June 13, 2021: 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Dear Parishioners:

This week for the first time in several months, we are celebrating an Ordinary Time Sunday Mass. You have probably noticed that some of the accents in the Church have become green. This, obviously, is the color that we use during the season of Ordinary Time. Just a reminder, this season does not mean there is nothing special going on. Instead, it reminds us that the weeks of our liturgical year are “ordered,” numbered from the first week to the thirty-fourth week of Ordinary Time.

While other seasons highlight particular solemnities or events such as Christmas Season or Easter Season, Ordinary Time emphasizes the manifestation and building of the Kingdom of God on earth. That is why we read many of Jesus’ sermons and teachings during these weeks, as they are instruction for us to build the church, the Kingdom of God here on earth. There really is nothing ordinary about Ordinary Time.

This Sunday, June 13^th at the 9:00 Mass, we will be honoring four extraordinary members of our Parish and School staff who are retiring after many years of service. Mrs. Rose Miseski (“Mrs. M”) has been a kindergarten aid for 25 years at St Cassian School. She has decided to retire at the end of this school year, and we thank her for her many years of dedicated service to our youngest school children.  Along with Mrs. Regina Sammon, she has been one of the first to instruct and teach our School students over the years.

Mrs. Regina Sammon, our long-time school kindergarten teacher and Director of Religious Education is retiring this year as well. Just about every child who has received the Sacraments at St. Cassian Church for the last quarter century, has been guided by Mrs. Sammon and her sacramental preparation. The same can be said about all our School’s kindergarten children as well. She has served both the School and the Parish very well for very long.

Mr. Mike Sammon, a St. Cassian School alumnus himself, began teaching Gym at St Cassian’s School forty-four years ago.  Mr. Sammon has been influential for every child who has come through our School for that long. There is no question that Mr. Sammon’s lovable, fatherly, friendly demeanor will be missed at St Cassian School.

Finally, many of you are aware that Mrs. Eileen Ziegler, the long-time Parish secretary retired at the end of last calendar year. Because of the pandemic, until now there was really no other time to honor her for her Parish service and also the way she acted as a bridge from the Parish to the School. Eileen served as Secretary for twenty-three years during Msgr. Jack Judge’s pastorate as well as ten years of mine. Anyone who has called the Parish office during that time for a question, or arranged a funeral or a wedding, probably talked with Eileen. We are all grateful for her service to the Parish and are happy that she will remain an active Parishioner.  We are very happy for all our retirees and thank them for their many years of service the Parish.

Before people start leaving for the summer, I want you to be aware of what will be happening in September when we all return from summer vacation. In mid-October to November, there will be an Archdiocesan-wide unified welcome back and return to church. The Archdiocese is asking all Parishes to prepare in different ways for our Parishioners to return comfortably and to “hit the ground running” with different programs and events to welcome returning, as well as new members.  This initiative is called “Vine and Branches.”

The Parish Council here at St. Cassian has already begun forming Vine and Branches teams with different purposes: to prepare socially, spiritually, and pastorally for everyone’s return to the Parish. There will be four separate groups that will be brainstorming and coordinating events for not only the beginning of our return but going forward. The teams are Social, Evangelization, Spiritual, and Digital (Social Advertising).  While we already have Parish Council President Tom Higgins and members of our Parish Council working on these four different areas of preparation and reintegration into the Parish, we need volunteers who are enthusiastic and willing to help St. Cassian Parish return to the way it was pre-pandemic. I would ask you to prayerfully consider if you can help with any of those four teams, and then contact the Parish office to be put in that specific group. The group leader will contact you for further details.  This Vine and Branches initiative will be a wonderful way for us to not only get back to where we were before the pandemic, but to move forward as a Parish in building the Kingdom of God.  Please consider helping, then contact the Parish office.

Finally, our summer weekday Mass schedule, meaning Monday through Saturday, will remain unchanged throughout the summer. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturday mornings, will continue to have 8:15 a.m. live-streamed Masses that are open to the public.  There will continue to be no public Mass on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. In September, after Labor Day, we will continue again with daily Masses Tuesday through Saturday a.m., however, there will not be Mass at St. Cassian on Monday mornings. Those who regularly come to daily Mass have become acquainted with the nearby Catholic churches that offer Mass on Monday and I would encourage those interested in Monday Mass to be mindful of the other Parishes’ Monday schedules.

I want to thank you for being Parishioners here at St. Cassian Parish. At the same time, I thank you for your patience, endurance, and prayers throughout the past year and a half. Thanks, also, for your collective excitement and anticipation about the Parish not only reopening but being greater than ever.

Blessings,
Rev. Marc A. Vicari,
Pastor