Dear Friends and Parishioners of Saint Jerome,
Pax Christi semper vobiscum!
I wonder if you noticed when you came to church last weekend the flower boxes around the church campus. They looked beautiful and clean. I would like to thank the family of Roberto Rodriguez from our Salvadorian community who generously donated the blessings of his landscaping company to our parish.
Along the same lines of generosity, I would like to also thank the families who hosted our Food Sale last weekend featuring specialties from the City of Hidalgo, Michoacán. You have seen their hard labor and dedication to the parish. We are aware that events such as these look quite simple; yet it takes a lot of complicated logistics before the food is ready to be served. We have other families hosting our Food Sale this weekend with delicacies from the State of Guerrero, Mexico. As I always mention, the best way to show these good people our appreciation is through our patronage. Whether you choose to stay and share food with your family under the tent in the small parking lot or you want some food to go, your simple gesture uplifts the spirit of those who have worked hard to make our Food Sale a success.
Our Dinner, Music & Stories evening of parish camaraderie will be next Saturday after the 5:00pm Mass. A limited number of tickets have already been distributed for sale. The committee involved for the event planning is excited to bring us together for good food, a music recital and stories. As I announced last weekend, this evening of camaraderie is intended to bring us together while we continue to live through this time of the pandemic which has required us to be physically distant from each other. Of course, our evening gathering will not ignore the guidelines of social distancing. Make sure to dress properly in case the weather gets cooler, since this is an outdoor event. We will have two fire pits lit, but I do not know if they will be enough to make us warm.
We are supposed to have our parish banquet for the closing ceremony of our 125th Anniversary this time of year. Unfortunately, everything changed unprecedentedly due to Covid-19 pandemic. Perhaps we should consider resuming celebrations sometime in the future after all the restrictions have been lifted to compensate for all the anniversary events that were suspended over the last seven months. Just a thought for our consideration.
Anyway, the pandemic is another story in our history as a parish. With the Renew My Church program currently in the process of discernment for our parish grouping, and the issues that are facing our society today, perhaps we could be more spiritually reflective in order to see the movement of the Holy Spirit that leads us in a certain direction. Wherever that direction may be, we are assured that the Holy Spirit is the agent Who will bring us to our destination.
I would like to urge you very strongly to participate in the celebration of the parish patronal feast this coming Wednesday at 6:00pm. Bishop Joseph Perry will preside our bilingual liturgy. Saint Jerome has been accompanying this faith community for 125 years! It would be a good gesture from us to celebrate his spiritual presence with us as we thank the Lord together at this special Mass. Make sure to call the Parish Office or register through our Facebook page if you are coming to attend the Mass.
Finally, please thank our Reopen Team volunteers whenever you leave the church after our Masses. They are carrying out an incredibly challenging ministry for the parish. I am personally moved by their dedication to their duties and am aware that they are often placed in a difficult situation when safety instructions are conveyed to our parishioners. They have no intention to make anyone’s life difficult. Following the Archdiocesan guidelines, their intention is to maintain order, safety, and reverence during our public worship. As I mentioned in the past, our cooperation with the rules and safety guidelines before, during and after our liturgies is an act of charity. We ought to be concerned for each other’s health and safety. If things are misunderstood, please address them calmly and patiently. We do not need to be upset. I am certain that a simple clarification will help. In addition, we need more volunteers who can also commit to sanitize the church every weekend after the liturgies. Our church cannot hold more liturgies without our volunteers. It is for this reason that this is a critical time for us to help each other so we can function efficiently as a spiritual powerhouse.
Thank you for your understanding. I will see you next weekend.
Sincerely in Christ and Mary,
