Thursday 4/9/20

Dear Parishioners,

Holy Week is here!  In a few minutes I will be joining other priests around the diocese on the internet in watching Bishop Boyea celebrate the Chrism Mass. Recall, this is the Mass at which priests renew their priestly vows each year.

Today in the evening I will hold a holy time of adoration in the church at a makeshift altar of repose with a quartet (4 members of choir) singing traditional Holy Thursday chants.  This will be uploaded on our facebook page around 8pm.  Please take the opportunity to pray with us at Old St. Pat's!

Tomorrow, Good Friday, Deacon Gary will pray the Stations of the Cross with the quartet from choir singing Stabat Mater.  This will be available on our FB page around 2pm.

Holy Saturday at 9:30am Dcn Gary will hold a drive thru blessing of Easter Food Baskets in our parking lot. 

Easter Sunday at 10am I will livestream and celebrate the Mass of Resurrection from Old St. Patrick's.  This will be the only livestream, as I will be celebrating the Triduum liturgies privately this year, keeping all of you in my prayers.

Another opportunity for a plenary indulgence is being made available tomorrow by the US bishops: join Archbishop Gomez live at 9am to pray the Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to receive it!  Confession and Communion, once they become available, will complete the indulgence.

Have a blessed Holy Week!
Fr Tom

Monday 4/6/20

Dear Parishioners,

We will have drive up Confessions outside today, Monday, from 2:30pm to 3:30pm. Confessions will be held following way: cars line up (from South side) next to parish hall, car with one person will drive up to parish hall door, roll window down, confess to me (sitting 8 feet away). If more than one person in car: get out of car walk up to parish hall entrance, confess to me standing (8 feet away).

Please note: these confessions are intended especially for those who may not have had a chance to go in the past several weeks or need to confess a grave sin. (If you just went last week and only have venial sins please stay home) If any adult or child has symptoms of sickness or underlying condition (asthma etc) or is high risk - stay home! Let's be as healthy and safe and considerate of others as possible!

-Fr Tom

Saturday 4/4/20

Dear Parishioners,

Blessed First Saturday!  We have come to Holy Week 2020, and it is going to be different from any we have experienced...  However, that does not mean it has to be less spiritually fruitful.  Remember that in times of difficulty God is especially close to those who call out to Him!

Tomorrow is Palm Sunday, and we will livestream Mass from Old St. Pat's at 10am  (not 9am like last Sun!!!)  Go to our facebook page to view the Mass, remember you don't need to sign up for facebook to watch.

I am still recovering my health, so today there will be no confessions.  However, I am hoping to hear confessions during Holy Week: to help us prepare for the Sacred Triduum.  Stay tuned for more info.

We will have a truncated celebration of Holy Week at Old St. Pat's, but there will be something happening each day to help you connect with your parish.  

The church remains open 24hrs/7days a week for private prayer, and palms are still available.

God bless you and keep you,
Fr Tom

Saturday 3/28/20

Dear Parishioners,

Good morning!  I have decided to hold confessions today, Saturday Mar 28, at our regular time of 2:30 PM.  Confessions will be held in the Parish Hall.  You will drive up in your car, and form a queue (like for a drive thru) up to the entrance to the Hall.  Drive up to the doors, get out of the car and walk into hall, exit the same way, get in your car, and drive off.  Our trusty maintenance man Ron Fuller will facilitate drive thru traffic.  It goes without saying, that if you are showing any kind of symptoms (cough, fever, headache) don't even think of coming as you would be endangering myself and others. 

Tomorrow, Sunday at 9am, we will livestream Mass from OSP with Dcn Gary assisting. You can follow the Mass live from our parish Facebook page here. (or look to the LEFT) You do not need to sign up for Facebook in order to access our page! (it is open to public) Please be patient with our video technology (pray it works) as we are still in process of upgrading.

If you watched Pope Francis' extraordinary Urbi et Orbi blessing yesterday for the pandemic you did well!  I apologize for my links (which either did not work, or sent you to a Spanish version)  I also found out later that the usual plenary indulgence requirement for confession and communion was waived in this instance! So if you watched it you received a great grace!  (don't ask me any more questions about it please, I'm not a canon lawyer ;-)

Bishop Boyea has copied my idea of sending parish emails, and sent out his own to the whole diocese, you can check out his new Fridays Memos here.

