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A message from Father Daniel Caruso
Dear Friends,
This weekend our Nation celebrates Independence Day. As we commemorate the signing of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia on that day 244 years ago, I hope and pray that we cherish the gift of freedom that has been handed on to us over the centuries. Despite all that may seem to divide us as a nation we need to remember and give thanks to God for the wonderful blessings that He has given us. We also need to always make sure that the freedom that we cherish is constantly being renewed and enjoyed by all citizens. When we observe a patriotic holiday like Independence Day, we are not celebrating a perfect nation or even the perfection of our Founding Fathers. We are celebrating the promise of freedom and the blessings that are ours as we struggle to realize that promise of freedom.
At a time when political/philosophical differences seem to be pulling us apart, we need to find strength in the example of those who have gone before us; those who made great sacrifices; those who sought to find a common ground with”the other”; those who struggled to make real the promise of July 4th for all Americans. That is a struggle that will always be with us, but it doesn’t have to be a struggle that divides us. Instead of seeing the worst in each other, we can try to see the best; instead of demonizing one another, we can remember that each of us are made in the image and likeness of God; instead of constantly focusing on our differences, we can focus on the shared promise of freedom.
Let us pray for each other and for all Americans as we celebrate the freedom that is our birthright. During these days of turmoil and strife in our beloved country, I keep thinking about these words from “America the Beautiful”; may they truly become a prayer found on all of our lips:
O beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain
For purple mountain majesties, above the fruited plain America, America, God shed His grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea
May God bless America.
In Christ’s Peace, Fr. Caruso
MASS REQUIREMENTS BEGINNING 6/14/2020
A letter from Father Daniel Caruso:
Dear Parishioners,
With Masses beginning this weekend, I wanted to remind you of the new requirements during the pandemic. Please note the new Mass times for weekends and weekdays.
GENERAL CONCERNS
It is important to note that Bishop Lucia is continuing to dispense all Catholics in the Diocese of Syracuse from the Sunday Obligation to attend Mass. Those who make use of this dispensation are encouraged to participate in Mass remotely and to spend time in prayer at home. The Bishop is encouraging those who are most vulnerable (individuals over 65 with underlying health issues) to remain home (along with anybody who is sick). Because there is no obligation to attend Mass on Sunday, some people may choose to attend a less attended Mass on a weekday.
MASS TIMES
This is our new Mass schedule at this time. Please remember that all Masses are in the Parish church and that you need to register for a Mass (even daily Mass)
WEEKEND MASSES
Saturday 4:00 pm at Our Lady of Pompei /St. Peter
Saturday 5:30 pm at St. John the Baptist / Holy Trinity
Saturday 6:00 pm at OLP /St. Peter (Vietnamese)
Sunday 7:30 am at Our Lady of Pompei /St. Peter
Sunday 9:00 am at St. John the Baptist / Holy Trinity
Sunday 9:30 am at OLP /St. Peter (Vietnamese)
Sunday 11:30 am at Our Lady of Pompei /St. Peter
Sunday 5:30 pm at Our Lady of Pompei /St. Peter
DAILY MASSES
Monday - Friday 9:00 am at Our Lady of Pompei /St. Peter
Monday - Friday Noon at St. John the Baptist / Holy Trinity
Monday - Friday 5:30 pm at OLP /St. Peter (Vietnamese)
Saturday Morning 8:00 am at OLP /St. Peter (Vietnamese)
Saturday Morning 9:00 am at St. John the Baptist / Holy Trinity
REGISTRATION FOR MASS
One change that is going to take some time to adjust to is that we can no longer just “show up” for a Mass.
Because there is a limit to the number of people that are able to be present at each Mass, you must call in advance to “register” for a Mass. When you call you will be asked the name of each person you are calling for and contact information for each person. If you wish to attend Mass at Our Lady of Pompei/St. Peter you can call the office number (315-422-7163) Monday-Friday from 10:00AM - 2:00PM. If you wish to attend Mass at St. John the Baptist/Holy Trinity you can call the office number (315-478-0916) Monday-Friday from 10:00AM - 2:00PM. Please remember that it is necessary to sign up in advance for daily Mass as well as Sunday Mass. It is important that we know who attended each Mass and have the proper contact information; while we are taking great precaution to reduce the risk of spreading the virus there is always the chance that people may be exposed. We (or County Health officials) need to be able to contact you in case of the possibility of exposure. The members of the Vietnamese Community will be contacted on how to sign-up for one of the Masses celebrated in Vietnamese.
