Fr. Chuck’s Column, May 24, 2020

Happy Feast of the Assumption. Next Sun-day is the Feast of Pentecost, the birthday of the Church.
With Pentecost we will begin, on a limited basis, celebration of other sacraments than the Mass. On Pentecost at the 8:45 a.m. Mass we will begin celebrating the ceremo-nies of the Rite of Chiristian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) that in any kind of normal year would have been celebrated at the East-er Vigil seven weeks ago. The candidates and catechumens in the RCIA have been extraordinarily patient waiting to celebrate their Baptisms, receptions into the Church, Confirmation and their First Holy Eucharist. We intend to celebrate those sacraments and do so in a way that keeps them, the celebrants, the congregation and all of us safe. So that will require some adjustments.
My hope is that this celebration will take place at the 8:45 a.m. Mass on Pentecost Sunday, next week. You can join us live on our St. Austin Parish Facebook page, or later view the ceremony on YouTube.com. In order for us to accommodate as many of the immediate family and close friends of the RCIA candidates and catechumens, I ask that you NOT attend the 8:45 a.m. Mass next Sunday in person. During this time of pandemic, to maintain so-cial distancing and keep everyone safe, the church can accommo-date only about 15% of its usual capacity. So stay home and watch the 8:45 a.m. Mass online.
However, you are welcome at our other Masses that weekend, Saturday at 5 p.m., Sunday at 11:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. This as-sumes, of course, that you are not a senior, that you are feeling healthy, you are not running a fever, you are not living with or in close proximity to someone who is ill, and your immune system is in top shape.
This is such a strange and unusual time. This coronavirus is so different and odd. It is best that we overdo playing it safe, at least until we have an adequate vaccine. So please be patient as we move forward, slowly and deliberately. I would prefer for us to err on the side of caution as the stakes, life and death, are so high.