A Message from Fr. Pat Keane

March 19, 2020
 

I pray that all of you are doing well and are finding time to pray and deepen your relationship with God during these most trying times.  During the darkest hours of our world's history we have always found solace in the celebration of Holy Mass and now we are truly in the desert this Lent as we journey in spiritual hunger with Our Lord.  I just want you to know that I am celebrating a private Mass each day and am remembering each one of you in my prayers.  I am asking your Guardian Angels to bring you a spiritual communion so that you are not deprived of God's grace during these days.  We will not be offering indoor confessions until it is safe to be in close proximity of each other.  I am offering outdoor confessions on the benches in back of the School Library which are 8 feet or so apart.  Please call the parish office for an appointment so that you can receive the grace of the Sacrament of Penance.  As you know, all communal penance services in the diocese have been cancelled so we must adjust our game plan.  

Our Perpetual Adoration chapel remains open and Our Lord awaits you, especially at the wee hours of the morning.  Our Church will remain locked to protect it from people who might wander in looking for freebies from a public place like toilet paper or even statues.  Our Parish Office is also open but only until noon Monday through Friday.  Please feel free to bring by or mail in your offertory to the office.  Perhaps you might want to consider signing up for Autodraft on our parish website.  More than ever we need your continued stewardship and care for the parish and our mission.  Please try and watch Holy Mass on EWTN or on the many live streaming or podcast options that are out there.  I also draw your attention to our Local Catholic Radio: Divine Mercy Radio 540 AM.

Through the intercession of St. Joseph and Our Lady of Lourdes may God bless you abundantly today and in the days to come.  Thank you for being such a vital part of our great parish.  

Your pastor, 
Fr. Pat

A Message from Bishop Luis Zarama on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

It is with sadness, but more importantly with the gift of hope, that I share this news with you.  Based on new guidance from state and national officials regarding the great need to further limit the numbers of people gathered, so as to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), I have asked that all public daily and weekend Masses in the Diocese of Raleigh be suspended at this time until further notice.

This is an exceedingly difficult decision as your Bishop, given my love for you and more, what I know of your love for Our Lord. Yet, at this time, it is clear to me that as Catholics we need to make this sacrifice together with so many others out of our stewardship of the common good and out of our care to our most vulnerable brothers and sisters. 

Please join me in continuing prayer for all who in this moment are suffering, displaced, or experiencing fear, as well as all their family members, friends and healthcare professionals that care for them.

Most of all, let us together also seek the intercession of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, patroness of the Diocese of Raleigh and our nation, that in us Her faith in God may be confirmed, whose power forever seeks to cast down the mighty, lift up the lowly, and fill the hungry with good things.

With my gratitude in Christ,

+ Luis R. Zarama

Bishop of Raleigh

A Message from Bishop Luis Zarama on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

A Message from Bishop Luis Zarama on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

March 12, 2020

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, based on guidance from state health officials, has recommended the postponement or cancellation of large gatherings of 100 or more people.

Based on this directive, I am waiving the obligation for the faithful to attend Sunday Mass in the Diocese of Raleigh.

Please follow the guidance of our public health professionals. Please stay home from Mass or work or any public space if you are sick or are experiencing symptoms of sickness. Please exercise great caution in this regard for yourself and also out of charity for the health and wellbeing of others. Working together, we will move forward with care and with great hope, especially in this Lenten season when we are asked to trust more fully in God’s care and mercy.

I am not, however, issuing a diocesan-wide cancellation of all Masses for the following reasons: The celebration of the Eucharist is the life and foundation of our Church. As priests, we are obligated to celebrate the Eucharist just as we are obligated to be joyful shepherds and servants of the faithful. My brother priests and I will continue celebrating Mass in union with our Lord. We welcome the faithful with the understanding that, in the interest of their own health and that of their brothers and sisters, many may not be able to join with us in prayer during this time.

We will continue to monitor this current health crisis and seek direction and guidance from public health professionals in conducting the business of our daily lives. Public health officials are not recommending closures of K-12 schools at this time.

Please pray for each other, especially for those who are ill or afraid.

Please pray for healthcare professionals and for those whose daily lives are impacted by this situation.

Please also pray that our actions reflect to others the goodness of God and that together we can give His strength to all those who are suffering and burdened by this situation.  

With my gratitude in Christ,

+ Luis R. Zarama

Bishop of Raleigh

 

A Notice from the Office of Divine Liturgy of the Diocese of Raleigh

This notice regards the Coronavirus; please read.


 

The Diocese of Raleigh continues to actively monitor the emerging Coronavirus issue and look to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) local health officials regarding guidance to prevent its spread.  

While no Diocesan wide measures are being advised at this time, pastors may certainly deem appropriate a number of additional precautions. In particular, two elements of the Eucharistic Liturgy which might concern many of the faithful at this time are the gestures used during the exchange of the Sign of Peace, and receiving the Blood of Christ from the chalice during Communion.

On behalf of Bishop Zarama, we offer some clarity on these practices to ease the consciences and devotion of the faithful.

First, the Sign of Peace -

in the Eucharistic Liturgy (the Mass) after saying, “The peace of the Lord be with you always,” and the assembly’s response, “And with your Spirit,” the presider says to the assembly, “Let us offer each other the sign of peace.” The necessary greeting of peace to one another before we receive the Body and Blood of Christ prepares us to be fully and wholly attuned to receiving the great gift of Christ in this Sacrament.

There is nothing mentioned in the Roman Missal that says this sign must be a handshake or a kiss or any other type of physical contact. The handshake during this time is primarily a Western, and more explicitly, an American custom. In other cultures a bow or nod of the head with the greeting, “Peace be with you,” or “Peace to you,” fulfills the request of the presider. It is not necessary, nor was it ever necessary to shake hands to express the sense of greeting one another with peace. 

Second, receiving the Blood of Christ from the chalice –

In the Eucharistic Liturgy the faithful are invited to the Table of the Lamb to receive the risen Lord integrally under the forms of bread and wine. In 1415 the Council of Constance declared that Christ is fully present in each element of the Eucharistic Sacrament because no part of Christ’s substance (the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity) can be divided.

Receiving from the chalice, while encouraged, is a choice. And while it is a profound expression of our solidarity with one another in faith as the Body of Christ, choosing not to receive from the chalice is neither a denial of Christ’s presence in the Precious Blood, nor is it somehow offensive to God or to the community. Anyone who has a cold or other sickness should refrain from reception of the chalice until they are well. Reception of the Body of Christ in the host is reception of our risen Lord. During this time of prevention of the Coronavirus, for some abstaining from the chalice until this time passes is a perfectly prudent and acceptable practice. 

http://ourladyoflourdescc.formed.org