WHAT TO BRING
Every person entering the Church for Mass must be wearing a face mask and the mask is to remain on (covering both mouth and nose) the whole time you are in the church building. You are also encouraged to bring your own hand sanitizer to cleanse your hands before and after receiving Holy Communion.
CHECKING IN AT CHURCH
There will only be one entrance available at each parish. At Our Lady of Pompei/St. Peter you will enter from the parking lot into the Gathering Space (the glass doors closest to North Mc Bride Street); at St. John the Baptist/Holy Trinity you will enter using the center doors facing Park Street. There will be somebody there to greet you and check you in. Once you have entered there will be hand sanitizer available for your use.
SEATING
You will be escorted to your seat by an usher. I know that some people prefer to sit in the same seat each week; that may not be possible. In order to maintain the proper social distancing a number of pews have been blocked off from use. If you are attending Mass with others from the same house you will be able to sit together without concern for social distancing. All others will have to maintain 6 feet of distancing. That means that a single person/couple may be sitting on one end of a pew and another single person/couple will be sitting on the other end. Please note that in order to avoid contact with others, each aisle in the church will be for one directional “traffic”. That is for entrance into church, Holy Communion, and exiting the church at the end of Mass.
COMMUNION
The ushers will invite you to come forward for Holy Communion. You should use your personal hand sanitizer to cleanse your hands on exiting your pew. You must maintain 6 feet of distance between you and the communicant in front of you (the floors will be marked). The Communion lines will be single file. You will continue to wear your mask during the Communion Rite. You are strongly encouraged to receive Communion in the hand. After the Holy Eucharist is placed in your hand, you will move over 6 feet to the side, lift your mask, consume the Host, replace your mask and then return to your pew. Once back in your pew you are encouraged to once again use your personal hand sanitizer.
MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION
Please note that there will not be an offertory procession. The gifts will already be at the altar. The collection basket will not be passed. For those who bring their offering with them an offertory box will be placed at back of the center aisle as you enter the church proper. You will notice that the hymnals have been removed from the church in order to reduce the chances of spreading the virus. Also, we will be continue to mail the bulletins to all parish households; they will not be distributed at the end of Mass. Because of the need for social distancing there will be no congregating in the church, the exits or the parking lot after Mass.
OFFICE
Our parish offices reopened on Monday, June 8. Business should be conducted via mail, e-mail or over the phone. In person business is strongly discouraged at this time. Those who do come to the offices are asked to use the front door. You must be wearing a mask to enter, your temperature will be taken, and your contact information will be recorded in case of a possible exposure.
I understand how difficult these changes are; ultimately they are for the protection of the most vulnerable among us. I ask for patience and charity from all of us as we try to adjust to “the new normal”. I will keep you posted as new information becomes available.
In Christ, Fr. Caruso
We are live streaming daily masses on our church Facebook page. Click the link below to join us.
Our Mission
We, the members of Our Lady of Pompei/St. Peter, are called to acknowledge the Lordship of Jesus. As our parish affirms its heritage, we continue to reach out to those in need, bring the gospel to all who will receive it, and be formed in the image of Christ through worship and prayer. We value the talents of each of our
members and feel it is the responsibility of all to contribute time, talent and tithe to our faith community.
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If you are on Facebook or know others who are, please like our church page, Our Lady of Pompei - St. Peters Church. We will be posting updates there as well. Thank you!
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EVERY DAY OPPORTUNITY!
If you want to help the church and school check out Amazon Smile!
STEP 1: Go to smile.amazon.com
STEP 2: Choose Our Lady of Pompei/St. Peter from the dropdown menu
STEP 3: Sign in with your regular amazon account
STEP 4: Shop!
That’s it! Happy Shopping and thank you for supporting our church & school!
POSTPONED
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POSTPONED
BASKET BONANZA 2020!
The Basket Bonanza has been postponed. Questions? Email Colleen Rosenthal crosenthal@syrdiocese.org or Lucy Paris lucycp2004@yahoo.com!