Rescheduled Dates for Confirmation and First Holy Communion

My Dear Parishioners,

We have rescheduled Confirmation for Wednesday, October 14, 2020 and First Holy Communion for Saturday, October 3, 2020.  These young people have had to delay their reception of the Sacraments because of the coronavirus.  Please pray for them as they continue to prepare and to wait.  We have also extended the opportunity to receive First Communion at any public Mass.  So if you see some fine looking and well-dressed young people at Mass, it is likely that they will be celebrating receiving Our Lord in a very special way.  Please congratulate them.  Last week we celebrated the First Holy Communion of two of our young people at Friday morning Mass.

Archbishop Perez has asked us to communicate the following letter.

God Bless You!

Fr. Bordonaro

 

June 27, 2020

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

“Caring for the poor is not just something nice the Church does; it’s a part of who we are and essential to the Church’s saving work.” (Bishop Jaime Soto, Chairman, CCHD Subcommittee, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops)

These words from my brother Bishop Soto express well our solidarity with the poor as essential to our identity as followers of Jesus, who was born of humble origins, worked as a manual laborer, and identified with the poor and marginalized people of his day. As missionary disciples of Christ in our own day, we are called to be genuinely concerned for the well-being of our brothers and sisters who lack the basic necessities which everyone deserves in order to live a full and dignified human life.

With that calling of our Lord in mind, I enthusiastically welcome your support of our annual collection for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD), which this year commemorates 50 years of concretely assisting poor and disadvantaged members of our local communities. CCHD is the domestic anti-poverty program of the U.S. Catholic Bishops, and works closely with dioceses across the country to support low-income community groups to address the root causes of poverty. By helping those who are poor and powerless to participate in decisions and actions that affect their lives, CCHD offers a hand up, not a hand out, helping the most vulnerable members of our communities.

In our country today, nearly 47 million people are living in poverty, which is one of every six Americans, and one of every five children. This growing gap between those who are financially secure and those who are not now includes many middle-class families who have been adversely impacted by the economic consequences of the current pandemic. More than one in four residents in our region now suffers from insecurity about their income, food, or health care. These brothers and sisters of ours need the collective efforts of all of us who care enough to make a difference. Through CCHD, the Catholic Church reaches out to involve and support people in acting together to improve their own lives, overcome injustices, and escape the cycle of poverty. As Catholics, we are called to stand with them and be their advocates as they strive to achieve living conditions worthy of their inherent God-given human dignity.

The annual CCHD collection in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia will occur at masses on the weekend of July 4th and 5th. Your contribution will help your neighbors near and far to realize a better future for themselves and their families. God bless you for your generous response to this year’s CCHD appeal.

Gratefully and with best wishes in Jesus Christ,

+Most Reverend Nelson J. Perez, D.D.

Archbishop of Philadelphia