For the Feast of Christ's Ascension, our parish - together with the entire diocese - will resume public Masses. There will be restrictions. I will update this blog post regularly as things change and develop.

NEW MASS SCHEDULE:

Saturday at 5:00 p.m., Sunday at 7:00, 9:00 & 11:00 a.m.
Weekday Masses resume on Monday, June 1, in the main church.
Spanish Mass resumes on Sunday, June 21.
Mass at Manapogo Campground still to be determined.

The new Sunday schedule allows proper time for cleaning and disinfecting between Masses. The schedule will be reevaluted after August 16.

Here is a short summary of the mandatory safety measures.

• There will be a maximum of 200 people per Mass.
• EVERYONE must wear a mask.
• Every other pew will be blocked off.
• In the pews that are open, maintain 6 feet between families.
• Handshaking and hand holding are suspended.
• Communion will be the host only, and only in the hand.
• There will be no choir.
• There will be no offertory.
• The collection will be taken up by different means.
• The church will be disinfected after every Mass, and fumigated weekly.

That sounds like a lot! This will definitely be a different experience of Mass. Who knows? Maybe we will learn something and grow from this!

Those who are particularly vulnerable - the elderly, those with underlying conditions, infants and small children - should consider not attending Sunday Mass just yet. Remember - the bishop continues to dispense you from any obligation to attend Mass. You might even consider attending a weekday Mass as your weekly Mass.

May the Lord continue to guide us.
friar Bob, pastor

Short answer: I don't know.

As Archbishop Lori has stated (see article below), the bishops will decide. In our case, Bishop Kevin Rhoades of the Fort Wayne-South Bend Diocese, our Ordinary, will decide. As of this writing - Monday, May 4, 2020 at 10:30 a.m. - we still await news from the diocesan administration.

Let it be said clearly: the Governor did not "open up the churches" again. He did not close them, he cannot open them, he claims no power to open or close them. The Indiana state government has consistently acted within the law.

On May 1, Gov. Holcomb announced a new policy called Back On Track Indiana. This plan foresees a gradual reduction of restrictions on public life during May, June and July of 2020. There are five phases. Today we begin Phase 2. That phase recommends - not orders - that religious institutions may consider, maybe, possibly, holding some liturgies again such as weddings and funerals, but only if there are fewer than 25 people present, no one over the age of 65 is present, no one is present who is sick in any way, everyone stays 6 feet apart in the pews, every other pew be left empty, there is no touching and no consumption of, for example, communion, and everyone wears masks. That's not much of a Mass!

So I am guessing that Bishop Rhoades will not start up public Masses again just yet. I remind you that Bishop Rhoades suspended all public Masses BEFORE the secular government issued a Stay at Home order, because it was the morally correct thing to do. As a Church community with a properly installed hierarchy, we will decide how and when to celebrate our liturgies for the good of the people.

So watch this space! As soon as the diocesan administration gives guidance, we will pass it on!

Thank you for your prayers and understanding, your wisdom and your patience. Patience is truly a virtue - and now is a time for virtue, not impetuousness. God bless us all.

__________________________________________________

UPDATE:

On Tuesday, May 5, 2020, Bishop Kevin Rhoades released new directives which foresee public Masses returning for the Solemnity of the Pentecost on May 31st. There may also be some (perhaps limited) form of Mass on the weekend of May 23rd and 24th. There is a lot of information to process. The parish staff will keep the parishioners informed as soon as we can.

by friar Bob Showers OFM Conv.

This article originally appeared in the pariosh's eBulletin for April 24, 2020

Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore has a clear message for people who think that the suspension of religious services is a violation of our religious liberty or is some sort of political plot: it is not. Even suggesting that it is puts life in danger and is therefore a sin.
 
Archbp. Lori used to be the chairman of the U.S. Bishops’ Conference Committee on Religious Freedom. He is still the leading member of the board of theological consultants for that committee. On Easter Sunday, Archbp. Lori made a statement with several points:
 
1. The bishops will decide
 
The archbishop reminds Catholics that it was the Catholic bishops who suspended public liturgies, not the civil governments. In many places, Masses were suspended before there were any stay at home orders. It is the bishops who will decide when public Masses will begin again. [For example, in our diocese, Bishop Rhoades suspended public Masses as of March 18, Gov. Holcomb’s stay at home order was not issued until March 23.]
 
