Dear parishioner,

I have a very important two-part announcement; please read my entire message. First, all parishes have just received the following announcement from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia:

“Effective immediately, and until further notice, Archbishop Pérez, in union with the Bishops of Pennsylvania, has dispensed the faithful of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass. Despite the suspension of the obligation to attend Sunday Mass, all regularly scheduled Masses will remain open to the public for those who wish to attend.”

Second, although I have not received any further directives at this time, archdiocesan officials have advised me to exercise an abundance of caution, not out of a sense of panic but to be attentive to the call for social distancing as we address the ongoing spread of COVID-19. So, in consultation with parish staff, we will be canceling all parish events and activities except Mass, school and PREP effective tomorrow morning until at least Sunday, 22 March. We will review the situation prior to that date and advise you accordingly. In the meantime, I encourage parish organizations to feel free to get creative in meeting remotely (WebEx, Zoom, conference call, etc.) if your group wants to keep the wonderful momentum going. We certainly want to protect everyone’s health but I hate to see us push the pause button too long.

Let me thank you for your understanding as we continue to determine the best approach to keep everyone in our parish community healthy and safe. Please join me in prayer to God, our loving Father, for his guidance and strength as we journey together during these challenging times.

In Christ,
Msgr. Brouwers