St. Rocco, pray for us

08-07-2020Letters From Fr. BrianRev. Brian F. Manning

For forty-one years our Parish has celebrated in various ways a special religious and at times a social tribute to Saint Rocco, a renown Catholic saint of healing. At its beginning, this feast was small. As time progressed, it grew to a giant outdoor weeklong feast of food and fun, but bear in mind what was always the most important in all of the activities was the spiritual dimension. After the 40th Anniversary we changed the style again; we re-focused its directly on its spiritual roots. The Feast of Saint Rocco became a special Mass with invited guests who sought the sacramental healing of Anointing of the Sick through the special intercession of Saint Rocco.

This year, because of the COVID restrictions, we are unable to invite people to seek this special healing, but the 4 PM Mass this Saturday will be offered through the intercession of Saint Rocco for the healing of mind, body or soul of those who offer a brief prayer of petition this weekend. We can all be united in prayer in seeking graced healing. Indeed it is our spiritual heart that matters. Through the intercession of this great Saint Rocco, the Lord will hear our calls to Him and He will answer. In this time of the COVID pandemic, it is a graced happening that our Parish’s special patron saint is a saint dedicated to healing.

During this past week, our Ministerial and Pastoral Staff, all of the Parish Staff, met to pray, ponder and plan out coming Fall-Winter cycle for our Parish. We all have been working in small groups or individually to prayerfully and thoughtfully be able to offer the best that we can in with the Sacred Liturgy, Faith Formation and also Community Charity and Service. We recognize that we are managing well with our 4 principle goals as directed by the Archdiocese. They are the Weekend (Saturday-Sunday) Masses, Funerals and Internments, Baptisms and Weddings. All of these religious Masses and services are quite safe, reverent and spiritually uplifting. To achieve all of this weekly is a mighty undertaking. Between the staff and parishioner volunteers we are able to offer these holy and sacramental events. Your personal, faithful financial support allows all of these ceremonies to occur. We are now addressing the next priority of Faith Formation: Religious Education for Grades 1 through Confirmation 2 and also Adults. Just as a side note: we are able to offer the Sacrament of Confirmation to our young people at 3 Ceremonies this September and plan to hold 4 First Communion Masses during October. Next week I will write more about our Faith Formation for Young and Adult.

Thank you for your faithful support of Saint Vincent de Paul. During these difficult times, you are helping people who are in need as Christ commanded us to do. Thank you for your financial support of our Parish by giving online here. I receive many emails each week from folks who find Catholic TV Masses and Programs so spiritually rewarding. Thank God for this gift.

We are blessed with our Parish dedicated to Mary, Mother of God. We are aided in our faith with the special intercession of Saint Rocco, Healer and Saint. Our prayers bring us closer to our God, and in a special way our God becomes closer to us.

God bless,
Father Brian

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