Dear Parishioners,
Please allow me to share with you our approach to Eucharistic adoration for the remainder of this month.
Solemn Exposition of the Most Blessed Sacrament will conclude on Thursday evening following the 6 PM EF Mass. (The usual 6 PM Extraordinary Form Mass on Thursday will be the last public Mass at St. Mary’s for the remainder of the month.)
Saint Mary Church will remain open from 7 AM to 7 PM, seven days a week, for visits to Our Lord’s Divine Presence in the tabernacle, as usual.
Saint Mary Chapel and Saint John Paul II Adoration Chapel will remain closed beginning Thursday evening and for the remainder of this month.
The conventual Mass in the convent chapel will not be open to the public for the remainder of the month.
Solemn Exposition of the Most Blessed Sacrament will resume on Sundays from 9 AM to 5 PM, if, and only if, we have enough committed adorers (two per hour) to cover all those hours. Those interested should contact Dcn. John* by Friday at noon. I will confirm this resumption by Friday evening, if we get enough committed adorers for the resumption to occur. Other days and/or hours will be added later if enough adorers come forward to cover all proposed hours of solemn exposition.
Dcn. John and I will continue visiting each of the residential healthcare facilities in Oak Ridge, administering from the parking lot a Eucharistic Benediction to parishioners inside.
I will continue posting daily homilies on the parish app.
Keep praying, keep caring and keep calling your neighbors to see how they’re doing. Try to be more Christian now than you’ve ever been before in your life! Christ will help you do it. You’ll become a saint by the time this is all over!
In Christ,
Father Shelton
*Dcn. John DeClue: deacon2@stmarysoakridge.org, or 482-5888.
UPDATES:
A. The Confession schedule remains as usual, without any changes.
B. The Most Blessed Sacrament will be solemnly exposed on the high altar of the church from 7 am to 7 pm, seven days a week, beginning Friday morning. Please sign up in the church beginning Friday, to ensure that all hours are covered.
C. Mass intentions will be fulfilled as scheduled, with two changes: intentions for the Sunday 10:30 am Mass are transferred to the Thursday evening Mass, and intentions scheduled for the Sunday 2 pm Mass are transferred to Tuesday evening Mass.