Archbishop Gagnon has extended the suspension of public Masses to May 18th.
I was wondering whether this week the Archbishop would tell us whether we should expect to resume public Masses the first Sunday in May—we are still presuming that public Masses are suspended up to and including Sunday April 26th—but I have the impression he doesn’t know the answer to that question yet himself. Like the rest of us, he is waiting to see how things develop and when the government eases restrictions.
A blessed Easter Friday to you all.
I’ve always wondered if it would be possible to celebrate an Easter Vigil in which one read all nine scripture readings, one sung all the psalms, and the only light was candlelight. Well, it turns out to be possible—too bad I had to experience alone. If I were to attempt it again, I should want more candles. And, more importantly, more people.
Christ has Risen! He has risen indeed. May you all have a blessed Easter season.
The April 15th Parish bulletin.
After publishing the bulletin I went and read again the statement of the Archbishop’s suspension of Masses: it says up to and including April 26th.
One of the upsides of all this quiet time this spring is that I’ve had a little more time and attention to paint. So far I’ve made a small icon of St Michael the Archangel. I haven’t been able to figure out the proper icon technique, so it’s not a true icon painted with egg tempera. But I do what I can in watercolours.
From the Archbishop’s office:
Parishes are asked to encourage their parishioners to place a lighted candle in their windows on Holy Saturday night. This is meant to be a sign of the Light of Christ which dispels all darkness and a gesture of our solidarity on this Holy Night.
Parishes whose churches have bells are asked to ring their bells for five minutes beginning at noon on Easter Sunday. This is meant to be an expression of our Easter Joy.
I would encourage you to invite your parishioners to pray the nine-day Divine Mercy Novena leading up to Divine Mercy Sunday, April 19, 2020. The novena would begin on Good Friday, April 10th. The intention of this Divine Mercy Novena will be for an end to the coronavirus health crisis in Canada and throughout the world. We include in our prayers the intentions of all health care workers and those who are struggling with the virus and those who have died. (you can find the Divine Mercy Chaplet on our Archdiocesan website: www.archwinnipeg.ca.)
Ste Rose Church hasn’t any bells to ring, I’m sorry to say, but the churches in Laurier and McCreary intend to ring theirs Easter morning and all the Sundays in Easter.
Ste Rose Church has blessed palms available. The church is open 10 am to 12 noon for private prayer. God bless you as you begin your meditations for Holy week.
The Archbishop intends to release a weekly report for the Catholics of the Winnipeg Archdiocese.
Salt + Light TV has made arrangements with Rogers, Bell, Telus, Shaw Direct & Videotron so that Salt + Light TV is available free of charge to all subscribers until May 1, 2020. Therefore, all subscribers may have access to televised Masses seven days a week. The channel number on each cable company that carries Salt + Light TV can be found at https://saltandlighttv.org/subscribe.
Living with Christ, the publisher of the popular monthly missalette, is publishing the mass texts for each day on the web as a help to all you who are praying at home. You can find them here.
Pope Francis announced Sunday that he will give an extraordinary Urbi et Orbi blessing this week with the opportunity for Catholics to receive a plenary indulgence by tuning in via media.
It is to take place tomorrow, Friday at 6pm Rome time—that’s 12 noon here I think. Read about it here.
The Catholic Answers Focus Podcast has published a very enlightening episode on the practice of spiritual communion. You can listen to it on your smartphone or tablet by subscribing to Catholic Answers Focus or by going here.
The gift of special Indulgences is granted to the faithful suffering from COVID-19 disease, commonly known as Coronavirus, as well as to health care workers, family members and all those who in any capacity, including through prayer, care for them.
From the Archdiocese:
Join our Celebration of the Holy Eucharist through livestream on our Archdiocesan website, Facebook, or YouTube (membership on Facebook or YouTube not required to view the stream)! Archbishop Richard Gagnon will preside at Mass at St. Mary's Cathedral on Sunday, March 22, 2020, at 11:00 am. Please share this information with our sisters and brothers in Christ.
We invite you to read the Archdiocesan resource on 'Spiritual Communion' prior to our Sunday celebration. You can access it by clicking here.
Finally, a reminder that our celebrations of the Mass will be offered pro populo (for the people) due to COVID-19 risks. For the health and safety of all in our community, we ask that you stay home and join us, instead, in the Spiritual Communion of the Most Holy Eucharist.
How does one participate in Holy Communion when extraordinary circumstances prevent one from coming to Mass? Our Archdiocese has given us a help in practicing spiritual communion. Please read it here.
The Free Press has written an article about the decision of the Manitoba bishops to suspend masses during the coronavirus crisis. Read it here.
Archbishop Richard Gagnon is coming to St Viator’s in Dauphin on February 29th in order to give Parkland Catholics a day of Lenten Recollection. 10:30am to 4pm. If you wish to come, please sign up at your parish in order that we will know how many will require lunch.
