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Dear Community Members,
I want to start by thanking you for your cooperation over the past 15 months. It is a sign of our concern for each other that we have taken the precautions to protect one another. How to move forward was not easy to decide. As the show of hands in Masses last weekend showed, we have different comfort levels about how far to go in opening up. Also, some of us are more vulnerable than others. I thank the staff and parish Leadership Team who helped me navigate this difficult decision. We have tried to find a middle ground, allowing some of the openings approved by the CDC, Wauwatosa, and the diocese, while respecting the legitimate hesitancy of some community members. The protocols starting this weekend are not etched in stone. Each week the Leadership Team will review them, based on feedback and what is happening in our world. I thank you in advance for your continued cooperation in our efforts, through Christian charity, to make all feel safe and welcome in our worship space. God bless, Fr. Paul The new protocols:
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Well, I’m off to a good start with my Wednesday updates! This first one is coming out on Thursday, because I got out of the habit and it slipped my mind!
I hope you had a good Christmas and New Year, though I am sure they were different than “normal.” Meetings continue to be by ZOOM; the school has been doing well in person, with a few grades being quarantined for a while here and there. As was announced in Masses, the bulletin, and the Parish Press (which is being mailed today), we have stopped registration for weekend Masses since we have not reached our safe capacity. If it becomes necessary before restrictions are lifted, we will resume it. The Pastoral Council met last night (maybe that is why God had me forget to do this yesterday, so I could comment on the meeting!) and discussed how things are going. Discussion centered on gratitude for the safety measures used in Masses and missing the socialization/sense of connectedness that is a hallmark of our Pius community. Some suggestions for connecting will be looked into. I hope that it won’t be long until we can return to “normal”, including having fellowship after Masses. Have a good week. Stay safe. When we were allowed to hold public Masses again in May, we asked people to register, both to monitor the crowd capacity and to have information for contact tracing.
After 7 months of experience, we are discontinuing the request to register for two reasons: first, we have never reached our “safe” capacity, even for Christmas Masses; there has been no request for a list of attendees for contact tracing from any health agency. If the need would ever come up, the safety cameras around our property would help us to do contact tracing. If we begin to have capacity issues before the restrictions are lifted, we will begin registering again. But, meanwhile, we will save everyone the time and effort of doing so, since we will still be able to be “safe.” I thank you for your cooperation in making the effort to keep Pius safe. Pius Parishioners Always Come Through! God bless. Fr. Paul Portland, SDS If you able, please donate blood at Dick’s Drive this Saturday in the Pius cafeteria from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm. Click here for more information.
These updates are taking a Christmas vacation and will return on January 6th, which is when I will start to post every Wednesday instead of daily. I am still looking for suggestions for a good, catchy title! I have received one so far. Have a blessed and safe Christmas. May 2021 be a year of spiritual growth, health, and happiness for you and your family. God bless and stay safe. PS. If you know people who are reluctant to come indoors for a Mass, please remind them that our Mass is online for Christmas, New Year (Mary, Mother of God), and every Sunday. Thank you. The three ZOOM meetings (staff, stewardship, finance council) went well yesterday. Our staff members have done an incredible job in their ministry, given the challenges. I cannot imagine being a school principal or a youth/child religious education minister with the restrictions and uncertainties that we have faced. I thank all of our staff members for their dedication and wish them a restful, regenerative Christmas break.
The 2021 parish stewardship drive is going well. Plans were made for calling parishioners who have pledged in the past but have not yet pledged this year. While we are a little over $9,000 behind in stewardship envelope contributions, we are still on solid ground. I thank all for your financial support of our ministries. NO MORE ZOOM MEETINGS FOR AT LEAST A WEEK! Yeah!!!!!! If you are coming to a Christmas Mass and have not registered, please do so today. The Christmas Mass; the New Year Mass for Mary, the Mother of God; as well as upcoming Sunday Masses will be on Facebook and our website. Have a good day and be safe. And remember, I am still looking for a catchy title for Wednesday updates! I hope you had a good weekend.
Today is our winter solstice, the shortest day of the year and the turning point in the sun’s journey. At this link, you can find a 28-minute reflection on this phenomenon. Are you thinking of a catchy name for a once a week “update” on Wednesdays? Waiting for your brilliant suggestions! There are three ZOOM meetings today: staff, Stewardship Commission, and Finance Council. Please keep these meetings in your prayers. (Then no meetings until after Christmas! Yeah!) Have a good day and stay safe. Are you thinking of a catchy name for a once a week “update” on Wednesday? Waiting for your brilliant suggestions!
Please remember to call the parish office and register for Christmas Mass, if you are planning to attend one in person. The next update is Monday. Have a good day and stay safe. God bless. The presenting team for The 99 Experience will meet this evening to discuss ways of moving forward with the program, given the current restrictions. Please keep this meeting in your prayers.
In its official prayers (the Mass prayers and the breviary), the Church begins special prayers today for the octave (8 days) leading up to Christmas. We are close to celebrating the birth of the Light of the World! Please call the parish office to register for Christmas Mass if you are planning to attend in person. Have a good day and stay safe. God bless. Thank you to the approximately 30 parishioners who attended the Advent Communal Reconciliation service last evening last evening. I thank Salvatorians Jeff Wocken and Peter Schuessler for their assistance in hearing individual confessions.
On the advice of the Parish Leadership Team and the feedback I got from those that look at the updates on a regular basis, I am leaning towards a Wednesday update each week. Any comments? Any ideas for a good name for it? The Wauwatosa Catholic School Board meets this evening by ZOOM. Please keep this meeting in your prayers. Have a blessed day and stay safe. In response to my question about the value of these updates and their frequency, the majority of those who responded think once a week would be sufficient, unless something really “big” comes up. The Parish Leadership Team will discuss this at its meeting this morning. Please remember our Advent Communal Reconciliation service at 7:00 pm this evening in the church. Three priests will be available after the service for those who want to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Have a good day and stay safe.  |
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