Dear Sacred Heart and St. Ann Parishioners and friends:
Christmas is a “Holy Day” but NO Obligation to attend Mass
Just a reminder that there is NO obligation to attend Mass for Christmas this year because the Bishops have dispensed all Catholics in Ohio from the precept obligation to attend Sunday or Holyday Masses until at least sometime in the early New Year; perhaps longer. Therefore do not feel you have done anything wrong if you don’t get to Mass for Christmas. If you are medically compromised and therefore susceptible to severe impact by COVID, please do not put yourself at risk. If you are not feeling well but have not been tested, please be courteous to your fellow parishioners by staying home until you feel better or are tested. Not jeopardizing another by being in close proximity when you are not feeling well is an act of charity for the good of others.
At Sacred Heart, I plan on live-streaming the 3:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Mass. At St. Ann, I plan on live-streaming the 5:00 p.m. Mass. I hope to also live-stream the 10:00 p.m. Mass from St. Ann and the Midnight Mass from Sacred Heart. All this will be available on our youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVLLqbEY5hKWinwz069MVcg
Remember that you can always access the complete current and history of live-streamed Masses by going directly to our Youtube Website. You can watch live or the recorded Mass whenever you wish by highlighting and clicking on the following address: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVLLqbEY5hKWinwz069MVcg
Christmas Eve Masses are sure to be crowded !!!
We anticipate that there may be overflow crowds (more than can be fitted into church without violating COVID social distancing requirements) at Sacred Heart at 3:00 p.m. and at St. Ann at 5:00 p.m. (If you are “COVID high or moderate risk” but you still wish to attend, it would probably be prudent to consider a Mass on Christmas Day.) If the church becomes full, we will invite people to go back to their car in the parking lot and watch the live streamed Mass on your telephone or pad. Please do not tap into the parish WIFI, as doing so will “CRASH” the site and no one will see anything. If you are sitting in the parking lot waiting to be invited in to receive communion immediately after the people in church receive, please use your PERSONAL DATA PLAN to connect to the live stream, not the parish WIFI.
I will celebrate all Masses at both St. Ann and Sacred Heart on Christmas Eve. Here is the schedule:
Christmas Eve Masses:
Sacred Heart: 3:00 p.m.
St. Ann: 5:00 p.m.
Sacred Heart: 7:00 p.m.
St. Ann: 10:00 p.m.
Sacred Heart: 12:00 a.m. (Midnight)
Fr. Tharp will celebrate the three (Sunday Schedule) Christmas Day Masses at Sacred Heart. Fr. Schmitz will celebrate the two Christmas Morning Masses at St. Ann. Please note that there is no “Midnight Mass” at St. Ann.
Remember that everyone attending Mass must wear a mask and must adhere to social distancing between households. People living in the same house do not need to socially space from one another, but each household MUST socially space (6 feet) from any other person or household. Only every other pew will be available in church. No seating in pews marked off with red tape.
Your pastor in the Lord Jesus
Fr. Larry Tharp