Pray the Rosary for Our Country
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I am happy to announce that starting this weekend, July 25 & 26, we will be able to offer the 4:30 p.m., 7:30 a.m., 9:00 a.m., 12:00 noon and 5:30 p.m. Masses outside, on the east side of the Cathedral. An altar will be set up at the top of the steps. Chairs will be set up on the lawn area by the grotto, 6 feet apart. For those who attend the Spanish Mass, Latin Mass and the 10:30 a.m. English Mass, we will still be live-streaming those; so, you will have to watch the Mass on your phone or on the screen that has been set up outside. If you attend in person, Holy Communion will be offered. Of course, for those who are unable or do not wish to come in person, please remember that you are dispensed from the obligation to attend Mass and may stay at home without feeling any guilt. The 8:00 a.m. weekday Mass will continue to be live-streamed. Unfortunately, there are no immediate plans to live-stream the 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, Latin Mass. Also, please remember that we are still offering the Sacrament of Confession from 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. every Saturday in the Cathedral.
Finally, registration for PSR Classes is happening now! Please contact Sr. Mary Emmanuel, MSSR (srmaryemmanuel2@gmail.com) if you have any questions. Registration forms are available in the Parish Office and on our website: www.steugenes.com. We will have First Holy Communion for the PSR students who passed their class this year on Saturday, August 8, at 10:00 a.m. Sr. Mary Emmanuel will contact parents regarding a retreat and other preparations. God bless you and congratulations.
*** Just a note about the photo of the partially destroyed statue of Jesus that is pictured in these notes. Catholic churches and statues around the country are being attacked and destroyed. To name a few incidents: The 18th century mission church of San Gabriel Archangel in Los Angeles, founded in 1771 by St. Junipero Serra, was set ablaze on Saturday, July 11th; a man drove a car into Queen of Peace Church in Ocala, Florida, on July 12, poured gasoline around the lobby and set it afire; several statues of the Blessed Mother have been burned around the country, as well as statues of Our Lord being vandalized and statues of saints toppled. (In France, an average of 3 churches are set ablaze daily.) We don’t know if and when this madness will end but one thing we do know, is that the root cause of all of this destruction and chaos is Satan. Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, former Papal Nuncio to the U.S. is quoted as saying, “In these modern times of terrible tribulation, when the pandemic has deprived Catholics of Holy Mass and the Sacraments, the Evil One has gone into a frenzy and multiplied his attacks to tempt souls into sin." As we know, falling into despair is one of the favorite sins of the devil, and many of us feel despair and frustration at what we are seeing happen around us. One thing I must say about this parish, though, it sure has people with a fighting spirit. Every day, I see many of you gathering outside to pray and adore Our Lord. I hear many of you tell me that you will do all you can to protect our statues if trouble ever comes to our door. The spirit of resilience and trust in God is alive and well at St. Eugene’s! I am proud to stand with you in protecting our church and praying for our parish and for our nation. In addition to our daily Rosary, let us all say, several times a day, the powerful Prayer to St. Michael, composed by Pope Leo XIII, who certainly must have mystically seen this time period and was moved to write the powerful prayer against the powers of evil.
Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil; May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; And do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and all evil spirits who wander through the world for the ruin of souls. Amen.
“First we overlook evil. Then we permit evil. Then we legalize evil. Then we promote evil. Then we celebrate evil. Then we persecute those who still call it evil.”
—Fr. Epperson
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