Our Transitional Deacon, Matthew Norwood, as many of you may know, was scheduled to be ordained a priest last May but the Covid pandemic interrupted that planned date. On Saturday, August 1, at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, Deacon Matt will be ordained a Priest of Jesus Christ by Cardinal Sean O’Malley. Even though there will be significant restrictions relative to attendance at the ordination due to the virus, it will be a wonderful day for Matt and his family and friends. The following day he will celebrate his First Mass at his home parish of Saint Paul in Wellesley.

Our Transitional Deacon, Matthew Norwood, as many of you may know, was scheduled to be ordained a priest last May but the Covid pandemic interrupted that planned date. On Saturday, August 1, at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, Deacon Matt will be ordained a Priest of Jesus Christ by Cardinal Sean O’Malley. Even though there will be significant restrictions relative to attendance at the ordination due to the virus, it will be a wonderful day for Matt and his family and friends. The following day he will celebrate his First Mass at his home parish of Saint Paul in Wellesley.

Back in March, some second graders planted a bunch of tomato seeds and now, months later, my garden has more than a few tomato plants. They stop by the garden almost everyday, watering the plants and looking for the first signs of fruit. The young gardeners learned that it takes a lot of work to get from seed to salad!

Dear Friends and Parishioners,

I greet you with the hope and prayer that you are well and safe during these times. Since our reopening of Mass, we have now experienced 4 Sundays under the restricted measures we have had to follow. For the greater part, all has gone smoothly thanks to the help of numerous volunteers serving to direct parishioners who have returned.

Under the huge oak tree in the yard, my 5-year-old niece was shocked to discover that the huge tree had begun as a small acorn, just like one of many she found on the ground. She could not believe that something so large began as something so small.

A community work project took place on a hot and humid morning. College students helped younger students, keeping a watchful eye on them as they were picking up trash, painting playground furniture and hanging new signs. Halfway through the morning, everyone headed for the shade of a weeping willow tree and a drink of ice-cold spring water. It really was refreshing. The shade and the water revived us and we were ready to finish our work. Everyone had a good time and contributed to our success.

Notification of someone who may have been at Mass and tests positive for Covid 19.

The Liturgy this week continues to instruct us in the elements of discipleship. We’re told that even the most humble among us have a share in the mission Christ gives to His Church.

Notification of someone who may have been at Mass and tests positive for Covid 19.

A German proverb says that fear makes the wolf bigger than it is. When we are afraid, our imagination can run wild, we feel helpless and trapped and we fail to act. Just ask any kid who hides under the bed when he hears a scary noise in the middle of the night! The only sound he wants to hear is the reassuring voice of his mom or dad.

A big welcome to our new Coordinator of Liturgical Music!

After dinner at our parents’ home on Christmas Day, we were sitting at the table, reminiscing about the Christmas celebrations of our childhood. The middle brother picked up one of my mother’s in- credible cookies and held it up as he announced that this was the best memory of his childhood Christ- mas. He told the story of being ten years old and sneaking to the kitchen in the middle of the night, just to get a Christmas cookie. A second later, the cookie was gone and it became another part of his memories!

Last weekend we had a successful re-opening of Masses at St. Columbkille Parish. Considering the restrictions and warnings for vulnerable people, we were pleased to have 287 people at the Masses. With the great help of our volunteers, all the procedures and guidelines for a safe opening were met. We are extremely grateful for the volunteers who stepped up to the plate. Please note the revised schedule for Sunday morning Masses and daily Mass. We look forward to Phase 2 of the Governor’s re-opening plan and how it will impact our ability to come together as a faith community. In the meantime stay safe and healthy.

On a beautiful Saturday in May, I sat at a table in the park, reading term papers and enjoying the sights and sounds of spring. My favorite sound is that of little children laughing and squealing as mom and dad play games with them, or throw a ball or sit and eat a picnic lunch. It’s the perfect im- age of family. Love is in the air, infusing the mind and spirit with a sense of peace and joy. There is something about a toddler’s laugh that makes you smile with hope and happiness.

Dear Friends and Parishioners:

The last time I emailed you, we were waiting to hear news of when we can reopen the church for public Mass. Well, as most of you know, we can reopen which is great news, but it is conditioned by some stringent parameters that we have to meet for the safety of all involved. While the order to close has been lifted, the Virus still remains! Below is a rather lengthy document which explains all we must do to insure that we meet the requirements to reopen. I strongly urge you to read the entire document so you can get a complete understanding of what has to be done. For members of our Spanish speaking community, we hope to soon send you a Spanish version of the document.

Re-Opening Guidance on Preparations and Requirements

We all have been taught that patience is a virtue. During these times we certainly need to pray for that virtue. Right now we do not know for sure when we will be able to reopen for Sunday Masses. It could be in a few weeks, or it could be a number of months from now. We have a sense of expectation that it is coming, but we must do our best to temper that expectation with a strong dose of patience and acceptance of the difficulties of this current time. We will reopen someday, but we do not know when. However, I have been asked by the Cardinal to be one of two pastors among other people to serve on a restart committee to work on preliminary plans for reopening the churches.

Color televisions amazed people. Black and white images were replaced by all the colors of the rainbow and both people and cartoons seemed to have more life. Now, high-definition televisions show amazing detail. Colors are more vivid and the picture has a depth and clarity that older televisions lack. The viewer can see every line, wrinkle, and subtlety that was once left to the imagination. The viewer can really see bigger and better!