St. Francis de Sales Church

Without in-person Sunday Mass there will be no distribution of weekly bulletins. Our bulletin will be an important source of news for the duration of the coronavirus outbreak. If you do not already receive the bulletin in electronic form via email and would like to, please click here to sign up.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) authorizes stimulus payments to those who qualify. As a result, scammers may target Minnesotans and try to steal their personal information. Will government agencies contact me about stimulus payments? No. Government agencies, including the IRS and the Minnesota Department of Revenue, will not call, text, or email you requesting information for stimulus payments. The Minnesota Department of Revenue does not have a role in issuing these or other federal payments. What should I do?  Be aware of phishing calls, emails, or texts that include language such as: “In order to receive your stimulus payment by direct deposit, you must confirm your bank information.” If you get a suspicious email or text requesting information, report it. Do not click on links or open any attachments. Where can I find more information?  For details on federal stimulus payments, monitor the IRS Coronavirus Tax Relief webpage. For Minnesota tax-related information, see Our Response to COVID-19 on our website.

My dear friends, I hope you are doing well. Know that you are in my prayers and now in a more special way. We all are in the same boat praying and trusting that God is going to rescue us!

I am very pleased to have now the opportunity of live-streaming the Masses so we can get connected at the same time and pray around the altar. Wow! God is great!
Thank you, thank you, thank you so much to all of you who continue your weekly contributions by dropping/mailing your envelopes at the office or doing it electronically. We count on those wonderful gifts. May the Lord continue multiplying your generosity, especially when you are probably hurting financially too.

Yesterday we posted Bishop’s new decree on COVID-19 and the impacts.  As Bishop said, “As the Catholic community here, we must do our part to try to slow down the spread of this virus and do all that we can to minimize the risk to ourselves and others. We do so firmly, holding to our faith that God indeed is our help and shield and placing our trust in him.” It is my responsibility that you and those who are employed by the parish be safe. So these are some of the things we will be doing:

1. We will close the office building and continue working from our home. So please just call us at (218) 233-4780 and the call will be directed to Dennis or me. Devan will continue sending materials for parents to continue teaching the faith to their kids. Anthony will continue updating our website and our bulletin. Sister Lucy will be available. Please keep in mind, as you see in the bishop’s decree, we, sister Lucy and I, are limiting visits to homes and hospitals unless the person is “in serious need” of the sacraments. We need to follow the hospitals’ and medical professionals’ procedures.

2. The Church will be closed today until we are able to open it. You might think why? In my rationale, our Gov. has issued us a “stay home order,” and let us take it seriously. We want to put an end to this virus and moving around, because we can get it and can give it to someone else.  We don’t have a person to clean every time that someone comes.   So I’m not able to provide a safe place for you to pray. Furthermore, the “Stay Home” order only allows some people to move freely.  Perhaps this will be a good time to create a “Prayer Corner”: A space in your house where you can put your religious items and you do your prayers as a family. All of us have a special space for pics, our football team, etc. Our house is blessed. Let us honor it with God’s presence by our prayers.

3. In case of a funeral we will follow what Governor Walz has in place, that is, “no more than 10 people,” and that’s counting me and counting the Funeral Home staff.  Also, we will be observing the distance that is required, at least 6 feet. I know it is a hard time for the family, but we are all in the same boat. It is for your safety and mine as well.

4. Daily and Weekend Masses. As you know I’m livestreaming daily Mass from Monday through Friday at 8:00 am in English. I will be adding the rosary and Mass in Spanish in the evening starting at 6:30 pm.

For the weekend I am keeping the same schedule, except for 8:00 am on Sunday. So this will be the schedule: Saturday 5:00 pm and Sunday 10:00 am in English; NOON in Spanish.

As all of us see the need to raise our prayers to God, I would like to have more opportunities for you. It is important for us all, as a parish family, to be connected; we need our spiritual support. Secondly we need to keep our daily practices as we are used to. Even more now that we might have to spend more time at home. So I really encourage you to join us at the Mass time you attend regularly.  Even though we are not physically in the building, we are present live in the sacrifice of the Mass. That’s the reason I’m not pre-recording the Masses for the weekend. As soon as the Mass is ended I will delete it.

