RANDOM THOUGHTS 8 14 20

Dear Parishioners and Friends of St. Francis Parish,

All the power has been restored. What a nightmare! Good reminder of our addiction to electricity.

We are going to have Confirmation on October 2, 2020, and I don’t remember the exact time, early in the evening. There are about thirteen youngsters and one adult. Bishop Cote is giving us pastors permission to do the honors. I’m not sure how we are going to handle First Communion. Time will tell.

We got a PPP loan for some $31,000, but about one third of that is going to taxes, which still leaves us with about $20,000, for two months salaries and utilities. A very good blessing.

The new gas lines around the church are going smoothly. I gave the company permission to park their vehicles in our back-parking lot for safety sake. They are very appreciative.

I am pleased that after we distribute Holy Communion, parishioners can return to their seats for a time of reflection. Just taking Holy Communion and then leaving the Church, always struck me as not the best way.

A priest in California got excommunicated for not accepting Francis as the legitimate Pope. He claims that Benedict is the true pope, even though Benedict himself has made it very clear that Francis is the true Pope and he is the “retired Pope.” This priest has also been accused of inappropriate behavior with at least two adult women. I wonder why he thinks Benedict is still the true Pope?

The Bishop of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is opening up Masses with the obligation to attend for those who don’t fall into the “danger zone.” I wish him the best of luck. I assume they will practice social distancing at Masses and the other guidelines, like the amount of people in church, considering the capacity of the church.

The bottom line is still with the individual Catholic. If you don’t feel safe coming to church, STAY HOME. This applies to a lot of things, but especially to the weather and this Coivd 19 killer virus. The Dakotas have not seen the worst of C 19, and I hope and pray they don’t. Again, while our Bishops give us their best guidance, the final decision rests with you.

Our raffle seems to be going really well. Today, about 100 letters with tickets were mailed out. This is the first time we have done this and I’m confident we will do OK.

Thank you again for online giving and for mailing or bringing in your parish envelopes. We are holding our own so far, but that could change in a heartbeat.

I have a funeral at the church tomorrow, another funeral at church on Monday and a Monday evening funerial home (Biega) service with burial the following day at the Veterans cemetery on Tuesday. Yes, three funerals in such a short time is quite unusual.

One gentleman is 100 years old and the very involved church lady is 93. Not sure about the third one.

FUNNY BUMPER STICKERS