From the Pastor March 7/8
From the Pastor March 7/8
From the Pastor
Reconciliation Service a Success
Last Sunday afternoon the parish held a Lenten Reconciliation Service. We used The Order of Reconciling Several Penitents with General Confession and Absolution. This type of Reconciliation Service is a new addition to the Order of Penance undated in 2023. It does not include individual confessions. During the service penitents ask God for absolution from venial sins. About 60 parishioners attended. That is about double what would have attended in the past. While many are what we might jokingly call “the usual suspects,” parishioners I can count on to attend most every parish function, many were not.
While this type of Reconciliation Service is new, going directly to God to ask forgiveness of venial sins isn’t. Whenever we prayerfully recite the Penitential Act at the beginning of Mass or say an Act of Contrition, we are asking God to forgive our venial sins.
I wanted to hold the service because Catholics haven’t been utilizing the Sacrament of Reconciliation as much as they should. Every Saturday I sit in the Reconciliation Room at the back of the church. I get a few penitents but sometimes no one comes. I’m sure there are some who should.
People have many excuses for not coming. They claim they are old and don’t have occasions of sin. Some say they haven’t been to confession in so long they feel embarrassed. Others claim they feel strange confessing to a priest who might recognize them. There are many misconceptions about what is sinful.
My objective in celebrating the Reconciliation Service was to try to help people overcome those excuses. I hope that the result will be those people who don’t think they sin will, after an examine of conscience, recognize their sins. My objective was to try to get parishioners to start thinking about Reconciliation and consider making celebrating it as a more important part of their spiritual life.
I’m in the Reconciliation Room from 3-3:45 pm every Saturday throughout the year. I’m also available by appointment. This Lent I’m adding Reconciliation time every Friday afternoon from 3:30-4:30 pm. Later in Lent we’ll have another Reconciliation Service. There will be individual confessions at the end of that one and there will be other priests here to assist me to hear them. I pray that these efforts will be rewarded with a more faithful celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation by Holy Redeemer parishioners.
Catholic Relief Services Collection
Next Weekend there will be a second collection to support Catholic Relief Services. CRS is principal foreign charity agency of the American Catholic Church. A year ago, DOGE the short lived government agency whose head took a “chainsaw” to the Federal Budget cut many foreign aid agencies. It is still the obligation of rich countries like ours to aid the people of poorer ones. Churches can’t possibly replace all the assistance the government cancelled but we need to try our best. Please be generous to the second collection for CRS next weekend.
St. Patrick’s Day Dinner
Last year’s St. Patrick’s Day Dinner at Holy Redeemer was such a big hit, we decided we would do it again. This year’s Dinner will be held in the Church Hall on Saturday, March 14th, following the 4 pm mass. The dinner will again be catered by the Chatham Filling Station and will feature corned beef and cabbage and all the trimmings, plus appetizers and dessert.
Tickets are $30/person, and children under 12 are admitted for free. Wine and beer will also be available for purchase. Now where can you get a better deal than that? Plus, you have the pleasure of dining with all your friends at Holy Redeemer. Of if you prefer, invite your neighbors.
Tickets will go on sale before and after mass beginning the weekend of February 28th/March 1st. Obtain your tickets as soon as possible since we only have seating for 90 people.
Lenten Devotions
Throughout Lent the Stations of the Cross and Evening Prayer will be celebrated Friday afternoons at 4:30 PM. A simple soup supper will follow in the Parish Center. This Lent come and join us for this time of prayer and fellowship.
Lenten Folders
Have you been filling your Lenten Folder? At the beginning of Lent every parish household was sent a Lenten Folder to use to encourage almsgiving, one of the Lenten disciplines along with prayer and fasting. We asked you to put aside 25₵ every day for a total of $10 for the season. Proceeds from the folders go to a local charity, The Cape Cod Foster Closet. The Closet supplies necessary clothing and supplies for local foster families providing a temporary home for a foster child. Please fill your folder and support this important charity. We’ll start collecting the folders on Palm Sunday, March 29.
