My Thoughts on 29/06/2020

I read this on Twitter this morning.

In response to the news that that we will be allowed once again to celebrate Mass in church after 4th July one person wrote saying they were “concerned that hopes are being raised prematurely. In a parish of 1000, how to select 30 for Mass each week? How to rebuilt and sustain community when so few can return to Mass? We are the church. Are we losing sight of that in our scramble to get back into our church buildings?”

For us at St Thomas of Canterbury we would only be able to have about 45-50 people at each Mass. Over the five Masses at the weekend that would mean about 250 people coming to Mass on Sunday. I have posted the Archbishops Statement on the website who reminds us that there is no Sunday obligation at the moment. We here at Canterbury are only this week beginning to open the church for prayer thanks to all the offers of help.

It will take time for us to move from this to opening the church for Mass every Sunday and weekdays. I am encouraging you as parish community to continue to support one another as you have been doing in so many different ways. Many have valued the live streaming and would like this to continue in some way after Mass is been said regularly on Sundays. Fr Sylvester and I, and the Parish Pastoral Council will value your advice as to how to proceed from here.

Let our prayer be: “Lord give us wisdom to know how you want to grow as your Eucharistic family. Give us courage and strength to support and help those who are vulnerable, give peace to those who are anxious, healing to those who are sick, and sustain us by the loving presence of your Spirit.”