+My Dear Parishioners,

As you know, this Sunday we begin the most important week of the liturgical calendar and the circumstances this year make it impossible for us to celebrate as we have in the past. In the spirit of bringing Jesus closer to your families, within the limited parameters we have and in obedience to the legitimate civil and ecclesiastical authorities for whom we do not stop praying, it has occurred to me that we can do the following: on Palm Sunday, after the 7am Holy Mass from 9 am and until 9 pm, I will take the Blessed Sacrament by car to the homes of those parishioners who request this blessing through the St. Anne parish website. In respect for the 6 foot physical/social distancing imposed in the present circumstances, the blessing will take place when I am standing curbside next to the car and the family by the door of their house.

The executive order given by the Governor of the State of Arizona, on March 30, 2020 (executive order 2020/18), includes among the essential activities that are permitted those that are protected by the Constitution. Among those expressly mentioned by the Governor are the rights of speech and religion. The only restriction to these activities is respect for "appropriate physical distance".

On the other hand, the Diocese of Phoenix has asked priests to stop visiting families inside their homes in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. At the same time, it has encouraged us to seek other ways to communicate with our parishioners and express to them the closeness of the Lord in these trying times. Photographs of priests carrying the Eucharist in procession through the streets and blessing the Catholic population of their communities have been published in the Diocesan media.

Therefore, to those who want to receive a blessing with the Blessed Sacrament this Sunday, we are going to ask you to request it online through the following link:

http://stanneaz.org/blessing

I want to stress the fact that I will give the blessing with the Blessed Sacrament standing next to my car, and I ask families to remain by the door of the house to respect hygiene protocols and thus be able to perform the blessing in a way that does not compromise anyone’s health. We must practice holy obedience. It will also be a way for your pastor to see you face to face, although it will only be for a few moments because I am thinking that there will be many who will desire the blessing with the Blessed Sacrament.

We will use an app so that each of the families who signs up can follow this journey with the Blessed Sacrament and receive, by email or text message, notices about the approximate time at which Jesus will be arriving. This will allow each family to plan and prepare accordingly.

This Sunday is Palm Sunday. This blessing will give the families of our parish an opportunity to welcome Jesus, the Son of David, the one who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel, as they did in the first Holy Week in history. It would be beautiful if families who can do so would place a palm on their door or at the entrance of their homes as a way to evoke Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. These palms, along with the families, will be blessed in the blessing with the Blessed Sacrament from the street.

To the families who wish to receive the blessing, I ask them to wait for the Lord at the entrance of their houses, next to the door. Knowing the time when the Lord will arrive at your home, you can take advantage of the immediately preceding moments to pray together while awaiting the Lord. If you have young children, help them to feel excited that Jesus is going to pass by their house to bless them. You can find materials prepared by the Diocese of Phoenix specifically for this year, thinking of families that will not be able to participate in parish celebrations as usual, through the following link:

https://instantflipbook.com/flipbooks/f872d73651/?page=1/

Parents can lead these prayers and help their children understand the beauty of this Holy Week.

I cannot enter your homes and I cannot give you, as much as I would like to, Holy Communion, but I can bring the Blessed Sacrament to bless your families from the street. I am grateful to the authorities for allowing us to do this. Remember, Jesus did not need to enter the house to heal the son of the royal official (Jn 4:46-54) and the servant of the Roman centurion. (Mt 8:5-13)

I wish you all an Easter filled with many graces of conversion and new life.

May the Lord and Mary bless you,

Father Sergio

Published April 03, 2020 , Blessings