I pray you have a blessed beginning to your Lenten journey! Know that the Lord has good things in store for you as you make space in your heart for Him through fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. These Lenten disciplines make us experience a certain poverty, vulnerability, and dependency on God. These are good realities to experience when we consider that God always gives us grace in our emptiness to fall more deeply in love with Him.

Listening Session First Theme: Community
I am eager to continue sharing with you the fruits of our November Listening Sessions. This week we reflect on the first main theme that was highlighted, Community, with its sub-themes of history, welcome, and community. The number in parentheses corresponds to the number of times that particular sub-theme was mentioned in parishioner comments.

• History: As one of the oldest parishes in the area, St. Patrick Parish is built upon generations of families that continue to value its rural community and family-oriented principles. (21)
• Welcome: Being made in the image of God, with a desire for holy relationship, many parishioners seek a widening and deepening sense of community within the parish of St. Patrick. (17)
• Communication: Through an expansion of communication efforts, St Patrick Parish has the potential of drawing more people into its circle of Christian love and fellowship. (8)

“Many parishioner families helped to build this church. We need to acknowledge that!” That was one of many comments made at the November Parish Listening Sessions that reminded everyone present of the strong history of St. Patrick Parish. The rural community, the family-oriented history and environment, and the many parishioners and clergy who helped to build up the parish to what it is today were all spoken of with love and high regard. The comments were evidence of the awareness that the parish is built on a foundation that goes beyond the brick and mortar to one that includes a sacramental bond. Such a sentiment echoes words of
St. Pope John Paul II:
The parish is not principally a structure, a territory, or a building, but rather, “the family of God, a fellowship afire with a unifying spirit”, “a familial and welcoming home”, “the community of the faithful”. Plainly and simply, the parish is founded on a theological reality, because it is a Eucharistic community (Christifideles Laici, Pope John Paul II, 1988).

Having been built by families so long ago, there is a desire in the parish community to deepen and widen the familial spirit so that a stronger unifying bond may be experienced among the faithful here. Ideas were shared about updating and expanding communication avenues within the parish, as well as adding measures of hospitality that would foster relationships among parishioners. Taking such steps would only enhance the fundamental nature of the parish to live and serve the community as "the family of God”.

I encourage you to pray with these themes, and visit https://stpatrickthompson.org/community to read through the individual comments expressed at the listening session.

Updated COVID Guidance
Data indicates that the rates of infection of the COVID-19 virus are rapidly dropping in our area and will continue to drop. As a result, local health care systems are lessening operational restrictions. Consequently, after consultation with local medical experts and a review of the latest information from public health officials, the Diocese of Cleveland offers some revised COVID guidelines.

• Signs for masking will no longer be posted in the church. We will continue to provide a station with masks and hand sanitizer at the church entrance for the next two weekends to help people get acclimated to the new reality. Please follow your doctor’s advice regarding wearing a mask in public places.
• Ministers of Holy Communion are no longer required to wear masks during the distribution of Holy Communion. Since we have visiting priests in and out until Fr. Spisak returns, we will keep the alcohol solution between the presider and deacon for the next two weekends to help people get acclimated to the new reality.
• Distribution of the Precious Blood to the congregation remains prohibited until further notice.

The Mass obligation remains in place, except for those of us who are ill, have significant health risk factors or care for someone who is immune-compromised or ill, as well as those who have significant fear or anxiety about contracting the coronavirus in a large group of persons.

Thank you for your attention to the above guidelines. I pray that we can continue to come out of the pandemic healthy and holy as the Church.