This is the first Lent in three years in which we are able to begin to gather in person as God’s people in our churches. What a blessing! Just last week a bunch of parishioners gathered in St. Ignatius Parish hall for coffee and donuts after Mass. After a two year hiatus, it felt a little like a home coming event! The joy was palpable!
Slowly we are trying to make the transition to post COVID. Parishioners are beginning to feel safe enough to come back into church. And slowly we will begin to reintroduce ushers, collection baskets, holy water in the fonts, vigil candles, etc.
As all parishioners return to ‘in person’ worship we need to recruit volunteers to help us worship properly, altar servers, choir members, lectors, communion ministers, Mass co-ordinators, etc. Amazing at what happens in just two years. So much disappeared. It’s like having to begin all again.
Confirmation and other sacrament preparations are also slowly transitioning. A couple of Saturdays ago the Confirmands at St. Ignatius had a virtual retreat and on Wednesday evening of March 16 they had a virtual blessing of their Confirmation stoles.
The good news is that Archbishop Richard will come in person to St Ignatius Church to confirm these twenty five young people in May. That is something we all look forward to.
And that is what Lent is turning out to be this year. It is a time of meeting one another again in person and a time of looking forward to celebrating and worshipping in person in our own churches; it is especially a time to celebrate again together in person the Paschal Mystery in the Sacred Triduum of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil/Easter Sunday!
My prayer is that everyone will prepare well this Lent for that momentous event and will experience great Easter joy with their families and with all their friends in the Lord!J.