FROM FATHER JOHN:  “To you I lift up my eyes who are enthroned in heaven. Behold, as the eyes of servants are on the hands of their masters. As the eyes of a maid are on the hands of her mistress, So are our eyes on the LORD, our God, till he have pity on us.” ~ Psalm 123
 
In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
 
As you know, we will be returning to mass this weekend and we will also have confessions on Saturday morning at 8:30 am. Please note that our new mass schedule is in effect.
 
The Mass Schedule
 
Saturday at 4:30 pm
Sunday at 8:00 am and 10:00 am
 
Please be aware that we returning to mass but that we are NOT returning to normal. The logistics surrounding the attendance at mass and at confessions is completely different than they were prior to the Governor’s closure orders.
 
For example, we have a limit of 100 people at mass and everyone has to take seats in such a way as to maintain social distance. Bishop Pates has made it an absolute requirement that everyone wears a mask for the entire time they are in the church. The priest will be wearing a face shield. All attendees have to sign up ahead of time and sit in assigned seats. A record must be maintained of all attendees and where they were seated so that contact tracing of anyone who gets the virus can be done. These are just a few of the mandatory regulations and procedures the diocese has put in place in order to re-open a parish to the public celebration of the sacraments.
 
You might wonder why the Bishop has issued all these rules and regulations concerning the public celebration of the sacraments. The first reason is to provide a safe environment for all of our attendees so that we can celebrate mass while maintaining our safety. The second reason is to reassure those who are very fearful of COVID-19. This group of people tend to be our most vulnerable people.
 
We want everyone to feel that they are safe and that their safety is our priority when they finally come home to their parish church to celebrate mass and receive the Eucharist. My hope is that, in doing so, our most vulnerable Catholics will feel confident that they can return to the public celebration of the sacraments.
 
Not everyone is fearful of COVID-19 but many of our people are very fearful of the virus. It is incumbent on the rest of us, out of brotherly and sisterly love, to reassure them that we are taking every reasonable precaution possible to insure a safe environment for them and for us.
 
I ask for your cooperation in following all instructions, rule and regulations as you return to the public celebration of the sacraments. A separate email was sent to you yesterday afternoon with the instructions on how to sign-up to attend mass this weekend and the guidelines concerning the procedures we will use in the celebration of mass.
 
All of this takes volunteers to coordinate all the new logistical operations. We are in need of more volunteers to work with our Parish Re-opening Committee so that we can Re-open our Church! Please contact Michele Kmety at parishsec@stpauljoliet.com or 815-725-1527 ext. 200 to volunteer.
 
 
 
Yesterday was the feast day of St. Charles Lwanga and Companions. This group of African saints were canonized on October 18, 1964 by Pope Paul VI.
 
Charles Lwanga was born on January 1, 1860 and martyred on June 3, 1886. He was a Ugandan convert to the Catholic Church. He was member of the Baganda tribe, was born in the Kingdom of Buganda which is in the central and southern part of modern Uganda. He served as chief of the royal pages and later major-domo in the court of King Mwanga II of Buganda.
 
The persecution of St. Charles Lwanga began in 1885. King Mwanga II was a ritual pedophile. St. Charles protected the royal pages who were 13 to 30 years old from the sexual demands of Mwanga II. He also encouraged the pages to become Catholic and instructed them in the Catholic faith during their imprisonment for refusing the demands of the King. For this, he and his companions were martyred.
 
The following is from Pope Paul VI’s homily at the mass celebrating their canonization.
 
“The African martyrs add another page to the martyrology – the Church’s roll of honor – an occasion both of mourning and of joy. This is a page worthy in every way to be added to the annals of that Africa of earlier times which we, living in this era and being men of little faith, never expected to be repeated.
 
In earlier times there occurred those famous deeds, so moving to the spirit, of the martyrs of Scilli, of Carthage, and of that “white robed army” of Utica commemorated by Saint Augustine and Prudentius; of the martyrs of Egypt so highly praised by Saint John Chrysostom, and of the martyrs of the Vandal persecution. Who would have thought that in our days we should have witnessed events as heroic and glorious?
 
