One Year Ago Oh my! One year ago, this weekend, our family of faith last gathered together to worship as we Catholics have for centuries. We wore no masks, we entered through any door and we could talk and could hug one another. We did not know then it would be the last time we could practice our faith in the normal way. We did not know our Church doors would be shuttered by the following weekend. And when we did shut down we could not fathom that this would be very long term. One year ago… our lives changed forever. One year ago… Today the dispensation from attending Mass is still in effect, the number of active cases is decreasing as more people are following the guidelines and becoming vaccinated. We have hope on the horizon. We are still in a year-long version of Lent but Lent foretells of a hope in the future. As a Lenten exercise I invite you to take some time and reflect upon where you were a year ago and where you are now. A year ago I was full of hope and excitement as we explored new ways of being Church that could perhaps carry on into the future. But yet as the days turned to weeks, turning into months that hope faded, as I saw the sorrow and grief take hold of us as COVID raged on. I asked myself would our parishioners come back when the danger passes? What will our ministries look like? What new ministries will be needed? As I write now I am full of hope and excitement once more. The sky is blue and birds are chirping outside my window. Snow is melting away making room for springtime. My faith tells me hope is near and while our ways of being Church has changed our faith in Jesus has not. Our lives changed forever a year ago… and we are now the stronger for it! Peace be with you, Holly Holly Clark Pastoral Associate Setting Our Hearts Aflame One Year Ago Oh my! One year ago, this weekend, our family of faith last gathered together to worship as we Catholics have for centuries. We wore no masks, we entered through any door and we could talk and could hug one another. We did not know then it would be the last time we could practice our faith in the normal way. We did not know our Church doors would be shuttered by the following weekend. And when we did shut down we could not fathom that this would be very long term. One year ago… our lives changed forever. One year ago… Today the dispensation from attending Mass is still in effect, the number of active cases is decreasing as more people are following the guidelines and becoming vaccinated. We have hope on the horizon. We are still in a year-long version of Lent but Lent foretells of a hope in the future. As a Lenten exercise I invite you to take some time and reflect upon where you were a year ago and where you are now. A year ago I was full of hope and excitement as we explored new ways of being Church that could perhaps carry on into the future. But yet as the days turned to weeks, turning into months that hope faded, as I saw the sorrow and grief take hold of us as COVID raged on. I asked myself would our parishioners come back when the danger passes? What will our ministries look like? What new ministries will be needed? As I write now I am full of hope and excitement once more. The sky is blue and birds are chirping outside my window. Snow is melting away making room for springtime. My faith tells me hope is near and while our ways of being Church has changed our faith in Jesus has not. Our lives changed forever a year ago… and we are now the stronger for it! Peace be with you, Holly Holly Clark Pastoral Associate