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Basilica Community,
Greetings once again from The Basilica of Saint Mary, I hope this message finds you and your family continuing to stay well during this challenging time.
We continue to miss you at The Basilica. However, we livestream daily Mass at noon, and Mass on Sundays at 9:30am, and we invite you to connect with us there. These and other services are recorded and available on our website.
Today I would like to update you on three things:
First, earlier this morning, at Coffee and Conversation, Johan Van Parys and I discussed some ideas about how people, who may not be able to join us for Mass, can do “Church at home” this summer.
We also discussed the protocols we will be using when we are able to have public Masses again. These protocols will include, but will not be limited to, pre-registering for Mass, entering through a particular door, taking each person’s temperature, requiring face mask, and sitting in an assigned seat.
The protocols will follow all State health and safety regulations. We will also continue to livestream our liturgies even as we begin to re-open The Basilica.
Second, I want to mention that next week at Coffee and Conversation, Terri Ashmore, our Managing Director and I will discuss some of the protocols we are establishing for staff and volunteers returning to campus.
It is our hope and my prayer that these protocols will ensure a safe and secure environment for everyone who comes to our campus. I invite you to join us next Wednesday at 9:00am for this conversation.
Finally, I just want to thank everyone for their financial generosity, their patience, and their prayers during this pandemic. People have been very generous to The Basilica during this time, as well as enormously patient as we try to make our way through this new reality. We are learning new ways to connect with people, as well as new ways to be community.
This is going to take some time—and it will probably be messy—and no doubt there will be some missteps along the way. Given this, I am extremely grateful for the many prayers people have offered and are offering for our Basilica community. Keep them coming. They are both needed and appreciated.
News and Resources
Basilica Community,
Greetings once again from The Basilica of Saint Mary, I hope this message finds you and your family continuing to stay well during this challenging time.
We continue to miss you at The Basilica. However, we livestream daily Mass at noon, and Mass on Sundays at 9:30am, and we invite you to connect with us there. These and other services are recorded and available on our website.
Today I would like to update you on three things:
First, earlier this morning, at Coffee and Conversation, Johan Van Parys and I discussed some ideas about how people, who may not be able to join us for Mass, can do “Church at home” this summer.
We also discussed the protocols we will be using when we are able to have public Masses again. These protocols will include, but will not be limited to, pre-registering for Mass, entering through a particular door, taking each person’s temperature, requiring face mask, and sitting in an assigned seat.
The protocols will follow all State health and safety regulations, as well as directives from our Archdiocese. We will also continue to livestream our liturgies even as we begin to re-open The Basilica.
Second, I want to mention that next week at Coffee and Conversation, Terri Ashmore, our Managing Director and I will discuss some of the protocols we are establishing for staff and volunteers returning to campus.
It is our hope and my prayer that these protocols will ensure a safe and secure environment for everyone who comes to our campus. I invite you to join us next Wednesday at 9:00am for this conversation.
Finally, I just want to thank everyone for their financial generosity, their patience, and their prayers during this pandemic. People have been very generous to The Basilica during this time, as well as enormously patient as we try to make our way through this new reality. We are learning new ways to connect with people, as well as new ways to be community.
This is going to take some time—and it will probably be messy—and no doubt there will be some missteps along the way. Given this, I am extremely grateful for the many prayers people have offered and are offering for our Basilica community. Keep them coming. They are both needed and appreciated.
News and Resources
6TH SUNDAY OF EASTER
IN THE YEAR OF SALVATION TWO THOUSAND TWENTY
MAY 17, 2020
https://container.parishesonline.com/bulletins/02/0207/20200517B.pdf
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
Two weeks ago, I communicated with you that the bishops of Minnesota had decided to ask our parishes to plan and prepare for the opening of public Masses May 18, based on the indicated expiration date of Governor Walz’s Stay-at-Home order. At the same time, the bishops proactively engaged public officials about the importance of some limited opening of our churches for Mass. A plan to resume public Masses in a limited manner on May 18—but only in places where parishes were willing and ready to follow a prescribed set of sanitization protocols—was submitted May 8 to the governor for feedback. Four Lutheran denominations joined our letter to Governor Walz. A number of other denominations and independent churches submitted plans May 8, as well.
To our disappointment, the governor and his administration have not yet engaged in dialogue with us on our proposal. While easing the Stay-at-Home order May 13, the governor’s new Stay Safe Minnesota executive order explicitly prohibited faith-based gatherings with more than ten unrelated people. We are hopeful, however, because Governor Walz has called meetings of faith leaders for next Monday and Tuesday, to solicit feedback on a new set of public worship guidelines that his administration will be producing. The date of re-opening for religious gatherings of more than ten people is still uncertain.
We understand that these are difficult decisions for our civic leaders and that they have many factors to consider in the reopening of life in Minnesota. The bishops of Minnesota likewise have many factors to consider as we determine when to allow public worship with more than 10 people. As faithful citizens, our decisions will be guided by three principles: 1) love of neighbor and concern for the common good, including the health and well-being of our neighbors; 2) respect for public authorities and their directives and guidance; and 3) the rights of the faithful to the sacraments and the duty of worship we owe to God. The faithful can expect that we will weigh these considerations carefully as part of our common responsibility to the state, and that we will zealously protect our liberties to assemble and worship freely.
The bishops of Minnesota will together decide on a path forward and hope to communicate that to you by the middle of next week.
