Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

We arrive at Pentecost. In the sacred liturgy, we wear the color of fire, the fire of the Holy Spirit, who came upon the Apostles and disciples gathered with our Blessed Mother Mary in prayer in the Upper Room (see Acts 1:14; 2:1-11).

“Easter, if it is to be authentic, … cannot stay hidden behind any locked door and neither will it allow us to remain hidden. … The culture of fear is arrogant in its pride and thinks that it alone has words to speak. The culture of fear lies. The culture of fear would convince us that we are its children.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

While it was wonderful to see actual faces as I looked out from the altar this past week, I know most of you remained on the other side of the camera lens. You still always remain very much in my heart and at the heart of our whole parish. I realize that not being physically present at Mass is a spiritual burden for all true disciples. We remain, however, no less connected, joined in one glorious faith as true brothers and sisters through the holy waters of Baptism. And, this will pass.

Hello again, my beloved parishioners of St. Mary’s! I wanted to reprint a recent Facebook post on outward changes to the Mass.

Know first: I realize that this is difficult. It is extremely difficult for all of us. But I know that we as a St. Mary’s family can pull together to get through this. I have already been amazed to see people come together to make this happen. This has required the cooperation of dozens of faithful staff and parishioners. Let’s give them a big thank you!

Some changes you might notice:

Hello again, my beloved parishioners of St. Mary’s! I wanted to reprint a recent Facebook post on outward changes to the Mass.

Know first: I realize that this is difficult. It is extremely difficult for all of us. But I know that we as a St. Mary’s family can pull together to get through this. I have already been amazed to see people come together to make this happen. This has required the cooperation of dozens of faithful staff and parishioners. Let’s give them a big thank you!

Some changes you might notice:

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As of writing this Tuesday morning (4/21), we are all still hunkered down except for an occasional trip to refresh essentials. In my daily Masses, I continue to pray for each and every one of you, your families, and your intentions, offering them up in the greatest prayer we have to offer – the Holy Mass. The liturgy of the Mass, of course, constantly reminds me that your physical presence is notably missing. It is true that countless Angels and Saints are there, but it would still be nice to hear your voice. The Angels just don’t respond loud enough for me to hear!

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Recent natural disasters in the Southeast have devastated an already stressed population. Tornadoes left 32 dead, 9 from South Carolina alone, and destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses. We intercede for all those affected by these natural disasters even as we continue to pray for the over 24,000 killed in the USA – about 120,000 worldwide (both figures as of the writing of this column) in just a matter of weeks during the current pandemic. May our merciful God grant eternal rest to those who have died.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, In the midst of the darkness and uncertainly that this passing world offers, Christ is still risen! Truly, He is risen! One thing that hasn’t changed a bit is the message of the Paschal (a word that means Passover) Mystery. Christ is our Passover, says St. Paul. He is the true and unblemished Lamb, whose Blood marks the doors of our houses / our temples / our bodies. Therefore, everlasting death, the plague of sin, passes over the houses marked with His Blood, as it did for the Israelites in the final plague of Egypt (see Exodus 11:1- 12:51), freeing them from slavery. The Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ frees us from the slavery of sin and sin’s final consequence – eternal death.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Right off, I’ll be honest and tell you that I had imagined our sacred celebrations of Holy Week and Easter much differently. However, we will endeavor to make our online Masses and liturgies as holy and familiar as possible. There will be some changes since the celebration of certain liturgies without a congregation physically present alters the liturgy somewhat. For instance, Palm Sunday will not have the usual commemoration of our Lord’s entry into Jerusalem nor the blessing of palms. Even blessing palms and setting them out to be “picked up” is out since it is impossible to get a palm without touching many others, possibly spreading the virus.

Father Hepner has asked me to let you know that each of you and your intentions is remembered in his daily celebration of Holy Mass and his prayers. He misses us as much as we miss him!

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As things may easily change in five days since publishing this column, keep plugged into our website and Facebook pages for the very latest updates that affect our parish family life.

A spot of good news… We have a priest assigned to help “bridge the gap” until we can get an official parochial vicar. So, even while in the midst of this unusual time, we give a warm (virtual, perhaps) welcome to Fr. Filip (pronounced Phillip) Wodecki. Father Wodecki was ordained on December 28, 2011, at our Cathedral in Charleston and has served at various parishes throughout our diocese. Most recently he was helping in St. Gregory the Great parish in Bluffton. Father Filip Wodecki is in between assignments right now, so we are blessed to have some additional help. Welcome, Father Wodecki!

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

In addition to hiking, my other main hobby is doing a little gardening. If you’re like me, this time of year is usually a time of anticipation and excitement as gardeners everywhere begin fulfilling plans and making the more immediate preparations for spring planting.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As I’m sure you are aware, the spread of the new coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to be a topic of concern in our communities, and I have gotten several questions in reference to its spread and our parish life. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta terms the spread of the virus a “rapidly evolving situation.” As disciples, we should, of course, not panic and take sensible precautions. A faithful disciple of Jesus Christ must be the example for others. We are still the light of the world, keeping unselfish love for others as our first standard.

Out of an abundance of caution, the Diocese continues to recommend liturgical accommodations for all parishes until such time as the coronavirus is no longer a threat. Of course, these measures will help curb the spread of the “regular” flu and cold as well, which is an added benefit. At Mass, we will continue to omit the giving of the Sign of Peace. We also have discontinued the distribution of the common chalices for now.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

“Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” – St. Matthew 25:13

It is with great sadness that I write to you about the death of Father Marcin Zahuta, pastor of St. Thomas More parish at the University of South Carolina in Columbia. He died suddenly last Sunday of complications from a stroke at the young age of 42. Father Marcin had been parochial vicar here at St. Mary’s, and I know many of you remember him well. As I write this column (Tuesday), funeral arrangements had not yet been completed, but I’m sure that by the time you read this, arrangements will have been made. We will get the word out as best we can for those who may wish to attend his funeral Mass. Please pray for the repose of his soul, for his family, for his parish, and for all who mourn his passing. Eternal rest grant unto Fr. Marcin, O Lord; and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Amen.

The parish mission and Forty Hours devotion was such a wonderful way to begin Lent! Many of you have continued to let me know how much you were enriched by those holy three days of opportunity to come to hear God’s voice and to put His will for you into action. We were truly blessed to have Elizabeth Ficocelli lead us in our mission. As always, a parish mission is just a beginning. Now, the ball is in your court. Our parish offers wonderful resources to help ever-deepen and inform our lives of faith. Take advantage of them. If you can’t think of any, I have three wonderful little words for you: read the bulletin!