Dear Parishioners and Friends of the Cathedral,
As of today, March 18th, out of concern for the common good of all in our community and beyond, Bishop Paprocki has suspended the public celebration of all Masses and the sacraments effective immediately. Mass is still being celebrated daily but only in private. For detailed information and on-going updates from the diocese, please visit www.dio.org/coronavirus.
Concerning the Cathedral, the church will be open every day for private prayer from 8:00AM to 5:00PM. Individual confessions will continue to be offered every day from 4:00PM to 5 :00PM, in the Reconciliation room, and observing the proper distance norms as recommended by the CDC. Mass will be livestreamed on the Cathedral’s Facebook page at 7:00AM each morning which will then be available for replay. We are working on seeing if it can be made available to the Cathedral’s webpage. There are also other places on the internet where Mass can be viewed such as EWTN and Bishop Barron’s Word on Fire Ministries.
Please remain updated by visiting the Cathedral webpage, www.spicathedral.org, the Cathedral’s Facebook page, and the diocesan website which I listed above. The parish office remains open and the Cathedral clergy and staff remains here to serve you. Please do not hesitate to reach out to the staff if you or someone else that you know is in need.
To say that we are all in unchartered waters is an understatement and that we are in an historical moment that we would have preferred pass us by. I am reminded of a dialogue between Frodo and Gandalf in Tolkien’s book The Fellowship of the Ring. Frodo laments to Gandalf that he is in possession of the Ring of Power which he must seek to destroy out of fear that it will be used to wreak unspeakable evil. Frodo says to Gandalf: I wish the Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened. Gandalf responds: So do all who live to see such times, but that is not.for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.
In His great love, while God has bound Himself to the sacraments, He is not bound by the sacraments. Though the sacraments are the primary ways God makes His grace abundant in the Church, please do not doubt that He will continue to pour out His grace and love in other ways into your life and into the lives of all who seek Him: Place your trust in Him.
As always, but especially in this time, I commend all of us to the love and care of Mary, our Blessed Mother and the Immaculate Conception, that she may enfold us in the mantle of her protection. Finally, please know of my love and prayers for all of you.
Very Reverend Christopher A. House
Rector