Coronavirus
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March 25, 2020
Where We Find Ourselves
To all of the Parishioners of St Hilary of Poitiers in Raceland:
“Be Not Afraid!” These powerful and reassuring words are the most repeated phrase in Scripture and are found in Genesis and go all the way through Revelation. Why does the Lord say this phrase over and over? It is because, as a loving Father, He wants us to know that He will be with us through everything.
It would be an understatement to say that we are living in unprecedented times for the modern world. The Coronavirus is a serious medical situation, but fear and panic are the real enemy right now. As we move through these uncharted waters, I want you to know that I am praying for you, for your family and for the Church.
For the safety of people and to help curb the spread of the virus, Bishop Fabre has cancelled masses at this time. This decree does not dispense us from “Keeping the Lord’s Day Holy.” We should, as Catholics turn to the Lord always, but even more during these difficult times. In this time of crisis, I implore you seek the Lord by entering the Scripture, and through fervent prayer, especially the rosary. This time of crisis for our world has given some freedom for new creative ways of worshipping our Lord and administering the Sacraments to be made available. More information about some of these initiatives can be found on our parish Facebook page. As the Church suffers through this time of trial please be reminded of what the Lord says about worrying in the Gospel of Matthew… “Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?” MT 6:25.
As the administrator of our parish, I ask that we put our efforts and thoughts into faith and not worry. I ask that we follow the directives of our local, state, and national authorities. I ask that we use common sense measures in our daily lives of good hygiene (washing hands for 20 seconds, etc.) and look out for our most vulnerable neighbors and friends in the community. Together, our community will endure, grow, and strengthen beyond this trying time.
I invite you to visit our website and social media page where we will stream daily masses and put virtual resources for our parishioners. We are now providing online collections to all of our parishioners who want to express their generosity and share in God’s blessings. Although this is something that has been in the works for some time, we are excited to offer online giving as a way to allow our parishioners to continue to support our parish, especially during this unpresented time. All of these things can be found online at https://sthilaryht.org. Let us take this time as an opportunity to come together as the family of God, in spirit and in prayer, to re-establish that our faith is in Him and not in the world.
We, as Catholics, have a strong history of coming together and supporting each other during times of crisis. I have no doubt in our ability to overcome this one as well.
Be assured of my prayers for you in the Masses, the Holy Hours, and the Divine Office that I continue to offer daily. I look forward to the day when we can gather at the altar for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass as One Body once again. What a joyous day that will be!
Sincerely yours,
Fr John David Matherne
Administrator
St Hilary of Poitiers | Raceland, LA
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March 18, 2020
Announcements Concerning St Hilary from Fr JD
To the Communities of St Hilary and St Anthony,
This is a completely unprecedented time in our local community, our state, our nation, and world. We have never lived through an outbreak that has such a widespread and unknown outcome, so I hope you and your loved ones understand that the Diocese made the decisions that we did to do our part in helping the to slow the spread of this virus. The safety of our parishioners and elderly has to be our top priority. We are doing our best to follow the recommendations of our government and healthcare communities.
Ministry for the upcoming weeks will look and work differently, but I want you to be reassured that myself and Fr Noas are committed to serving you in whatever way we can. Practically speaking, you can call the office. I ask that we all refrain from coming to the office as much as possible, but be assured that our phones will be up and running.
Here are a few announcements as of March 18, 2020:
(Because of the fluid nature of the current situation, please check our website for updates)
CHURCH OPEN/AVAILABLE
Church will be open and available for you to come and pray. While Masses and some other sacraments are not public at this time, please come to pray in the church. Doors will be unlocked from 8 am until 5 pm everyday. During the time outside of this time, we will be utilizing the code door (near the candle room) for people wanting to come pray after hours. The code is still 3330.
When you come to pray, please use the hand sanitizer that is available upon arrival and departure. Also, please take seriously the “social distancing” recommendations of the CDC and governmental/medical leaders. Please sit at least 6-10 feet between people in the church (roughly 2 pews). The adoration chapel is closed and will remain closed until further notice.
The Blessed Sacrament will remain in the tabernacle and is not to be removed from the church for any reason (especially since our ministry to the homebound and hospitals have been suspended). We are lucky enough at St Hilary to have a Relic of the True Cross. We will have it out on the altar for veneration. Please do not approach or touch it as to be precautious about the spread of disease. Any resources that are put out for prayer are for you to take. Please do not return them to the resource area.
OUTSIDE MINISTRIES
All upcoming weddings and baptisms have been postponed until further notice. If you have any questions, please direct them to the office. Fr Noas and I are available to anoint anyone, should they need it.Funerals will be limited to no more than 10 people (or immediate family) at the graveside.
Masses will be live-streamed though our Facebook page and on Youtube. Links will be provided on our website. The Mass schedule will follow our normal Mass schedule with a few deviations:
Monday 5:15 pm
Tuesday 5:15 pm
Wednesday 5:15 pm
Thursday 5:15 pm
Friday 7:00 am
Saturday (daily) 10:00 am
Sunday 10:00 am***Rest assured knowing that your Mass Intentions will be prayed for at all daily and weekend Masses.
Confessions will be heard in the sanctuary. All confessions will be heard behind the screen. We are setting up a makeshift confession area in the pews behind the presiders chair. Here is our schedule for confessions:
Monday 4:00 - 5:00 pm
Tuesday 4:00 - 5:00 pm
Wednesday 4:00 - 5:00 pm
Thursday 4:00 - 5:00 pm
Friday
Saturday 8:00 am – 10:00 am
SundayPlease keep looking for other information via Facebook updates or on our website.
Stay safe & God bless.
Fr JD Matherne