MESSAGE FROM FR. DENNIS:

The State of St. Mary’s Parish since March 15^th, 2020

We were all living happily ever after and things were going smoothly in the parish … and then a pandemic came to visit us and the “we were living happily ever after” was quickly shut down. Everything - and I mean absolutely EVERYTHING - came to a screeching stop. Without much warning there were no Masses, no meetings, no house blessings, no school visits or celebrations, no Family Fun Night, no parish dinners, NO NOTHING! All activities were abruptly cancelled - not postponed or rescheduled - but CANCELLED! To be honest, I was okay with the ‘no meetings’ part, but the rest of the cancellations were a bit hard to take.

If the question, “What has been happening in the parish since Fr. Dennis’s day off was changed to Sunday?” has been on your mind, then this report is for you.

• Regarding parish programs: RCIA, RCIC, and Bible Study were moved to Zoom meetings. The final session for First Eucharist preparation was directed through emails and completed at home. Confirmation preparation was also completed through social media.
• All parish communication - through the parish bulletin, the parish website, Facebook and the Flocknote newsletter – is now online and happening thanks to the time and talent of our parish communications team (Charlene Marcille, Sharon Mogen, Donna Wasson, Blossom Braganza, and Darryl Goyetche). Emails and letters were sent out, and a robocall was made (Note: I can’t believe I was talked into this one!) to encourage all parishioners to keep in touch with their spiritual home through social media.
• Charlene spent a great deal of time and energy cleaning up the parish list. A superficial cleanup was done a couple of years ago, but this second effort was more thorough. There are now 857 families registered in the parish, a decrease of about 70 families. However, please keep in mind that there are more than 200 Catholic families in the parish area who are not registered in the parish. The reason we know this is that they have received tax receipts for donations and/or registered their children for sacraments, but have not registered in the parish for whatever reason.
• In place of boring homilies Deacon Ron and I have been sending out weekly messages through our social media channels.
• Eucharistic adoration was moved into the worship area, and was scheduled twice a week, Tuesdays and Saturdays from 10am to noon.
• Laureen MacKenzie has been coordinating a mask making ministry. Countless masks were made for front line workers and over 400 have been made for the parish as we get ready to reintroduce Masses. A super-thank you to Dawna Delainey, Heather Gosselin, Daisy Button, Estela Dziadyk, Sue Lunnin, Sandra Orchard, Ann Richards, Sylvia Simpson, Mary Ann Rossetti, Nathene Arthur, and many others for sewing masks.
• Ron Gosselin, a parishioner and the president of the local Kiwanis Club, donated a large pail of hand sanitizer to the parish.
• A major office and storage cleanup was undertaken since Covid-19 hit. Walls and cupboards were washed, and filing cabinets were sorted through. Not everything on the list was completed, but a lot was accomplished during the enforced lockdown.
• A lot of time and energy was put into reworking the financial budget. The pandemic, and the resulting economic impact, was new territory for all concerned regarding parish finances. A welcome surprise was the Bishop’s announcement to the parishes that the 14.5% assessment on parish income to support the diocesan structures (Note: this is often called the “cathedraticum”) and mortgage payments were suspended for the rest of the year. But because of this lost income stream to the diocese, two-thirds of the pastoral centre staff were temporarily laid off. Parishes were also asked to downsize on staff and cut back on expenses because of lost revenue. To this end our custodian, Joseph, was given a temporary layoff, and I took a 50% cut to my salary. The parish now has one and a half salaries in the office, with Charlene (29 hours per week) and Greg (10 to 12 hours per week; although he often puts in countless hours per week quietly doing other stuff) and little ol’ me, your half-time pastor. PLEASE do not view my decision to cut my salary as heroic. It’s really not my salary, but a Franciscan salary (Note: I can’t have a personal salary), so there was no great sacrifice made on my part. My Franciscan community can absorb the loss of half my salary at this time, so don’t start thinking about sending any canonization paperwork to Rome with my name on it.

The parish budget and finances are a major challenge to manage right now, mainly due to so much uncertainty over what to expect for income from month to month. I would like to express my deepest appreciation to all the parishioners who contribute electronically through e-transfers, debit, and credit cards, or continue to send in or drop off their regular Sunday offering. The financial support, which pays the bills at your spiritual home, is greatly appreciated. I know that many of you are experiencing financial difficulties at this time, so your continued support and thoughtfulness are especially noted. THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

Donna Wasson, our parish bulletin editor, sent me an email about a teacher and holy sister she knew who would often invite people to manage the daily grind “with Christian enthusiasm.” This is a great thought to keep in mind as we struggle to cope with the negative effects of this Covid-19 pandemic.

Peace and all good,