5. Easter TRIDUUM: The Easter Triduum ceremonies cannot be pre-recorded; they need to be live. We will be celebrating it in Church; some people will be helping with music and recording, the maximum number of people is 10, counting me. So, yes, it won’t be the same, but we will have our celebration with you watching at home and celebrating this beautiful liturgy. So the times will be the same: Palm Sunday like a regular Weekend. Holy Thursday 7:00 pm, Good Friday at Noon, and Easter Vigil at 8:30 pm.

My friends, as you see we continue our lives as usual. We are here to serve you. Thanks to technology, we can make things possible. We went through some of these things last year, and YES we saw God’s blessings through all the ups and downs.  There is no doubt that we will see God’s glory after the difficult moments the world is living. All we need is to trust in Him. Let us not be afraid!!

Once again someone is spoofing Father Raul's email account to send phony messages to parishioners. Father will NEVER ask you to buy anything or do him any sort of favor in an email. If you receive one of these messages, please delete it.

Because of Gov. Walz's order to stay home, the parish office will be closed Monday, March 30, to Friday, April 10. If you have a pastoral emergency, you may call the parish office number at (218) 233-4780 and follow the recorded instructions in order to see Father. Father remains available for confessions and Anointing of the Sick, by appointment.

• Tuesday and Thursday Eucharistic Adoration is suspended. Check out online Eucharistic adoration here. Remember, we need our prayer warriors now more than ever!
• All Sunday and Weekday Masses are suspended. Father will continue to offer Mass in private for the parish's intentions. Attend Mass virtually with Father Monday-Friday at 8 am, Saturday at 5 pm, and Sunday at 10 am and noon (Spanish), via the Facebook page above.
• Friday evening fish fry's are cancelled.
• Friday Stations of the Cross in Spanish and English are cancelled.
• Thursday at 6 pm Holy Hour is cancelled.
• Great Adventure Bible Study is cancelled.
• Wednesday Evening Soup Suppers are cancelled.
• Senior Cards get-togethers on the first and third Wednesdays are cancelled.
• The end-of-the month Mail-Out Bulletin is suspended.

TO: Clergy + Lay Faithful of the Diocese of Crookston
FROM: Bishop Michael J. Hoeppner
RE: COVID-19 Developments + Holy Week
DATE: March 26, 2020
 
“The Lord is our help and our shield. In him do our hearts find joy. We trust in his holy name.” (Ps. 33) We continue to experience inconveniences and disruptions in our daily lives due to the COVID-19 virus outbreak, including now for the next two weeks, a “stay at home” order restricting our out-of-the-home activities to what is essentially necessary. As the Catholic community here, we must do our part to try to slow down the spread of this virus and do all that we can to minimize the risk to ourselves and others. We do so firmly, holding to our faith that God indeed is our help and shield and placing our trust in him. 
 
Governor Walz’s “stay at home” order allows clergy and some staff the freedom of movement to minister to the faithful “wherever their services are needed.” Although gatherings of over 10 people are not to be held, church buildings can be left open when possible to accommodate essential pastoral care, while maintaining proper precautions such as “social distancing.” In bringing the sacraments to those in serious need, priests will have to coordinate with hospital and medical professionals.  
 
Christ redeemed us all and gave perfect glory to God principally through his paschal mystery: dying he destroyed our death; rising he restored our life. Therefore, the Easter Triduum of the Passion and Resurrection of the Lord is the culmination of the entire liturgical year. “The celebration of these days is of utmost importance in the spiritual and pastoral life of the Church” (Ceremonial of Bishops). While it may not be possible to join together in our church buildings for the celebration of these days, it is possible for us to join together in spirit to give glory to God and to receive God’s manifold blessings as we celebrate the Triduum this year. With an eye to our joining together in spirit for this celebration this year, I want to share information recently received from the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (I), as well as information recently received from the Apostolic Penitentiary (II).
 
I. Chrism Mass Postponed: The Congregation for Divine Worship has reminded us that the celebration of the Triduum is unique and “must be celebrated in the following way.” The liturgical celebrations of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter cannot be transferred to or celebrated on any other day than the day set by the Church. This is not the case for the celebration of the Chrism Mass. The Diocesan Bishop has the faculty to postpone it. Because large gatherings are not allowed at this time, I am postponing the celebration of the Chrism Mass this year to a date yet to be determined. Priests are to continue to use the oils they are currently using. Remember, the Church provides for an ad hoc blessing of the Oil of the Sick and the Oil of Catechumens as necessary. 
 
