St. Therese Catholic Church

    There is no need to repeat that this year has been very unique. The pandemic has altered just about every human activity in one way or another. Like many people, I hoped that it would pass quickly. When the governor approved Phase II, I really thought that the situation would continue to improve. The news has not been very positive recently and some places are seeing greater numbers of cases. For the Church, the dispensation from the Sunday obligation continues. Those who have certain concerns or existing health conditions may decide not to attend the public Mass. We continue to pray for the sick, their families and all health care workers.

    As pastor, I would just like to remind everyone that our parochial ministry at St. Therese continues. We have now completed 8 weekends of Masses in the church which followed two weekends of outdoor Masses. Throughout this time, we have celebrated a number of baptisms, a few weddings and several funerals. We are using best practices for cleaning our public spaces throughout the facility. We plan to celebrate three 1^st Communion Masses in August and two Confirmation Masses in October. Our Faith Formation schedule will follow the precautions of the local schools.  Some parish meetings have continued on ZOOM.

    We completed the fiscal year at the end of June. I thank our parishioners who have made donations online, through the mail or in the Sunday offertory. We finished the fiscal year about $100,000 below our budget. As a result, we had to restructure the work hours and positions of some members of our staff to save money and we have cut back on expenses across the board. Since we resumed Masses in the Church (with four Masses in lieu of six), we have averaged a total of about 600 – 650, which is about 2,000 less than pre-Covid numbers. I appreciate every donation. If any person or family is able to make an extra donation to assist us in this time, it will be greatly appreciated!
    
    I remain hopeful for the future of the parish. We have many catechetical, liturgical and charitable ministries, which hopefully will be back in full swing very soon. Many thanks for your support!

In the peace of Christ, 
Fr. Mark