July 2 update from Fr. Sean

Parish Update – Thursday, July 2

Happy almost 4th of July! We’re coming to you a day early on this holiday weekend. Though it promises to be a 4th unlike any others, I pray that we will all celebrate wisely this weekend. Let’s wear a mask, practice social distancing, and think of the health and safety of others as we thank God for the gift of our freedom as a country.

As Christians we must not equate the freedom we enjoy as citizens with a license to do whatever we want. True and lasting freedom comes only when we align ourselves with the vision and heart of Christ. Anything else is a false freedom. That’s why sin is so alluring and tempting. It looks like freedom (i.e., “I can do anything”), but ultimately it makes us slaves to our wants and desires. It becomes all about us, and not about Christ.  When we resolve to live in accordance to the will of God, who is all good, then we will know what freedom really looks like.

As we celebrate Independence Day, we also join in gratitude for all the men and women who have served our country to win that freedom (and those who continue to do so on our behalf throughout the world today). Many have fought and died to safeguard the way of life we enjoy. Let us not forget the great sacrifices that have been offered on our behalf while all the while remembering the true freedom we have in God through His Son, Jesus Christ.

It’s the  14th Sunday of Ordinary Time this weekend, too, and the Gospel for Sunday is especially appropriate for us at this time . “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” We all are feeling a burden in some way or another these days, are we not? The Lord invites us to connect (“yoke”) ourselves to him to find the true freedom and peace we long for. Let’s take him up on such a beautiful invitation!

Some news and notes for this holiday weekend:

•  We will not have a morning Mass on the 4th of July (nor confessions either this Saturday morning, for this week only), but we will celebrate our Saturday 5 p.m. Vigil Mass as scheduled, along with, of course, Mass at 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Sunday.

With this recent spike we are seeing in Houston and the southwest region, our Mass attendance has fallen somewhat, and that’s OK. Remember that the Sunday Mass obligation is still dispensed, and it makes sense for us to be extra careful about venturing out if we do not need to. Let’s take it easy for July, get over this hump, and then hopefully by August we can begin to ease back into a more normal schedule. If you want to come, you are certainly welcome, but I ask you to please take this spike seriously. Masks are required at Mass, and we are being extra diligent about our social distance requirements and sanitization efforts.

• If you opt not to come to church, then  please join us for Mass via our livestream on Sunday at 9 a.m. on both our Facebook and YouTube pages. You can find the link to the livestream at  www.ctrcc.com/live-stream, and in addition, you’ll find there both a worship aid and a link to the Scripture readings to follow along with Mass. And you can make your weekly offertory contribution online at  www.ctrcc.com/donate.

• Next Tuesday, July 7, a number of our pastoral staff and I will be holding a Zoom video meeting with a number of our leaders from our various ministries, groups, and organizations. We want to check in with them and  begin to look ahead to August and the fall as we (hopefully) gradually expand our opening of the parish. Currently, following  Cardinal DiNardo’s directive, we are not hosting any groups on campus, and while I know that has been difficult, I’m confident it is the correct thing to do at this time.

We do want to look forward in hope and to do so, planning and organizing is going to be key. We are looking forward to the conversation with our ministries to see how we can best serve them, to find out what is working (and not working) for them at the moment, and to begin to envision a new reality later in the fall.  All ministries have been contacted and invited, so if you are involved in a group (and I hope you are!) you might check in to make sure someone will be there to represent you. It’ll be good to see everyone, even if it is via the computer, and I’ll report back to you what we discuss.

• One of our ministries that I know is anxious to get back to meeting is our  Knights of Columbus. They’ve been doing a few things here and there, but they are a group dedicated to serving the Church and this has been the longest they’ve gone without an organized service project. Hang in there, brother Knights! We thank  Bob Suarez, who wrapped us his two-year term as Grand Knight this past week. Bob was an outstanding leader for the Knights and we appreciate his dedication and service to our CtR community. He passes the gavel to  Dan Daues as the new Grand Knight, who I know will do an equally fine job. Thanks to all the Knights of Council 8771 for what you do for our parish!

• Please join me in officially welcoming  Camilla MacKenzie to our staff as our new Director of Adult Discipleship. She replaces  Deacon Jack Alexander who retired at the end of March. In her new role, Camilla (who previously was an apprentice in our RE Department while completing her Masters from the University of Notre Dame) will work to expand our efforts in forming us all to be “Missionary Disciples.” That’s been a big focus of our parish for the past few years, and I’m excited to have her in this role to help us discover what that looks like in concrete terms for our parishioners. Of course the current climate is going to add a degree of difficulty to her job that she didn’t expect, but given her gifts and talents, I know Camilla will do a great job in fostering that spirit among all our parishioners. You’ll be hearing more from her in the coming months.  Welcome (back) to CtR, Camilla!  

• Please keep retired  Archbishop Joseph Fiorenza and retired Auxiliary Bishop Vincent Rizzotto in your prayers as they, along with two other priests living in our Priests Retirement Residence, tested positive for coronavirus this past week. All of the 18 priests living there have self-isolated for the time being. We lift them, and all the sick, up to the healing hand of God.

St. Thomas the Apostle, whose feast day is tomorrow, pray for us!
May God bless America!

Peace, Fr. Sean