From the Pastor Feb 21/22

A Season Of Reconciliation

Lent is our Christian season to get back on track, to make an accounting of our relationship with God. In these days, we reflect on what we have done or failed to do to show love for God, our brothers and sisters, and all God has created. Holy Redeemer is a great parish, but I feel it has one serious fault. That is poor participation in the use of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. I’m in the Reconciliation Room every Saturday afternoon from 3-3:45 pm and many times I have no one come to receive the Sacrament. 

This Lent our need for reconciliation with God and others will be the topic of a series of Sunday homilies. We’ve named the series, From Hiding to Healing. We’ll examine how we need to name sin honestly, trust God to help us leave sin behind, and rise to new life. Hopefully, you will be in church every weekend of Lent to hear how God is calling you to experience love and be strengthened to overcome sin. If you know people beside yourself who would benefit from hearing this series invite them to come to church with you.

Back during Advent a planned Reconciliation Service got snowed out. I’m going to try again this Lent. The new Order of Penance instituted in 2023 allows for the Reconciliation of Several Penitents with General Confession and Absolution. That means the parish can have a Reconciliation Service where parishioners can come and confess Venial Sins and receive the priest absolution from them without going to individual confession. This is not general absolution for all sins, only venial ones. If a penitent becomes aware of committing grave or mortal sin, they still must seek absolution for them in a confession made directly to a priest. 

We’ll be doing this in a hope to reach out people who have not celebrated the Sacrament for years. I hope by coming and examining their conscience they might recognize where they have fallen into sin, overcome any fears they have about confronting their sins, and receive a sense of being unburdened of any guilt they feel.

The Reconciliation Service will be held Sunday, February 22, at 3 pm. The service should last about a half hour. Come and be open to receiving God’s mercy and compassion. I’m making plans for a second Reconciliation Service that will include individual confessions on Sunday, March 15, at 3 pm. Besides me, there will be a couple of other priests available to hear confessions. On Fridays during Lent, I’ll make myself available for extra time in the Reconciliation Room from 3:30 to 4:15 pm before Stations of the Cross. 

To help encourage the Lenten practices of fast, almsgiving and prayer the parish is offering a number of programs. Parishioners were sent Lenten Folders. You are asked to put aside 25c each Lenten Day for a total of $10. At the end of Lent proceeds will be sent to Cape Cod Foster Closet, a local group that helps support foster parents with extraordinary expenses. Please be generous.

Add to your prayer time during Lent by joining us for Daily Mass every day at 8 am. On Friday afternoons at 4:30 pm we will recite the Stations of the Cross and Evening Prayer. A simple Soup Supper will be held in the Parish Center immediately after. It will be low on calories but overflowing with fellowship with parishioners. 

Expanding membership in Small Faith Sharing Groups is one of our initiatives for Lent. We now numbers over a hundred parishioners participating in groups. There is no bad time to join a group. If you would like to begin as a member call Deacon Art at the Parish Office 508-945-0677 and will sign you up.

The season’s high light will be on Saturday morning, March 7. That is the day for a morning with Amanda Braga-Tipton to hear about the topic of Redemption. This gathering is not about having the right answers or presenting polished faith stories. It is about making space to reflect honestly on our journey, space to listen to one another, and notice where God may already be at work in you in ways that might be over looked. Through personal reflection, shared faith, and open conversation, we will explore how redemption is something God invites us to recognize and participate in. It sounds like a great program. One that will help us grow in our love of God so, make plans to attend. 

Baby Bottle Boomerang 

This is last call to return your baby bottle from the Baby Bottle Boomerang. January was Sanctity of Life Month and Holy Redeemer conducted a Baby Bottle Boomerang as a fundraiser for Your Options Medical Centers. Your Options is an agency that offers pregnant women services such as free ultrasound tests and counseling to help women considering abortion to know all their options before deciding. 

Next weekend will be the last opportunity to return your bottles filled with the loose change you collected during January. Please return them to the baskets by the Welcome Desks at the doors of the church.

Capital Campaign Update

Thank you to parishioners who have contributed towards the Unless the Lord Build It Capital Campaign. The goal for the campaign is $750,000 to be raised over the next two years. Campaign proceeds will pay for renovations to our parish facilities. We have contributions and pledges of $536,143.86. If you have not contributed, please give prayerful consideration to joining your fellow parishioners who have done so.

Over the winter we have made progress towards three of the most significant projects. They are new siding for Holy Redeemer Church, new windows for the Rectory, and improvements to the parking lot. We are in the final stage of the state granting a permit for a new curb cut for a parking lot entrance directly off of Old Harbor Road. We have a contractor’s quote for the work and it is slightly under the expected cost! 

That is the same for the new Rectory windows. The price for those is about $1,500 under what we expected. Once the weather gets a little warmer, they will start installing them. The siding work is also expected to begin in the spring. Hopefully, parishioners will be as satisfied with the results as they say they are with the church renovations. We’re still getting complements on them. Last Sunday a seasonal resident, who usually attends Mass during the summer at Our Lady of Grace, was here for Mass and complement the improvements. 

Those Snowy Sundays

Why does it seem a disproportionate number of snowy days occur on the weekend? We’ve been hit with a number of weekends when there has been just enough snow to make it difficult to get out. The snow has impacted Mass attendance and therefore our Offertory Collections. If you miss Mass because of the weather please try to “make-up” your missed donations.

Even better consider signing up for Electronic Giving. It is easy and you will never miss a donation. To sign up go to our website www.holyredeemerchatham.org. On the right of the Homepage is a tab labeled “Donate”. Click there and a drop down menu will appear click on the appropriate donation you want to make, set it, and forget it. If you have a problem call the Parish Office (508)-945-0677 and we’ll be happy to help. We’re building a strong parish here at Holy Redeemer and look forward to your financial support.