse St. Joseph protect you, now and always.


With great love,
Your Pastor, 
Fr. Pat

 

The following Holy Week Masses will be celebrated by Bishop Zarama and livestreamed:
 
Palm Sunday, April 5
8:30 AM Spanish; 10:00 AM English
Bishop Zarama presiding and homilist at both Masses
 
Holy Thursday, April 9
7:00 PM Bilingual
Bishop Zarama presiding and homilist
 
Good Friday, April 10
3:00 PM Bilingual
Bishop Zarama presiding and homilist
 
Easter Vigil, April 11
8:30 PM Bilingual
Bishop Zarama presiding and homilist
 
Easter Sunday, April 12
8:30 AM Spanish; 10:00 AM English

A Message from Fr. Pat Keane

March 27, 2020

My Dear Parishioners,

I continually pray that you all are well and that God is filling your hearts with great peace and calm amidst these most trying times.  As the Holy Angels brought the best of news to the shepherds in the fields of Bethlehem, I reiterate to you their words of Joy: "Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  For today in the city of David a savior has been born for YOU who is Christ and Lord!"

What I am about to say should not cause us sorrow or despair but rather help us to be more like Our Lord who had to accept things that weren't all too desirable.  Because of the Governor's stay at home order Our Bishop has stated that we may not have any public gatherings whatsoever.  We are not allowed to keep the Adoration Chapel open nor celebrate the sacrament of reconciliation except in danger of death.  In the current state of the pandemic Anointing of the Sick cannot be performed according to the ritual. 

I draw your attention to the full letter from the diocese which appears below.

Our parish office will be closed until further notice but please do call if there is anything that you need or that we can do for you.  The more we adhere to the government guidelines and stay at home and maintain proper distance and hygiene, the more likely we will able to come back to Mass sooner and all businesses will be able to open back up.

In the spirit of communal penance I beg us all to be obedient and to offer up our sufferings and deprivations for those who have died and for those who are afflicted physically and economically.  Please support our parish with your prayers and your tithing as best as you can.  Being at home means that we are held tight in the bosom of the Domestic Church.  The same Domestic Church that spawns vocations.  Those of you who are Fathers, please lead your children in daily prayer.  They will remember that more than any words of mine.  Those of you who are Mothers, be models of patience and joy.  For some, that might be a greater miracle than raising the dead but I assure you your efforts won't go unnoticed. For all those in between pray for our heroic health care workers, law enforcement and military personnel and for all who don't have the luxury to stay at home.

Remember that Mass is still being celebrated daily throughout our diocese and world and you are receiving grace upon grace.  Thank you so much to those who have reached out to me and expressed your encouragement.  This is most odd that a Father cannot physically touch, feed, anoint nor absolve his children.  More than ever I am fighting to get you to Heaven and no amount of social or liturgical distancing can change that.  I am physically well but truth be told I tested positive for Wild Turkey but am under strict bourbon protocols so fear not.  Actually I just want to see how many of you have read this long message to the end!

Peace be with you.  I love you very much and you are in my constant prayers.

Your Father and Pastor, 
Fr. Pat

http://ourladyoflourdescc.formed.org