July 16, 2020

Dear Friends,

I greet you with the blessing that St. Paul greeted all of his churches: “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”. Paul saw his people undergoing great fear and anxiety just as we are facing the threat of COVID 19. He comforted them with the words: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who supports us in every hardship, so that we are able to come to the support of others…Just as the sufferings of Christ overflow into our lives, so too does the encouragement we receive through Christ.”

Today we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and the feast day of our parish. Normally we celebrate this day with a community bar-b-que and pot luck supper at the hall with all the good cheer and comradery that is part and parcel of our Carmelite community. This year we will have to feast on the spiritual banquet laid out before us by our Lady of Mt. Carmel. Human though she was, she whole heartedly embraced the difficult mission handed to her by the angel. Sustained by the grace that was given to her at birth, her mission still brought her both joy and much stress and sorrow. She didn’t try to hide or give in to despair but “treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart. Her response to God’s angel was “You see before you the Lord’s servant. Let it happen to me as you have said.”

We will celebrate the feast this Sunday as we always do. Our congregation has diminished in numbers but not in spirit. Usually we see about 240 members in the three Masses. What is remarkable and a great tribute to all of you is the way you’re sustaining your weekly giving. Our weekly collection has not diminished even though much of it is coming through the mail. May God bless you for that

We realize that this virus is going to be with us for a while, so we are moving very fast to bring you more encounters through the media. We will be streaming our Masses on line very soon as well as bible study podcasts, a tremendous number of learning opportunities through films, lectures by noted speakers, and regular words from your clergy. We have instituted a new website which is very beautiful and informative. You can access it by googling Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Osprey or OLMC-Osprey.org. We also have a new Facebook page at the same address. Remember that there are many churches which share our name, we alone add the word Osprey. (Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Osprey)

The media will never take the place of regular participation in the Mass or the interpersonal sharing that we cherish. But it will keep us in touch until many feel comfortable to come together again.

Know that we love you and pray for you daily. May the Lord keep you safe from every ill and bring you to the table of the Lord and the gathering of the community again real soon.
Yours in Christ,
 
Father Fred and Father Richard