Fr. Bruce PattersonPastor · St. Martin De Porres Church

Pastoral Message from Fr. Bruce

Dear friends,

At the request of parishioners, I would like to use occasional weekend essays to remind people on our conduct at church. Please don't take these as reproaches or criticisms. It's by way of reminding us to do our best for each other and the Lord on Sundays.

This Sunday, I want to focus on our hospitality toward families with small children. There's a recent saying that says "If we're not crying, we're dying." I know that unruly children can be distracting, but please be gracious to them and their parents, as they are the future of the Church. While every household should know that we have a children's "cry room" (aka the chapel), not everyone who comes here is aware, and sometimes the room is already full. Once construction is complete, the outdoor speakers will be reattached and that will give parents another option if their child struggles to get through the whole Mass. Remember that in Mark's Gospel, Jesus becomes "indignant" with his disciples for trying to shoo away children, so we should exercise a generous measure of patience and understanding.

Another topic I want to review is how we conduct ourselves during the Eucharistic Prayer. From the time we kneel to the Our Father, we should not be moving around, except for emergencies. At the very least, remain stationary during the Institutional Narrative, that is, "this is my Body... this is my Blood," out of respect for this most holy moment.

Lastly, don't forget to consume the Host immediately rather than carry the Lord away with you toward your pew. To avoid the danger sacrilege, sacred ministers are instructed to verify that the communicant has actually consumed the Blessed Sacrament. While it hasn't happened here in recent years, people have sometimes found consecrated Hosts discarded in pews or on the floor.

In upcoming editions, I will address other elements of worship and decorum as the need arises. I thank you for your openness to instruction and I encourage you to express your love for the Lord by faithful and reverent attention during holy Mass.

Sincerely,

Fr. Bruce