The Triduum: Priests are granted the faculty to celebrate the liturgical mysteries of the Paschal Triduum in their parish churches without the physical participation of the faithful. 1) The faithful should be informed of the times of the celebrations so they can prayerfully unite themselves in their homes. 2) The use of live television broadcasts and/or live internet broadcasts is encouraged; “live” due to the need for both the priest celebrating and the people spiritually joining in to respect the proper time/day of each celebration. This means that these celebrations cannot be shown at other times. Again, only a minimal number of ministers and helpers should be involved.  
 
Holy Thursday: The faculty to celebrate Mass on this day in a suitable place without the people is granted in an exceptional manner to all priests. 1) The washing of the feet is to be omitted. 2) At the end of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, the procession with the Blessed Sacrament to the place of repose is omitted and the Blessed Sacrament is kept in the tabernacle. 3) Priests unable to celebrate Mass should instead pray Vespers of the day.
 
Good Friday: In their parish churches, in the manner possible, priests will celebrate the Passion of the Lord. 1) In the Universal Prayer, there is to be included a special intention for the sick, those who have died, for those who feel dismayed or disheartened, and for all health workers.
 
The Easter Vigil: Priests are to celebrate the Easter Vigil if possible. The celebration is to be in the parish church. 1) The preparation of the Fire and the procession is omitted. 2) The Paschal Candle is lit and the Easter Proclamation (Exsultet) follows. The Liturgy of the Word takes place. 3) For the “Baptismal Liturgy” the “Renewal of Baptismal Promises” alone is necessary. The Liturgy of the Eucharist follows. 4) Priests who have absolutely no possibility of uniting themselves to the Paschal Vigil celebrated in a church should pray the Office of Readings for Easter Sunday. The celebration of the Easter sacraments for catechumens and candidates can be postponed if necessary.  
 
II. The Sacrament of Penance: I do hope you have been able to receive the Sacrament of Penance this Lent. Unfortunately, we have not been able to hold the usual Communal Penance Services. However, opportunities for individual celebration of this Sacrament can still be made available where proper precautions can be followed, e.g. “social distancing.” As we deal with COVID-19, The Apostolic Penitentiary reminds us of what the Catechism of the Catholic Church says about the forgiveness of sins for those confronted with an impossibility of receiving sacramental absolution. “…it should be remembered that perfect contrition, coming from the love of God, … expressed by a sincere request for forgiveness (that which the penitent is at present able to express) and accompanied by… the firm resolve to have recourse, as soon as possible, to sacramental confession, obtains forgiveness of sins, even moral ones” (CCC, no. 1452). Perfect contrition requires: the love of God, the sincere desire for forgiveness, the ardent commitment to receive the Sacrament of Penance when it is available. 
 
Also, from the Apostolic Penitentiary, a Plenary Indulgence “is granted to the faithful suffering from COVID-19 disease, those subject to quarantine, as well as to health care workers, family members and all those who in any capacity, including through prayer, care for them… if, with a spirit detached from any sin, they unite spiritually through the media to the celebration of Holy Mass, the recitation of the Holy Rosary, to the pious practice of the Way of the Cross or other forms of devotion, or if at least they will recite the Creed, the Lord’s Prayer and a pious invocation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, offering this trial in a spirit of faith in God and charity towards their brothers and sisters, with the will to fulfill the usual conditions (sacramental confession, Eucharistic communion and prayer according to the Holy Father’s intention, when it is possible).”
 
I want to thank all our priests and all the lay faithful who are generously working these days to provide spiritual nourishment to God’s People here. Even though we are not able to gather in our parish churches, we look forward to our celebration of this year’s Triduum. I will celebrate at our Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and these liturgies will be live-streamed. I invite you to join me at: www.facebook.com/diocrookston:
Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper, 7:00 p.m., April 9, 2020.
Friday of the Passion of the Lord, 3:00 p.m., April 10, 2020.
The Easter Vigil in the Holy Night, 8:30 p.m., April 11, 2020.
 
I encourage you and each and every household to set aside the time and to make the effort to prayerfully join in the unique and grace-filled days of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter. God bless you. We remain united as the Body of Christ in and through the power of the Holy Spirit. May our prayers join with all the saints on earth and those in heaven to give fitting glory to God. “The Lord is our help and our shield. In him do our hearts find joy.” A truly joyous and blessed Easter to you all. 
 
Sincerely, in the name of the Lord Jesus,
 
+Most Rev. Michael J. Hoeppner
Bishop of Crookston
 
 
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