Update Letter from Fr. Jim

Dear Beloved Parish Members of Saint Andrew Catholic Church,

The Friars are doing what we can to stay healthy.  I trust we are all being good stewards over our health and hearth.  Fr. John continues to visit his Office daily, handling phone calls and anticipating hospital and home visits where necessary.
I anointed my first Virus victim two days ago.  He was very ill and my age.  Those ventilators are worth their weight in gold in these strange days.  He had one going non-stop.  It seems he has realistic hope because of this from home health agency. I do believe he will make it; thanks be to God.
We continue to stream our daily and weekend Masses, complete with BRIEF homilies.  Confessions are suspended, as you probably have heard from our Bishop.  One can gain a Plenary Indulgence (remission of sin) by performing certain prayerful devotions like the Stations of the Cross, the daily Rosary and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.  Consult the Diocesan website, as well as our own, for the specifics of how one receives forgiveness of sins in times of national or worldwide emergencies.
To update you, the new Parish Hall boiler is installed and should be operational today!  Thank you to all who contributed to its expense.  Speaking of expenses, we are obviously hurting with Offertory collections limited.  PLEASE use Push Pay or whatever electronic giving you have in place.  Like your own homes and lives, the bills keep coming in so that reality is not suspended. Most of our Office staff has been furloughed.  We are on a skeleton crew, consisting of the Friars, Christina Alves, Deacon Kevin, Joseph Hicks and Lalo Martinez.  Hours are staggered but phone calls are being fielded through Kathy Lawson who answers these at her home via the wonders of modern technology where the Parish phone rings in her home.  Paul Gillilan is also on board as our IT needs constantly must be adjusted as news comes in and rules from Diocese and City cause changes.
We miss the children and the School community very, very much.  A Parish with a Catholic School is blessed with great creativity and joyful noise.  It is so QUIET here these days.  God bless our parents who find themselves ensconced in smaller quarters with rambunctious kiddos.  I can at least move from the Friary to the Office and back and get a breath of fresh air.  Perhaps a future fundraiser is in the works in that we can contribute discoveries of surfaced coping skills to a plethora of HOW TO books on survival in times of emergencies.  Or, a book on what NOT TO DO in such times.  The lifeblood of personal narratives is in the making as we speak.  We just hope this incubation ends sooner than later.  I miss the world!
Remember you can investigate several websites and YouTube videos on our Catholic Faith, our prayer Devotions and Holy Mass streamed live and recorded.  In times past, during crisis and pestilence, Mother Church has strongly encouraged the Rosary to be prayed, especially as a family.  Scripture reading and prayer is foundational for us, filled with the Holy Spirit and the virtue of Hope, nurturing Faith and Loving kindness.  The FORMED website is at your disposal with a great deal of teachings about our Catholic Faith and movies on the lives of the Saints, etc.
Please know you are all much in our prayers here, daily and always.  And we continue to pray for the end of this plague and multiple blessings upon those who work in the medical field ministering to the sick and suffering.  Much to pray for; much to be thankful for…particularly for Jesus Christ.  Because with Christ, there is always HOPE!
Blessings and love,
Fr. Jim