11/15/2020 33rd sunday in ordinary time

I’ve got to say, it’s good to be back! I really want to thank everyone for all of the thoughts and prayers, as well as the few care packages I got along the way. I have to say, I think I might have enough chicken soup for the second coming!  I’m very thankful to the Benedictines for providing us a priest last weekend. I’m very thankful to be pretty much back to normal now and ready to get back to work. 
 
I’m also very thankful to have had a relatively minor case. As we’re seeing cases begin to pick up in our area, I really want to stress to everyone to be careful. Please continue to wear masks, use the hand sanitizer. Let’s work as best we’re able to keep this virus in check. I really want all of us to be able to celebrate Christmas in Church.
 
Beginning Monday, everything at the Church will be back to normal. The office should be back open at the regular times, I’ll be back to SCI Somerset this Monday, and all the masses will be back to normal again.
 
Just so no one is too worried about me, I did also want to let you know that next Saturday I have a wedding down in Johnstown. Fr. Jeremiah from Nicktown has graciously agreed to take our Saturday 4pm mass. So when you see Fr. Jeremiah at Mass, I don’t want anyone to panic that something happened to me! I would ask that you keep in your prayers the wedding couples over the next few weeks. I can’t even begin to imagine the stress of a couple preparing for their wedding as all of these cases are spiking around the country.
 
Thank you also to everyone who has been so understanding about our modifications both with mass and the Turkey Dinner. After meeting with our committee, we’re going to offer two options to anyone who has purchased Dinner tickets.  You can either request a refund, or donate your ticket back to the Church. There is a small cut-out on page 4 in this week’s bulletin. Please cut it out and send it to us either in the collection, the mail slot, or the regular mail letting us know your ticket number and your preference. We will then attempt to contact anyone we don’t hear from. This only applies to the $12 adult & $6 child “dinner” tickets. The basket party and raffle tickets will still be valid for our rescheduled basket party on December 6th.
Our rescheduled basket party has now become a “Pre-Christmas” basket party. The flyer for the party is included in this bulletin on page 5 and hopefully you should see those flyers appearing around town soon. Please stop by to see the baskets, invite friends, and don’t let all of these wonderful baskets that would make such great Christmas gifts slip by you.
 
There is also a list of all donated baskets and a slideshow of all baskets along with a picture of the Grand Prize TV on our website if you would feel safer “looking” at the baskets ahead of time from home. This information can be found on the Events page of our website under “2020 Basket Party & Raffles”.
 
Please know that you all continue to be in my prayers, now and always.
 
-Fr Matt