The U.S. bishops make this statement not to show their power, but because they want to make clear that no earthly power is forcing us to suspend public events, rather Catholic morality compels us. “One of the overriding responsibilities of government is to keep people safe. This is a health and public safety issue. And this is not only a concern that the government has, it’s also a concern of the church,” the archbishop said. “The Church has to take steps to ensure that we are kept safe and healthy and those steps have to be reasonable, rational. We do not feel as though we have been forced into doing this by the government. We feel like we’re doing the right thing.”
 
This means that it is possible that, even after some local governments lift the stay at home orders, the Roman Catholic Church might decide to wait a little longer.

2. We are a Church of faith and reason
 
“We are a people of faith and reason”, Archbp. Lori said, and the suspension of public liturgies is “eminently reasonable”. Following government orders and guidelines to stem the epidemic “does not in any way attack or undermine our faith or our religious liberty”. The suspension of public Masses and other sacraments is happening “out of pastoral love for our laity, our priests and the people of our society”.
 
3. Good will come of this
 
Even amidst suffering, we believe that God can draw goodness out of any situation. Indeed, there is opportunity here to develop aspects of our Church life and tradition that otherwise are somewhat neglected. “In extraordinary circumstances, God’s grace nonetheless reaches us. And we can certainly draw upon this tremendous treasury of holiness and merit unto which the Church has access during this time as part of our faith always has been and always will be.” As Pope Francis says, “The Church has many resources in our rich tradition.” Now is the time to explore that tradition and make use of our spiritual richness!

"In every age, Christians have suffered for their faith, from the Roman Coliseum to the recent beheadings perpetrated by ISIS. Brave women and men, embracing the cross of Jesus, have gone to their deaths rather than deny their faith, and the blood of these martyrs serves as the 'seed of Christians', enlivening faith in others. Today, the witness of martyrs continues in an especially intense way in the Middle East, where priests are murdered for offering Mass and families are driven from their homes for displaying a cross.

"With this Marian Prayer Program, we honor the martyrs over the centuries as we call particular attention to the suffering of today's Christians ... Featuring the newly commissioned icon of Our Lady Help of Persecuted Christians, the prayer program is the latest in a series of efforts undertaken by the Knights of Columbus to aid those who suffer for their faith. ..."

- from the introduction to the the prayer booklet used that evening

Do you know this blog? Check it out! Most of the articles are by "guest moms" from all across North America - just ordinary moms trying to be Catholic in a fast and exciting world, raising children in love. CATHOLIC MOMS GROUP INTERNATIONAL BLOG

Our parish Catholic Moms Group meets every Thursday at 9:30 a.m. in the Parish Center. Children are very welcome! Come share your experiences with other Catholic mothers and be inspired! For more information, contact our Youth & Young Adult Minister, Cara Molyet, at cara@stanthonyangola.com, 260-316-9636.

Here's a sample blog: How to manage your toddler at Mass, from December of 2017.

Since Women's Care Center of Northeast Indiana in Auburn is presently expecting a little over 200 babies, the clothing needs for the children is on going. These pjs are especially significant, because, as one of the center's moms put it, "pajamas are usually the last thing I'd spend money on." The Crib Club at WCC-Auburn makes that very doable for clients using coupons they earn when attending parenting classes at the center.

Each year at Advent, the church offers us the opportunity to listen to the prophets of the Old Testament whose promise of a Messiah filled the people with hope at times of hopelessness. The Old Testament promise was fulfilled at the first coming of Christ into our world whose birth we are preparing to celebrate at Christmas.
 
Advent also invites us to make ready for His second coming, and to make room in our hearts for His arrival here and now--the Third Coming of Christ. It is with deep trust in God’s unconditional love for us that we acknowledge our failings in the presence of each other and seek his forgiveness.
 
John the Baptist is the great prophet of the New Testament who calls us to ready our hearts. John is the Prophet of Joy and the Forerunner of the Messiah.
 
God of mercy and compassion, as we come together to prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ, may the truth of His word bring love and hope to the darkness in our lives. Help us to bring down the hills and fill up the valleys, to straighten the crooked and to smooth out the rough until a highway runs right to our hearts, where Christ will make His home, for He lives and reigns, forever and ever. Amen.
 

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Luke, chapter three, verses one and following.
 
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the desert.
 
 The Word of God comes to us in the concrete realities of life — even as we go about our daily work, as we raise our families and build our societies, and sometimes when we find ourselves in the wilderness. Hearing the Word of God requires that we listen. So I ask myself:

• Do I pray every day?
•  Do I go to Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation?
•  Are there things in my life that get in the way of God’s word for me?