Who could have predicted that to the famous African confessors and martyrs such as Cyprian, Felicity, Perpetua and – the greatest of all – Augustine, we would one day add names so dear to us as Charles Lwanga and Matthias Mulumba Kalemba and their 20 companions? Nor must we forget those members of the Anglican Church who also died for the name of Christ.
 
These African martyrs herald the dawn of a new age. If only the mind of man might be directed not towards persecutions and religious conflicts but towards a rebirth of Christianity and civilization!
 
Africa has been washed by the blood of these latest martyrs, the first of this new age (and, God willing, let them be the last, although such a holocaust is precious indeed). Africa is reborn free and independent.
 
The infamous crime by which these young men were put to death was so unspeakable and so expressive of the times. It shows us clearly that a new people needs a moral foundation, needs new spiritual customs firmly planted, to be handed down to posterity. Symbolically, this crime also reveals that a simple and rough way of life – enriched by many fine human qualities yet enslaved by its own weakness and corruption – must give way to a more civilized life wherein the higher expressions of the mind and better social conditions prevail.”
 

 
Here is the direct link to the readings for the Thursday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time.
 
http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/060420.cfm
 
 

Bishop Pates has appointed Fr. Mark Cote to be the new pastor of St. Paul the Apostle Parish. Fr. Mark entered seminary two years after I me which means we were together at Mundelein Seminary for three years. I was able to get to know him quite well during those years. I think he is an excellent choice for St. Paul’s.
 
I know him to be a good and faithful priest and to be a kind and compassionate man. He has a good sense of humor, likes to laugh, has a positive attitude, is outgoing and energetic and is very excited to be coming to St. Paul’s. I believe that St. Paul’s has been blessed with his appointment by Bishop Pates.
 
Fr. Mark has written a letter of introduction to you. I have included it below.
 
    
 
“Friends,
 
I know that these are some very strange times in all our lives to be facing a global pandemic and it also must feel like a strange time for you to get to know a new priest.  So allow me to introduce myself to you in this way first and along the way we will all do the best we can.  My name is Fr Mark Cote and I was ordained in 2004.  Currently I am assigned in the very unique role as a part time Associate Pastor of St Scholastica in Woodridge Illinois and I am also the part time Associate Director of the Diaconate. Prior to that I was a Pastor for 6 years at St Alexander in Villa Park Illinois.  My other assignments included terms as Associate Pastor of St Michael in Wheaton (2010-2012), St Isadore in Bloomingdale (2008-2010) and St Thomas the Apostle in Naperville (2004-2008).
 
I was born in Union Lake Michigan and lived there till I was 10 years old but my family moved around a lot when i was a child.  As a result I have lived in 5 different states while growing up including Michigan, Utah, Minnesota, Ohio and Illinois.  We moved to Illinois when I was 18 years old and have been here ever since.  Somehow I went to college to become a Geologist but ended up pursuing the priesthood instead (it's a long story and I'm sure I will share with you how that happened in the future).
 
Some of the things I enjoy in life include fishing, spending time with my friends and my family, and of course hanging out with my dog Lucy.  That's right, I'm bringing a special little gift with me to St Paul.  She is a bundle of energy wrapped up in what I can only describe as a border beagle.  Lucy is part border collie and part beagle.  Just imagine a really smart dog that is hungry all the time and on top of that has a keen sense of smell and you will get the picture.
 
Lucy and I are excited to be coming to St Paul and meeting all of you, in a socially distant way of course.  And I am excited to be your next full time Pastor and working side by side with the parish and school staff to serve the needs of our community and growing our faith together.  I'll be praying for you during this time of change and uncertainty, please keep me in your prayers as well.
 
I love you already!
 
God Bless and stay safe,
 
Fr Mark Cote