Dear Parish Family,

For the next few weekends, we will be publishing Fr. Jerry Bednar's four-part series on "Parents Matter" which reflects on crucial elements of Issue 1 on the November 7 ballot. Fr. Bednar has his law degree and is a wise and competent authority to reflect on how elements of the poorly drafted constitutional amendment will undermine parental rights to be involved in critical situations in their children's lives. I hope this material helps you and your family understand what's at stake in the upcoming election.

Next weekend, we will welcome Fr. Thomas Wantland from Cross Catholic Outreach (CCO) to speak to us about the work and mission of CCO for the poor around the world. Please use the envelopes provided to make your pledge to support the mission of Cross Catholic Outreach, and be sure to thank Fr. Thomas for being with us to celebrate our Masses!

As we gather together for Mass, I want to take an opportunity to make a few liturgical reminders that I hope are helpful for our community. When we gather for Mass, we are participating in the sacred mysteries of our salvation in Christ Jesus. We always come with our humanity, as well with our desire to be divinized by the power of the Word of the Lord and Sacrament of the Eucharist.

First and foremost, our church is a place of reverence and quiet, especially while preparing for Mass. We all need a break from the 'noise' of the world, and we should strive to be respectful of other persons praying in the church and the silence they need to pray before, during and after Mass. Our gathering space offers a great place for a warm welcome and conversation outside of the church.

Out of reverence for our Lord and for our brothers and sisters who gather with us at Mass, we should try to dress our Sunday best. When we dress 'up' for Mass (dress casual or more formal), we come with a conviction that we're going somewhere sacred and out of the ordinary. It becomes more difficult to experience the sacredness of the Mass when we show up in clothes we would wear casually. Look at our school children, for example, who wear their uniforms to class and to Mass to take more seriously and enter more fully into the mission of our school and parish. Moreover, we should strive to respect how our attire may be a distraction for others trying to pray in the church. If we're dressing 'to be noticed' by others or not dressing for Mass in any different way than normal, we may need to examine our intentions and commit ourselves to preparing how we show up for Mass in our appearance.

Regarding reception of Holy Communion, our Church teaches that "the consecrated host may be received either on the tongue or in the hand, at the discretion of each communicant" (General Instruction of the Roman Missal no. 160). Both forms of reception are valid. If receiving in the hand, remember to take the hand with which you will be consuming the host and place it under the other hand in which the host will be placed by the minister so as to form a "throne" for Jesus. Grabbing the host with fingers or putting your hands side-by-side (not one under the other) leaves room for dropping the sacred host and is therefore to be avoided if at all possible.

Thank you for your openness to these reminders, as I hope it helps us all celebrate the Mass with deeper conviction and lively participation.

I am yours in Christ,
Fr. Scott Goodfellow