From the Pastor’s Desk,
These weeks would has been weeks of celebration for our graduates in both eighth grade and senior in high school. Instead we are looking at different types of celebrations which will center more on the immediate families of the young people. My heart goes out especially to our high school graduates who have missed out on the end of the high school rituals. Who could have guessed that when they/we left on spring break we would not return to the school classrooms, the stage, and the sporting events to the end of year banquets. Most of our eighth grade graduates will continue on to Springfield Catholic High School,
but our graduating seniors will move on to colleges across the country, into the military or the workforce. Wherever they go, they will be beginning a new life. They will be making new friends, having new teachers, studying new subjects, or subjects much more in depth, all the while struggling to figure out who they are and what they are headed in their adult life. It is an exciting time and a scary time. Some may even study abroad to get a much larger view of life. Regardless of where they end up for the next years of their lives, their lives will never be the same. They are moving into the adult world with adult consequences for their actions.
This coming Sunday, I will celebrate my 39th anniversary to the priesthood. On May 24th, 39 years ago I knelt before Bishop Law and placed my hands inside of his hands and promised Obedience, Prayer Life, A Spirit of Poverty and Celibacy to him and to his successors. I am now working under my fourth bishop. These 39 years have been filled with joy, happiness, sadness and frustration. There have been days when I said, “Why did I ever answer the call to priesthood?” and then there are days when I say, “Thank you Lord for the vocation of my priesthood and for my parents who encouraged me.”
My life as a priest has been rewarding. Out of the 39 years this Lent and Easter has been the strangest and the saddest for me. To not attend the Chrism Mass with all the priests, to celebrate the Triduum liturgies without a congregation. To be constantly in front of cameras knowing that everything I do and say is out on the internet is the most stress I have every been under. If I have not met the needs of everyone, I am sorry. I have tried to the best of my abilities to use our technology to stay in touch with our parishioners and to provide opportunities for our spirituality.
I continue to thank all of you for your support in prayer, in your notes and cards and in your financial donations to the parish. With the cuts in the budget due to lower utilities, cleaning and no extras we have with your generosity have been able to pay our bills. Thank you.
On Monday, May 18th we will once again be able to be together about the altar to celebrate the Eucharist as a part of God’s family at daily Mass. Our Sunday Masses will begin the weekend of May 23 /24. To prepare please make sure that you have read the social distancing guidelines from Bishop Rice that we have posted on our St. Agnes Cathedral group Facebook page and www.sta-cathedral.org.
Annual Memorial Day Mass Cancelled – Mass Will be Live Streamed on Facebook
Bishop Rice has cancelled the Memorial Day Mass due to COVID-19. A Memorial
Day Mass will be live streamed on the Immaculate Conception Facebook page on
Monday, May 25, at 8:30 a.m. It is a public page, so people do not have to become
a member to view it. Those interested in viewing the Mass should visit Immaculate
Conception’s website at https://www.ic-parish.org/ and click on the
Facebook icon on the homepage. Once on IC’s Facebook page, scroll down until
you see the live Mass. St. Agnes parishioners will find a special Catholic Cemeteries
of Springfield envelope in their packet for donating toward the maintenance
of our two Catholic cemeteries. Your generosity is appreciated so much.
~Rev. Lewis Hejna