Reno Reporter

St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral issued the following announcement on June 13.

Like the old song from the movie musical, Carousel, “June is busting out all over!” The flowers in our garden and all-around town are in full bloom and the trees are flush with green. There is a joyful spirit in the air as so many return to gathering and we slowly see more people coming back to Mass. We are not done with the virus yet, and I know we must remain vigilant about symptoms that could still surface and vigilant for the safety of those unable to be vaccinated. 

Thankfully, it does feel safer as the percentage of those vaccinated continues to increase and the likelihood of transmission plummets. Thank you to all taking precautions and, again, a special thanks to all those helping to keep the church safe by masking, proper spacing and cleaning in between Masses. Your cooperation and work have kept everyone safe and able to gather for worship and the sacraments. 

 You may be aware that we have retuned to individual celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation on Thursdays at 5:30 PM. We’re still maintaining proper distancing while waiting in line & in the Reconciliation Room or Sacristy when coming for this sacrament. For the sake of those who may not yet be comfortable to return to the individual form, we are still celebrating General Confession and Absolution (the 3rd form of the rite) on Saturdays at 3:00 PM. We’ll continue to offer that mode of celebration as long as the bishop authorizes us to do so. We hold and believe that the sacramental grace and forgiveness is the same in both modes of celebration. 

For anyone who may be really struggling spiritually due to a particular sin, I recommend either the Thursday celebration or and individual appointment with one of the priests, both of which allow some brief time for pastoral counseling.  There will be a couple of changes coming in the Mass schedule we adjusted due to the pandemic, as of the 1st weekend in July. We had added a vigil Mass on Saturday at 4:00 PM and moved the Mass we had to 5:30 PM. We will be combining those Masses and celebrate a single Mass at 4:30 PM. We will retain the 4:00 PM Mass time on Sunday (rather than 4:15 PM). All other Sunday Masses will remain the same. The Wednesday evening Mass that has been celebrated in Spanish for the previous Sunday obligation will be celebrated in Spanish for the given weekday Mass, and no longer for the Sunday. Once again, these changes will take effect the weekend of July 3-4. 

We will monitor how everything is going, both by way of health and safety in the greater community, as well as space for everyone in the church community. If something is not working, we will adjust accordingly. Please note that currently, even with current spacing limitations, there’s ample room at the Saturday Masses and at the 7:30 AM, 11:30 AM & 4:00 PM on Sunday. Thank you for your patience as we continue to work this out.  Last Friday was the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, which always follows on the Friday after the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. In our Diocese, we have 2 faith communities that bear the name of the Sacred Heart , hence we lift up in prayer this weekend Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Carlin, Nevada & Sacred Heart Catholic Mission in McDermitt, Nevada. Sacred Heart in Carlin, just 30 miles west of Elko, was established in 1862, before Nevada was officially a state. Carlin was an important railroad town in those days with a population of about 12,000. The original church served the community for 100+ years. 

In 1978 the church was sold and a new church was built at the current location. Over the years since then, the economy shifted to mining, but the town has continued to decrease in population, which is now under 2,000. While the parish still maintains its status, it no longer has a resident pastor but is administered by the pastor and priests from St. Joseph Catholic Church in Elko, Fr. Biju Malancheruvil and Fr. Joe Walsh, who currently celebrate Mass and meet the other sacramental needs of the people of Carlin.  DEL PADRE CHUCK  Al igual que la vieja canción de la película musical Carousel, "June is busting out all over! -- ¡Junio está por todas partes!" Las flores en nuestro jardín y en toda la ciudad han florecido y los árboles están llenos de hojas. Hay un espíritu alegre en el aire ya que por fin muchos vuelven a reunirse y poco a poco vemos más personas que regresan a la celebración de la Misa. Todavía no hemos erradicado el virus, por lo que debemos permanecer vigilantes de los síntomas que aún podrían surgir y vigilantes de la seguridad de aquellos que no pueden ser vacunados. Afortunadamente, a medida que el porcentaje de personas vacunadas continúa aumentando y la probabilidad de transmisión disminuye, se puede sentir un ambiente más seguro . 

Gracias a todos los que toman precauciones y, de nuevo, un agradecimiento especial a todos los que ayudan a mantener la iglesia segura usando máscaras, respetando el distanciamiento adecuado y la limpieza entre las Misas. Su cooperación y trabajo han mantenido a todos seguros y dado la oportunidad de reunirnos para la adoración y los sacramentos.  Quizás se dio cuenta que hemos reanudado la celebración individual del Sacramento de la Reconciliación los Jueves a las 5:30 PM. Todavía estamos manteniendo el distanciamiento adecuado mientras esperan en fila y en el Cuarto de Reconciliación o Sacristía durante la confesión. Por el bien de aquellos que aún no se sienten seguros para regresar a la forma individual, mientras el Señor Obispo lo autorice, continuaremos celebrando la Confesión General y la Absolución (3era forma del rito) los Sábados a las 3:00 PM. 

Sostenemos y creemos que la gracia sacramental y el perdón tienen la misma validez en ambas maneras. Para quienes puedan estar luchando espiritualmente por un pecado en particular, les recomiendo ya sea la celebración del Jueves o una cita individual con uno de los sacerdotes, los cuales permiten un tiempo breve de asesoramiento pastoral. Sacred Heart Catholic Mission serves the small town of McDermitt, of about 500 residents, that straddles the Nevada & Oregon border. Sacred Heart Mission does not have the status of a parish but is served and administered by the pastor at St. Paul Catholic Church in Winnemucca, currently Fr. Jose Sobarzo. Let us pray for both communities of faith in our diocese and for the priests and lay ministers who serve them.  

Let us also continue to pray for those who are living on the streets. The number appears to be growing. You may have heard in our Prayers of the Faithful last weekend the concern about the police sweeps of the encampments that continue to pop up around the city in various vacant lots and spaces. The cities of Reno & Sparks, and Washoe County have tried to address the homeless problem with the construction of the Cares Campus on east 4th Street. Catholic Charities currently provides two meals a day there. The Cares Campus provides barracks-type housing and is intended to be temporary while people look for a more permanent, affordable home. 

Additionally, the plan is to provide special services on the campus to help people with mental health, addiction issues or other special needs. However, those services are not yet provided and, I fear, not funded sufficiently. An additional part of the campus is set aside for tent-dwelling, I believe for up to 50 tents, is not yet ready and, I fear again, will be insufficient for the hundreds in tents on our streets. I understand the concern for safety and health in the various encampments yet these premature sweeps before a sufficient number of options is ready are not helping. They are making life miserable and even more difficult for those already struggling. Let us pray for those working for truly just solutions and for all those suffering. Blessings to you all this Eleventh week in Ordinary Time!

Original source can be found here.