Dear St. Aloysius parishioners,

Peace of Christ.  As we celebrate Pentecost, we renew our awareness of the loving presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives.  In the Exodus account in scripture, we read of God’s presence with Israel marked by a fierce or strong wind.  In their central moment of salvation, a seemingly impossible situation lacking any hope, with the Egyptian army at their backs and the sea in front of them “the Lord drove back the sea with a strong east wind.”  It is a moment Israel returns to again and again as they remind themselves of the Covenant.  In Acts, Luke describes the Holy Spirit on Pentecost as “a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were.”  Sometimes we need this image of the Holy Spirit to remember we are not alone, maybe now we need it more than ever.

In 1 Kings 19 Elijah is told to wait for God in the place where he is staying.  He expects God in the usual ways, strong wind, fierce wind, column of fire, cloud of smoke, and as he is waiting for the LORD all the usual natural phenomena occur, but God is not in them.  Then the whisper of a gentle breeze comes to Elijah and God is in it.  It is a new way for God to be present, and maybe that is what we need now.  The Holy Spirit comes to us as we are and meets us where we are.

The effect of Pentecost on the early Christian community can be seen when Peter and John heal a beggar at the Temple.  Whether we need a strong wind or a gentle breeze the Holy Spirit continues to breathe life into our souls.  As we look at the Pentecost window in our church let our hearts be strengthened.

Blessings,

Tom

Dear St. Aloysius Parish,

As Phase II of the Governor’s “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” progresses, changes continue to come to us.  Bishop Daly has given the go ahead for confessions and Masses to resume.  The bishop, following the lead of the governor, has allowed for churches to have services with 25% of church capacity or 50 people, whichever is lower.  Clearly for us at St. Al’s, the latter is true.  We at St. Aloysius welcome this news and are working to make this happen.  In our planning, we continue to keep the health and safety of you, our parishioners, in the forefront of what we do.

Confessions resume Thursday May 28 at the usual time, 4:30pm to 6:30pm.  We are holding them outside at the Mary grotto immediately east of the church.  Confessors and penitents are required to wear masks and keep six-foot distances. There will be a screen between them.  We will hold confessions at this site on Thursdays 4:30-6:30pm until further notice.

Sunday Masses will resume May 30.  The Saturday 5pm Vigil Mass will continue to be live streamed only.  I know some of you prefer it, but we want to keep one Mass designed for all those who cannot or choose not to come to public Masses yet.  By live streaming only and closing it to the public, we can have full music, which is so important to the beauty of our liturgies. Masks and six-foot distances are required at all Sunday and weekday Masses.  As was true in March, we will not have a physical exchange of peace, we will not hold hands across the church during the Our Father, and there will not be any Holy Water in the fonts.  Sunday Masses will be as short as possible to minimize exposure.  Please check the website for more information.

Communion will be offered under one species only and in the hand only.  Eucharistic ministers and those coming forward at communion must all wear masks.  To receive communion, extend your hand as open and flat as possible to receive the host, step to the side, pull down your mask enough to consume the host, then replace your mask and walk back to your seat.

As per Bishop’s statement, there will not be congregational singing at the public Masses. Ushers will dismiss the congregation by rows starting in the rear of the church at the end of Mass.  There will not be access to the bathrooms and O’Malley hall.

Signing up for Mass is required. Following the instructions of Bishop, we will keep a 30-day record of mass attendees to notify you if someone tests positive for COVID.  Please see the parish website for instructions on how to sign up for Mass.

Weekday Masses resume Wednesday June 3.  The church will be open from 7:30am to 9:30am Monday through Friday.

These are challenging times and it seems when something changes regarding COVID 19 safety protocols the situation is very fluid.  Things can move slow and then seemingly all at once move very fast, which requires adaptability on our part.  I think it shows us our need for the Holy Spirit to keep us grounded in the midst of a changing environment.  We can take our cues from the apostles who, after the crucifixion, were hiding out in the upper room not sure of what to do.  Even after the resurrection, Jesus met them there with a greeting of “Peace be with you.”  At Pentecost, the Apostles are again together; the Spirit comes to them and it strengthens their hearts.  They go out into the world and are Jesus’ witnesses as Luke tells us Jesus said to them at the Ascension (Acts 1).  Peter and John encounter a crippled beggar at the Temple in Jerusalem.  Unable to give him silver or gold, they instead give him what they have, Jesus.  The crippled beggar walks (Acts 3).   May you be strengthened by the Holy Spirit this Pentecost.

Sincerely,

Tom Lamanna, S.J.

Jesuit partners in Washington state have released a letter to the state’s governor and leaders of the House of Representatives and Senate calling for a relief fund for undocumented immigrants affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The letter, titled “A Letter from the Ministries and Communities of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) Call for a Relief Fund for Undocumented Workers,” advocates for the 250,000 undocumented workers in the state who, despite paying taxes and working in industries that are highly impacted by the crisis, have been left out of the federal COVID-19 relief packages.

The letter was drafted by Rev. John Whitney, S.J., pastor of St. Joseph Church in Seattle, and has been signed by eighteen Jesuit ministries in 3 cities, including the pastors of St. Leo Church in Tacoma and St. Aloysius in Spokane, the presidents of Seattle University and Gonzaga University, and Jesuits West provincial Rev. Scott Santarosa, S.J.

The letter is accompanied by an action alert, both which urge the creation of a “Washington Worker Relief Fund” through the Governor’s office with at least $100 million initially allocated, initially outlined by partners at the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network, to provide emergency economic assistance to undocumented Washingtonians. The advocacy effort also urges the creation of a permanent system to provide wage replacement protection to workers who lose their jobs and are excluded from the current unemployment insurance system, including undocumented immigrants.

This effort was conceived by the Jesuits West Province’s Faith Doing Justice Discernment Series, including delegates in Seattle, Tacoma, and Spokane with assistance from Annie Fox, the Provincial Assistant for Social Ministry Organizing for the province.

The effort calls upon the recent words of Pope Francis: “The present pandemic, however, reminds us that there are no differences or borders between those who suffer. We are all frail, all equal, all precious . . . This is not some ideology: it is Christianity.”

“As communities of faith, as partners with you in the protection and development of our common good, as women and men of compassion, we call upon you now to do what must be done, and what the federal government seems unwilling to do,” state leaders of Jesuit works in the letter, “create this program for undocumented families and individuals, so that all Washingtonians might recover and rebuild our state.”

The letter was created in support of an earlier letter and action organized by the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network, signed by over 400 organizations in Washington including Jesuit works. After a little more than a month, a similar action alert paired with a fundraising campaign has received over 2,600 contributions totaling over $1,118,000 with a goal of $2,000,000. All proceeds will go to undocumented families.

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