St. Francis Catholic & Saints Mary & Joseph Catholic Churches

As you may already have heard our Holy Father, Pope Francis, did appoint yesterday a new bishop for our diocese. 

Bishop-elect Michel Mulloy of the Diocese of Rapid City as Fr. Bissonate shared with us "has served the faithful of South Dakota as a priest since his ordination in 1979. He comes to us with a wealth of both pastoral experience, having served in parishes from 1979 to 2017, and administrative experience, having served the Rapid City diocese in various capacities since the late 1980s. He served the Rapid City Diocese as vicar general from 2017 to 2019 and has been serving as diocesan administrator as they await the installation of Bishop-elect Muhich for their diocese".

Attached you will find a more complete biography and curriculum vitae. His ordination and installation have been set for Thursday, Oct. 1. More information can be found at www.dioceaseduluth.org 

Please let us pray for Bishop-elect Mulloy as he begins transitioning into this new ministry as our new shepherd.

Father Francis Kabiru
Parish Administrator

A Three-Phase approach. 

"The Bishops of Minnesota and myself gathered yesterday after Governor Walz's speech to carefully consider our own phased approach back into having public Masses. We recognize that when we return to public Masses we will have to do so with carefully defined protocols in order to keep people safe and to prevent the spread of the virus. We know that if we work together we can do this safely. We need to begin now to work with our priests and parish leaders so that we can be ready to begin some limited public Masses on May 18. We are developing a gradual, multi-phase approach to return to public worship. These phases will allow for the ability to re-evaluate the process as necessary in order to ensure the health and safety of the community going forward. Our plan presumes that throughout the state the dispensation from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass will continue until such a time that it is safe for all to return. 

All phases of this plan anticipate that we are following strict guidelines for social distancing and sanitization. 

We are currently in phase 1. During this time our churches can be open daily for prayer, and priests as they are able can provide for adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Confessions can happen in spaces that are well ventilated with adequate social distance yet still assure the privacy of the sacrament. It is also permissible to have weddings with no more than 10 people and funerals with no more than 10 people. 

We anticipate beginning phase 2 on May 18, and will work with state officials in a collaborative way to meet that goal. During phase 2, public Masses in churches will be allowed in smaller groups limited to no more than 1/3 of the seating capacity of the church (every 3rd pew) in order to allow adequate social distancing between those not of the same household. 

Churches will have to develop ways to ensure that this capacity limit is strictly followed, such as online signups and ushers. Since there will be no Sunday obligation, Catholics will be encouraged to attend other Masses during the week instead of Sunday in order to spread out the numbers. More Masses will need to be offered in some cases to accommodate everyone in the parish who wishes to attend Mass. 

We intend to publish detailed protocols to be followed for the celebration of Mass and the distribution of Holy Communion well in advance of May 18 when public Masses will resume so that parishes can get ready for the careful way we will have to move forward. Social gatherings and other small group meetings will not be allowed during phase 2 as they do not have the same controlled movement as Mass. Some other sacramental celebrations may be allowed, but never exceeding 1/3 of the seating capacity of the Church. If a liturgical celebration or event cannot maintain the capacity and social distancing requirements, it may not take place. 

At this point, it is unknown when we would be able to enter Phase 3, which would provide more opportunity for us to have larger celebrations. We will continue to evaluate and follow the guidance of civil authorities and public health experts." Fr. Jim Bissonette.

My Action Plan Intent:  I would like to highlight my prayerful vision plans with the help of our parish staff and volunteers moving forward if we are allowed to re-open soon. At St. Francis Church I have already engaged a sound technician (ESC Systems-Jim Morse) to see how best we can have a live sound feed through the current speakers in the social hall . This will help create extra space to accommodate willing more people at masses once opened and at the same time maintain expected social distancing. The sound feed will be easier and cheaper at this time to install before we can even think of a need for cameras for live feed of mass into the Television which is already mounted in social hall. At Mary and Joseph Parish we are still debating if the basement can be used as part of a social distancing if need be and what that might entail to make it ready. I'm open to practical cost effective solutions on any approach.

Masses and volunteers: We shall be calling upon  for more volunteers to start thinking on how we can step up for organized group masses schedules when time comes and as suggested have sign-up scheduling as possible for whom will attend which particular mass if need be. I have offered to celebrate an extra mass at St. Francis at 4pm every Sunday as majority preferred that time (for the time been) once we are allowed to congregate. Please note, this extra mass will be offered ONLY as need be with intent to give an option for parishioners of both parishes to re-adjust and attend weekend masses for a brief transition to normalcy. We shall also move Sunday morning mass from 8 am to 8:30 am. The extra 4 pm mass on Sundays will have no music.

Sanitization:

Susan and John Murray are no longer able to  do janitorial work at St. Francis  moving forward. As we thank them for their dedicated service to the parish over the years, we definitely need of someone soon or volunteers to take these janitorial duties. It takes about 7 hours to clean the church or even more every week and with more sanitizing requirements into the future, we shall definitely need help. I am making an appeal if you have a recommendation of someone  you know who is a detailed person to cleanness and order, please reach out to me through the parish office soonest possible.

Update of weekly Sacramental Celebrations.

We are not able to do any life stream masses but hoping you are able to watch from ETWN as has several Sunday masses options and also those on Facebook. I'm still celebrating daily and Sunday weekly Masses at St. Francis and Mary and Joseph Parishes for all parishioners accompanied by Deacon Steve and Bryan at respective Churches. (Maybe with a tech person willing to livestream, at churches,is welcomed to help).Thursdays we have Adoration of  the Blessed Sacrament from 9 am to-1 pm at St Francis Church. Saturday 3pm I'm always available for individual confessions and before mass at 10 am at  St. Mary and Joseph Church. I have been called  a couple times to anoint parishioners at their homes and regularly do go for anointing of the Sick at Inter-Faith-Care Center which has been a blessing. Note, baptisms or weddings are still allowed during this time of social distancing with amount of people allowed to be present still remain less than 10.

1st Communion and RCIA Candidates.

As soon as we have a more public gathering of worshippers, we shall set a Sunday to have our regular 1st Communion Sacramental Celebrations. We thank parents whom have truly continued to take their main role of teaching and passing on the faith to their children as that truly as our Catechism teaches us, it is their first main responsibility as Christian parents to do so. Just like in any education sector, the Church as an institution is there to just assist and facilitate as the primary unit of teaching is that of a family- mom and dad, siblings, grandpa, grandma, relatives and all Christian witnesses. God bless you parents and grandparents for all you do  to witness and support these next generation of Christians. Please don't give up when it gets tough as I know it can be tough coming aso from a large family myself-sometime we were stubborn also.

On going Updates.

Now that we have more emails and text message numbers of most of you, we shall keep you posted from the office now and then with any progress. Please encourage others to sign up on the email list. We hope the website which will be www.stfmjcatholic.org will be also roached soon hosted by LPi.

May we continue to remain hopeful as we pray for those in difficult situations in our midst due to this pandemic. If we can be of any direct help to anyone you know or collectively  want us to and have practical ideas to do so, please let us know how we can facilitate your ideas to fruition. St. Francis remind us, "Preach more by your deeds and less by your words". That is a call to true discipleship for all of us as these are unsettling times no doubt. May we keep though respecting and obeying our civic instructed measures in calmness and optimism,  and pray more for all the efforts to cure the sick and eliminate the virus so that we can get back to a new normalcy sooner in all our fields and even start recongregating for masses. 

Peace and God Bless.

Fr. Francis .

Cc Deacon Steve and Deacon Brian.