Pax et Bonum
Fr Tom

Sunday 3/22/20
A message for Laetare Sunday!

Friday 3/20/20

Dear Parishioners,

Blessed Friday of Lent!  I hope all of you are holding up well, staying healthy, and protecting yourselves the best you can.  I want to highlight some of the online resources available to you, to keep up your Catholic faith from home!

First, one of my favorite places to watch Mass is EWTN, you will find their Mass style familiar and reverent (they chant the same beautiful Sanctus and Angus Dei for Lent that our choir sings!).

The good sisters of Mary Mother of the Eucharist, across the highway from OSP, are streaming their daily Mass and Liturgy of the Hours every day!  You can join the Sisters live in their convent, and pray along from home!

Alternatively, you can pray a shortened Morning and Evening Pray from the Liturgy of the Hours through Magnificat. This beautiful monthly magazine is now online for free!  You'll find daily readings for Mass and Meditation there as well!

I urge you to give the Liturgy of the Hours, (full or shortened), a try during this time away from Mass!   

All of you should be making a spiritual communion with Jesus in the Eucharist each day.  Here is a simple yet effective version from St. Alphonsus Ligurori. 

This Sunday I will share with you a short video reflection on the Mass readings.  (so you won't forget what I look like)  We won't be live streaming Mass as we just don't have the technology at this time and I am still under quarantine for one more week.  There are no public Stations of Cross tonight, but you are welcome to come and pray individual Stations.  (Please be mindful to keep 6ft apart from anyone else praying)  There are no confessions at OSP this or next Sat (I am under quarantine) but other parishes in the area may be offering confessions with the required social distancing between priest and penitent (as per diocesan advisory)  Call ahead to find out.

Finally, here is a good article from a solid priest on how to spend Sundays without Mass.

May God bless you and keep you, you are all in my prayers daily,
Fr Tom
 

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3/17/20

Dear Parishioners,         

Blessed Solemnity of St. Patrick, our parish patron!  A little bit of joy in a difficult time for all of us, and the world!  May he watch over us and bring quick aid with his prayers!

Today, bishop Boyea has cancelled all public Masses in the Diocese of Lansing until Wed of Holy Week (Apirl 8th) for now.  The bishop has dispensed everyone from Sunday Mass obligation during this time.  

The bishop asks that pastors keep their churches open for private prayer during this time.  Old St. Pat's will remain open day and night for anyone to stop in and pray.  If you come in the night feel free to turn some lights on (turn off when you leave)

There will be no Mass or Adoration/Confessions today, I will have our parish icon of St. Patrick (pictured above) displayed in church, during this time of no Masses.  Anyone can come and pray.

As you may have heard I have had some health trouble, and at this time am in self-quarantine since Saturday.  As far as I can tell it's not corona, but I was not tested (not sick enough to be tested)  I have heard of at least one other parishioner who is in self-quarantine at this time.  Keep us, and all those, especially the vulnerable and elderly, in your prayers.

I will email more spiritual resources, especially I urge you to watch Mass online at EWTN, where you will find their Sunday Mass liturgy similar to ours!  For  now, please join me in praying this prayer to St. Patrick in times of trouble: (adapted from St. Patrick Novena)

Glorious St. Patrick, you are honored as one of the greatest evangelizers, and true defenders of our faith. Please obtain for us the same zeal for Christ that enabled you to bring the light of the true faith to all of Ireland. Intercede for me, my family, our parish, and country at this difficult time.  Please obtain a quick end to the spread of disease, healing to those affected, comfort for families of those who pass away.  

May my petition receive a favorable response if it be for the greater honor and glory of God and my own soul. St. Patrick you learned perseverance in the face of trials. Obtain for me the ability to see trials as worthy sacrifices I must make in the quest to share eternity with our Divine Creator. Through your prayers may I be blessed with joyful perseverance in the face of adversity. Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be… St. Patrick, Evangelist and Patron of Ireland, Pray for us! Amen.

SATURDAY VIGIL 
4:00 PM

Sunday
8:00 AM | 10:30 AM 

2nd Sunday of the Month
12:30 PM Traditonal Latin Mass (Extraordinary Form) 

Tuesday
7:00 PM

Wednesday  

8:15 AM  -  OF in Latin

Thursday
8:30 AM

Friday 
8:15 AM   -  OF in Latin

First Saturday
9:00 AM