FROM THE PASTOR’S DESK
Dear St. Mary’s Parishioners:
Good news! Starting Friday, June 18th, Bishop Jaime Soto has given us permission to allow use of all the seating capacity of our church! Indeed, in a letter dated June 1st, 2021, Bishop Soto gave a number of directives, including the following:
• The general dispensation from the obligation to attend Mass on Sundays and holy days is being rescinded. Thus, beginning Sunday, June 20th, Catholics in the Diocese of Sacramento are once again expected to attend Mass in-person on Sundays and holy days. As always, if one is sick, has a vulnerable health condition, is caring for someone with a vulnerable health condition or has other serious reasons (cf. Code of Canon Law, par. 1243; Catechism of the Catholic Church, par. 2181), one is not obligated to attend Mass on Sundays and holy days.
• We should still refrain from hand shaking and other forms of physical contact with others outside of one’s household.
• The church pews should be sanitized twice on Sundays and on other days when there are multiple services.
• Face masks and frequent hand sanitizing are encouraged.
• The Communion cup is still suspended.
• Congregational singing may resume. We will be phasing back into congregational singing at our Masses.
• Holy water may be made available again in the holy water fonts. Bishop Soto’s full letter may be read here: https:// www.scd.org/news/letter-faithful-new-protocols-worshipand-ministry
On another note, I know that a number of you have heard already that Fr. Steven Wood will be leaving for another assignment at the end of this month. As you know, the length of assignment for a Parochial Vicar is usually two years. Fr. Steven has already been at St. Mary’s Parish for two years! For sure, the time has flown by. I will certainly miss working with Fr. Steven and I know that you will miss him dearly. In any case, Fr. Steven will not be far away. Effective July 1st, Bishop Soto has assigned Fr. Steven to be the Parochial Vicar at St. Vincent Ferrer Parish in Vallejo. May the good Lord go with Fr. Steven in his new assignment.
As we bid farewell to Fr. Steven, we will also be welcoming his replacement. Beginning July 1st, Fr. Joseph Sebastian Enthemkuzhy, CMI will be our new Parochial Vicar. Fr. Joseph Sebastian hails from Kerala State in India and is a member of the congregation of the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate. For the last couple of years, Fr. Joseph has served as Parochial Vicar at St. John Vianney Parish in Rancho Cordova where has ministered to the English and Spanish speaking parishioners of that parish. Welcome Fr. Joseph!
May you have a most blessed week filled with many graces!
In Christ Jesus,
Fr. Berg
