Our Faith Can Keep us Going
04-15-2021Letters From Fr. BrianRev. Brian F. ManningDear Parishioners and Friends of Saint Mary Parish,
It is delightful that the season of Spring is moving along and our weather is becoming milder. I truly delight in the sunlight and gentle warmth of the sun each day. This turning of the season to better weather helps all of our spirits as we continue to navigate our way through the COVID Pandemic. Our education system in our Town is re-opening and many other activities are re-starting with less restrictions so that we may feel that life has made turn for the better. Our faith can keep us going during this time as we slowly move forward. The Pandemic in various ways will still be with us for many, many more months, but we can step along now remembering to follow the rules for the common good of one and all.
We have bene fortunate that our Live-Streaming of Weekend Masses and Funeral Masses have been so well received. I am sure that you are aware that we are not a major TV channel so that we do run into problems at various times. The “widgets” that run all this for us are complicated and can be “sensitive” so that sometimes the picture or the audio is off kilter. We do our best to get it corrected, but sometimes we have to wait for a paid tech to come during the week. There is so much software and hardware involved in all of this that it is well beyond our Staff or myself. I appreciate your patience when it infrequently fails us.
I am looking for a skilled and knowledgeable volunteer who can who to take our “signal” and connect it to our Face Book account so that it will appear live in eal time on our Face Book page each time we Live-Stream Mass. If you are able to help us, would you email me (bmanning@stmarysfranklin.org) with your offer to help. Obviously this involves a “tech person” who understand all of this. You may be a high school or college student or a full time tech employee. We need your knowledge and skill to help advance the Mission of our Parish to spread our faith in Jesus Christ.
The Franklin Interfaith Council is most grateful to the many, many of you who have participated in the Envoy Program which helps support the Franklin Food Pantry. It is the “Eat Out – Take Out” Program whereby you eat at or take out from a particular restaurant (see our web page for details of what/when) and they give a percentage of their sales to the Food Pantry. It will be ending the end of April, so time is running out to help. Our Sacred Herat Knights of Columbus are sponsoring a Blood Drive. Please volunteer. All the details etc. are on our website
Our Saint Vincent’s continues its sacred work among the needy and frail. They list on our website the special items that they need for their “storehouse of supplies”. Please take a quick look so as to be able to shop for them. Your financial support is also constant and they are most appreciative. I am in consonant awe of the many of you who so faithfully financially support our Saint Mary Parish by your on-line giving (best accessed at stmarysfranklin.org) or by mail or drop in envelopes. We stay focused on our holy work because of your faithful support. I also ask you to consider supporting Cardinal Sean’s Annual Catholic Appeal. We have an assessment of almost $65,000.00 and are only 50% there. Your personal contribution is needed and appreciated. You can best help by going to our website and clicking on the logo for it and maing a pledge or by contacting Trish Murphy, our Business Manager (busnessmanager@stmarysfranklin.org) and she will send you a pledge envelope in the mail.
I am so happy to share that very soon our Parish will be holding First Communion Masses on the first four Sundays in May at Noon time. First Communion invokes in us a wonderful memory of our childhood. We are all touched by the beauty and power of that sacred moment in our young children’s lives. Blessed be they who receive the Lord for their first time this coming May.
In our Catholic Tradition the month of May is dedicated to Mary, the Mother of God and our Patroness. We hold her close in our hearts and in our prayers. Our special Patron, Saint Rocco constantly intercedes for those of us who are ill. We are blessed by two wonderful patrons of our faith community.
God bless you and your loved ones,
Father Brian