Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick

My Dear Parishioners,

At the start of a new year, every parish is asked to make a Pastoral report to the Archdiocese, and ultimately to the Church in Rome on a variety of Pastoral Issues such as the numbers of parishioners, attendance at Mass, Social Ministries offered, religious education (school and CCD), devotions, sacraments and sacramental prep programs administered during the previous year. These reports are compiled every year.  We are now in the process of compiling that report.

This past week some of our young people experienced the love of God through the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the very first time. Please continue praying for them, that they remain close to the Lord in this great gift of renewal and peace and pray also for their families that they will help these children to stay close to the Lord.

I recently attended a meeting hosted by the Dean of our local region and the parishes near Doylestown Hospital. At the meeting, the priests of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Doylestown announced that they would not be able to continue covering the hospital in the way they had in the past. The Dean confirmed that with the number of priests decreasing there is no way to keep supplying the parishes near hospitals with an “extra” assistant to ease the demands upon the parish. As a result, the nearby parishes are each asked to share in covering hospital emergencies. I will be assisting in these responsibilities. We also discussed that we need to adjust the people’s expectations when going to a non-Catholic hospital. Many people expect the same type of spiritual care that they would get when going to a Catholic hospital. That is simply no longer possible. Our Lady of Mount Carmel parish will resume sending in Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion during the week, once the Covid situation seems under control. Requests for spiritual counseling, confession, etc. will be responded to on an as available basis. If you are going to a non-Catholic hospital for a major surgery (one in which you will be going under general anesthesia) I strongly recommend that you receive the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick before admission. I suggest that you come to Mass the Sunday before admission and I can anoint you after the Mass. If this is not possible, you can always schedule an appointment. It is sad that it has come to this, but it is where we are. I understand the need and am willing to help where I can. In the meantime, this is a good opportunity to remind everyone to pray for vocations.

If you purchased our 100th Anniversary mugs at the Christmas   Bazaar   please   contact   the   rectory for your replacement mug(s). You can also purchase additional mugs. They are one for $6 or two for $10.

May God Bless You,
Fr. Bordonaro