 
John went throughout the whole region of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
 
God has given us the holy sacraments as vehicles of His grace — we hear the Word of God in the celebration of the sacraments.

• How long has it been since my last confession?
• Do I prepare myself to receive communion?
• Do I ever think about or let myself be inspired by the promises of my baptism and confirmation?
• Do I keep the vows of my marriage or ordination?
• Do I visit the sick?

 
John said to the crowds who came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce good fruits as evidence of your repentance; and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones.”

• God has given me the gift of faith. Do I take it for granted?
• Do I look down on people of other religions, or on those who have no religion?
• Do I think I’m better than anyone else?

 
And the crowds asked him, “What then should we do?”
 
Sometimes I need God’s guidance. Do I ask for it? Do I listen?

John said to them in reply, “Whoever has two tunics should share with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do likewise.”
 

• Do I have a tendency to hoard and possess what is not necessary and still yearn to have more?
• What brings me contentment and security?
• Am I generous with my money and contribute whenever I can to charities which help to alleviate poverty?
• Do I make time in my schedule for other people?
• Do I reach out to the lonely?

 
Now the people were filled with expectation, and all were asking in their hearts whether John might be the Messiah.

We long for the salvation of God. We long to understand the meaning of our existence, to see an end to our problems, to receive God’s help in our suffering. We long to know that we are loved.
 

• Do I dare to hope in God?
  
• Do I trust God in my weakness? And come to God in my strength?
• Do I show love?
  

John answered them all, saying: “I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals. He will baptize you with the holy Spirit and fire.”
 
Sometimes we have other gods besides the one true God. Sometimes we take it into our heads that salvation comes from our own will power and discipline, from some political party or program or some political messiah, from some philosophy or from wealth, comfort, food or entertainment.

• Who or what is my god?
• Am I humble before the Lord?
• Do I long to receive the baptism of God’s fire?

 
Exhorting them in many other ways, John preached good news to the people.

• What is my attitude towards the most vulnerable in the community?
• How compassionate am I towards those who have personal struggles?
• As an employer, do I treat my employees with respect and equality? As a parent? As a teacher? As a person of influence?
• As an employee, am I trustworthy and honest? As a son or daugher? As a student? As a citizen?
• In my relationships, am I self-centred?
• Am I more concerned with satisfying my personal needs than putting the needs of others first?

 
Now Herod the tetrarch, who had been censured by John because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and because of all the evil deeds Herod had committed, added still another crime to his list by putting John in prison.

John the Baptist was a messenger of God, a prophet preparing the way for the coming of the Saviour by encouraging the people to repent. Prophets are often ridiculed, persecuted or simply ignored. As we strive to witness to the values of the Gospel in today’s society, we too, are likely to meet ridicule and ignorance.
 
We will be challenged by the prophets of our times, and tempted, in our turn, to ignore them, ridicule them or cheer their persecution.

• How do I react to such experiences?
• Do I easily ‘give in’ and compromise my values by finding ways to avoid the challenges?
• Do I resent it when some members of the Church call upon me to change my attitudes or preconceptions?
• Who and what helps me during the difficult moments of my life?

 

John the Baptist was the herald of the Messiah and made him known when at last he came. In his love Christ has filled us with joy as we prepare to celebrate his birth, so that when he comes he may find us watching in prayer, our hearts filled with wonder and praise.
 
Amen.

The Blessing Box Facebook page wrote:

St. Anthony's Catholic Church parking lot at 700 West Maumee St., Angola. Indiana is the home for their new BLESSING BOX!!! Glory to God!!

Thank you Eric Anthony for sharing about the BLESSING BOX. Some of the things he shared was:

"On a sunny but cold and windy Palm Sunday, the traditional start of Holy Week for Catholics and some Protestants, members of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Angola along with representatives from St. Anthony's Catholic Church in Angola got together after 6 months of planning to erect the first >Blessing Box< in Angola. So what is a Blessing Box? It's a place where people can donate items that they think that others, especially those in need, might find good use for. And, subsequently, those in need, or who simply need something, can drive or walk up to it and take what is needed any time of day or night, any day of the week. No questions asked. All of the wood, nails and shingles were recycled from the priest's previous residence that was located at St. Anthony's and torn down when the new church was built."

Beautiful with alot of preparation!! Thank you for stepping out in Faith!!

-Blessing Box Community, Crystal Rock Cathedral, Ardmore OK