We continue to count the blessings God gives us throughout these strange times. A HUGE blessing is being able to gather for Mass in many ways here at Saint Joseph’s – in-person, at our Gazebo, via livestream, in your car via FM radio. We are seeing healthy numbers of worshippers each weekend, and we hope that people will continue to feel comfortable in returning to worship with us in Church.
We are going to re-adjust our weekend Mass offerings as we head into the Summer, beginning with Memorial Day Weekend. We thank you in advance for understanding why you will see a bit of a change in this schedule.
We currently have 7 weekend Masses offered by 2 priests. We are glad to do this and will continue to be as available as possible, but want to take some advantage of the down time that the summer normally brings.
Beginning Memorial Day weekend (May 29 and 30) will continue to offer our in-person, in-Church Masses at their regularly scheduled times: Saturday at 4:00 PM, Sunday at 8:00 AM, 9:45 AM and 11:30 AM. These Masses will continue to be livestreamed.
We are adjusting the schedule for the Gazebo Mass: Beginning May 29, Mass will be offered on Saturdays at 4:00 PM and on Sundays only at 9:45 AM. We will try to make sure that a second priest is available to offer the Gazebo Mass, but in the event that we cannot find a priest for coverage when one of the parish priests is either on vacation or needing to assist elsewhere, we are planning on livestreaming the Church Mass to one of our outdoor locations (Gazebo or the area in front of the Office Entrance, on a screen, with sound) for those who still feel uncomfortable being inside the Church. During those Masses, we will send Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion to distribute the Eucharist to our outdoor worshippers. If all else fails, we will ask you either to come inside the Church as space permits, or attend from your car via FM 95.5 and then come to the front portico for Holy Communion.
CONFESSIONS: In order for the priests to have enough time to prepare for Mass, especially if there is only one priest available on Saturday, Confessions will take place from 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM. When the priest leaves to prepare for Mass, if there are more penitents, Confessions will continue after the 4 PM Mass.
Again, we thank you for understanding this adjustment to the weekend schedule and look forward to continuing to worship with you. As we get through the summer months, we will evaluate this “Summer Schedule” and make decisions on any needed updates.
As you heard last weekend, Father Sahd has been named Pastor of Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Middletown, PA. Father Kenneth Roth will be our new Parochial Vicar, and will also serve as the Chaplain at Trinity High School. These changes are effective June 21, 2021. We pray for all the priests and parishes throughout the Diocese of Harrisburg affected by these changes.