In the meantime, we will creatively work within the ten-person limit to offer as many people as possible the opportunity to come to Mass. If a parish is prepared to fully implement the stringent safety and sanitization protocols published May 9, it may begin public Mass on Monday, May 18, respecting the ten-person limit. We expect that some
parishes will not be ready to begin public Masses because they are not yet comfortable
with, or able to implement fully. the protocols. Parishes should only return to a limited
public celebration of the Mass when they are ready.
We know that many of you share our frustration and disappointment about the
executive order’s treatment of religious gatherings. We ask that you continue to pray for
an end to the pandemic and for our civic leaders, and that you presume the good will of
those charged with these important and difficult decisions. Let us ask the Lord to help us cultivate patience, serenity, and peace of soul during our continued Eucharistic fast –
believing that God will bring many graces from our sacrifices.
Please continue to pray for our sisters and brothers who have died or have become
ill from COVID-19, along with their loved ones, and for the doctors, nurses, health care
professionals, first responders and clergy who are serving them so sacrificially.
Sincerely in Christ,
Most Reverend Bernard A. Hebda
Archbishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
https://www.archspm.org/update-from-archbishop-hebda-regarding-public-masses/
Community Safety and Connection: A message from Fr. John Bauer
Basilica Community,
I hope this message finds you and your family continuing to stay well during these challenging times.
Today I would like to update you in regard to two items:
First, as I mentioned last week, we are working on plans for a gradual re-opening of The Basilica. This will be very challenging as we need to ensure a safe environment for all those who come to The Basilica.
Specifically, when we are able to have people at Mass again, we have developed some protocols to help ensure a safe environment for those attending. Those protocols will include, but will not be limited to, pre-registering for Mass, entering through a particular door, taking each person’s temperature, requiring face mask, and sitting in an assigned seat.
It is our hope and my prayer that these protocols will ensure a safe and secure environment for everyone. I will share more about these protocols as we move forward, but wanted you to know that we have been working on them, and that we will follow all State health and safety regulations, as well as directives from our Archdiocese as we implement them.
The second item I want to mention today has to do with our volunteers at The Basilica. As you know, The Basilica has a very large number of people who volunteer in many different areas. While some ministries have continued remotely or virtually, at the present time, our incredible staff is doing many of the roles that volunteers have done.
I know that many of our volunteers are eager to come back and help at The Basilica. And we are reengaging volunteers on a case by case basis, when we can ensure their safety and security.
We are doing this in an abundance of caution to ensure that when people are able to resume their volunteer activities they will be able do so in a safe and secure environment.
As I mentioned previously, I have no doubt, that Church will be very different when we are able to gather again, but we need to take precautions now so we can move forward in a thoughtful, deliberate manner so that we don’t inadvertently put someone’s health at risk.
Finally, if you have any suggestions, questions or concerns, please let us know. We may not be able to implement all your suggestions, or respond to all your questions and concerns, but we will do our very best.
Join us next Wednesday at 9:00am for Zoom Coffee and Conversation for an opportunity to talk about different aspects of our parish life.
O Mary, you always brighten our path as a sign of salvation and of hope. We entrust ourselves to you, Health of the Sick, who at the Cross, took part in Jesus’ pain while remaining steadfast in faith.
O loving Mother, you know what we need, and we are confident you will provide for us as at Cana in Galilee. Intercede for us with your Son Jesus, the Divine Physician, for those who have fallen ill, for those who are vulnerable, and for those who have died.
Intercede also for those charged with protecting the health and safety of others and for those who are tending to the sick and seeking a cure.
Help us, O Mother of the Divine Love, to conform to the will of the Father and to do as we are told by Jesus, who took upon himself our sufferings and carried our sorrows, so as to lead us, through the Cross, to the glory of the Resurrection.
Amen.
News and Resources
5TH SUNDAY OF EASTER
IN THE YEAR OF SALVATION TWO THOUSAND TWENTY
MOTHER’S DAY
MAY 10, 2020
https://container.parishesonline.com/bulletins/02/0207/20200510B.pdf
I hope this message finds you and your family continuing to stay well during these challenging times.
Please join us for the livestream of our daily Masses at Noon and Sundays at 9:30am.
We have been informed that The Basilica will receive a Payroll Protection Loan to continue our vital operations during this challenging time.
Thank you to all of you who have continued to financially support The Basilica. Please know of my great gratitude for your generosity. If you find yourself needing financial support, we invite you to connect with our St. Vincent de Paul Ministry.
We are beginning to work on plans for a gradual re-opening of The Basilica. We will follow all State health and safety regulations, as well as directives from our Archdiocese to keep everyone safe.
Please look for our Domestic Church Resource packet later this week. It will be available on our website and sent out via email.
Join us next Wednesday at 9:00am for Zoom Coffee and Conversation.
To you, O Blessed Joseph, do we come in our tribulation, and having implored the help of your most holy Spouse, we confidently invoke your patronage also.
Through that charity which bound you to the Immaculate Virgin, Mother of God, and through the paternal love with which you embraced the Child Jesus, we humbly beg you graciously to regard the inheritance which Jesus Christ has purchased by His Blood, and with your power and strength to aid us in our necessities.
O most watchful Guardian of the Holy Family, defend the chosen children of Jesus Christ.
O most loving father, ward off from us every contagion of error and corruption influence.
O our most mighty protector, be kind to us and from heaven, assist us in our struggle with the power of darkness.
As once you rescued the Child Jesus from deadly peril, so now protect God’s Holy Church from snares of the enemy and from all adversity; shield, too, each one of us by your constant protection, so that supported by your example and your aid, we may be able to live piously, to die in holiness, and to obtain eternal happiness in heaven.
Amen