Dear friends,
As you know by now, we will begin celebrating Mass at Sacred Heart Catholic Church on Sunday, 4 October, at 9AM. Please join me this coming Wednesday evening, 16 September, at 6.30PM, at Sacred Heart for an opportunity to get to know our beautiful new home and hear a little from me about the opportunities and challenges before us. We will also pray Compline together before dismissing.
Sacred Heart is located at 888 King Street, on the corner of King and Huger. There is parking available along Benson Street behind the church, and at the International Longshoreman's Association (727 King) and at Trojan Labor (735 King) across King Street from the church. There is additional parking on Sundays, which I will detail for you on Wednesday evening.
This transition in our common life marks a new stage in our "growing up" into a self-sustaining Catholic community. And to that end, it is time for us to acquire some more of those things necessary to the life of a Eucharistic community, especially sacred vessels and vestments. Our community, like the entirety of the Ordinariate, was founded in apostolic poverty, and I hope that we will always understand ourselves, in the words of Pope Francis, as "a church that is poor and for the poor." At the same time, it would be a mistake to pit the beauty proper to the liturgy and Christian humility against one another. The beauty of the liturgy and its ornaments lifts up all the poor in spirit to contemplate and participate in the transcendent mystery of Divine Love. In this way, no less than in the corporal works of mercy, we may be a Church that is "for the poor." So, if you are able to make a gift beyond your usual giving to Corpus Christi towards the purchase of these items, please prayerfully consider doing so and be in touch with me.
Additionally, the actual Missal for the the Ordinariate's form of the Mass (called "Divine Worship") is soon to be available and is to go in to use on the first Sunday of Advent. It is a beautifully produced volume, and built to last, but expensive. Purchase of the Missal will cost about $450.00. Again, if you would like to make a gift of the Missal to Corpus Christi, let me know!
Finally (for now!), we have a need for labor. One of the many blessings of our time at St. Mary's is that they have taken care of our bookkeeping needs. With this move we will begin complying with a mandate from the Ordinariate to track our offerings and keep our financial books and sacramental records using the software required by the Ordinariate. Scarlett Crawford has graciously agreed to take on bookkeeping duties, but we need some volunteers to count and record the offerings after each Sunday Mass - this will require a little time learning to enter the data in the software. Again, if you are willing and able to help, please let me know.
This is an exciting time for us! Please keep me in your prayers as we move forward together.
Faithfully,
Fr. Allen