This weekend we have our first Masses in OLR Chapel. No registration needed!
Confessions are Saturday 4-5:00 P.M. in the Garden of the School of Religious Education.
Entrance for parking is only from Stearns and exit is only to Los Coyotes Diagonal.
Mass times: SA 5:30, SU 8:00 and 10:00 (NO 11:30 Mass)
Blessings my good friends,
I hope you are keeping well, especially all our wonderful seniors of the parish community. Both Fr. Bill and I are making the best out of this most unusual time in our lives as your Priests.
Last weekend we celebrated our first outdoor Masses near the Religious Education offices, and both the Saturday 5:30 P.M. and 8 A.M. Sunday were well attended; the other two masses were lightly attended. Despite that, what I witnessed was a very attentive, happy congregation. Having Mass outdoors is so nice; we are so lucky with the Long Beach climate compared to other parts of Los Angeles which often have extreme temperatures. Outdoor Masses have always appealed to me. During the summer months in Ireland when I was a child, Masses outdoors for special occasions were very popular. Maybe it’s this feeling of being free in the midst of God’s creation with the hustle and bustle of life all around us. As I was sharing last weekend, it doesn’t really matter where Mass is celebrated; it is the fact we gather in the name of the Lord, pray and break bread together. That’s what every Catholic community is all about -- offering Holy Mass and sharing the Holy Eucharist. For those of you who watch our Masses on the parish website, last Sunday’s recording had weak sound. Sorry about that! We don’t have a perfect system and, with all changes of moving outdoors, it has been difficult. Pray for us.
On Monday, two tents were installed in the parking lot. Our OLR Chapel Preparation Team is presently getting it ready for next Sunday’s Masses. We also had a test run of a new outdoor sound system on Tuesday; this was very successful. Please read the instructions below on Mass in OLR Chapel, and I hope to see you at next weekend’s Masses.
Thanks to all the volunteers who have helped in any way. Thank you to those parishioners who donated towards the tents and the outdoor sound system. God bless you for your generosity.
Thank you, members of Team Refuge, for checking in on all your contacts.
Please pray for Betty Guevara from the Rectory office whose husband David passed last Saturday. This has been a very difficult journey for her with no visits to the hospital. Losing a loved one without having the opportunity of saying goodbye or a caress or just a prayer is very difficult. May David Rest in Peace.
Let us all continue to support and pray for one another. Thanks for the cards and well wishes -- much appreciated by Fr. Bill and me. Enjoy these photos of Our Lady and St. Francis of Assisi in the Rectory garden and Our Lady with Baby Jesus at the school.
Love,
Fr. Gerard
Please pray for the repose of the soul of David Guevara; for his wife Betty, our parish secretary, and their sons in this time of sorrow; for Angie Lizana who has deployed to South Korea.
Procedures for Attending Mass in OLR Chapel:
Join us for our first weekend of Masses in OLR Chapel using our new outdoor speaker system. We have covered seating for up to 72 people. However, you may bring your own chair and umbrella and sit beyond the covering. We will continue to observe social distancing. Before you leave home, please use the restroom and wash your hands. Arrive early. Put on your mask before you exit your car. Ushers will assist you with seating. Please remain in that location until an usher directs you to receive Communion; you will sanitize your hands before Communion. (All procedures comply with the State of California, County of Los Angeles, CDC, and Archdiocese of Los Angeles guidelines.) Single entrance for parking is from Stearns and single exit is to Los Coyotes Diagonal. Mass times: SA 5:30, SU 8:00, SU 10:00 (NO 11:30 Mass)
Financial Aid: When you send your donation for assisting with the purchase and set up of our tents, please make a notation on your check: tents or sound. If you make a one-time gift through Faith Direct, please add “tents or sound” to the notes box. Thank you to those who already made a contribution.