Church of Saint Michael

A good friend of our parish, Stephen Schmalhofer, recently wrote the book Delightful People, published by Cluny Media. Eleven essays describe, often whimsically and perceptively, but in depictions that are also informative, colorful characters from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Stephen wrote most of the chapters on the commuter train from Greenwich, Connecticut, to Manhattan. As the author writes in his Preface, while the people mentioned are very different one from the other, “To be dissolved [cupio dissolvi] and to be with Christ is to join the most delightful people in the communion of saints.”

   Father Rutler's books, along with Edward Short's Wit and Wisdom collection of quotations from them, are available in the rear of our church, as well as through Amazon. They include Our Peculiar Times, published in May, and A Crisis in Culture, just published on October 15.

On Monday, June 22, parishes in the New York City boroughs of the Bronx, Manhattan and Staten Island will join the rest of the Archdiocese in resuming public Masses. Parish offices will reopen, and weekday Masses, baptisms, weddings and funerals may resume at 25% of the capacity of the church, provided that physical distancing and other archdiocesan guidelines are followed. The Church of St. Michael has a capacity of 1,100, so it will be easy to meet the guidelines for the number of people admitted.
   Precautions to be taken include wearing masks, maintaining a distance of six feet, avoiding physical contact except for Communion, frequent washing of hands and sanitizing of surfaces. The safety of clergy and lay people has been the Archdiocese’s first priority during the pandemic, the second priority being the resumption of in-person worship.
   Sunday Mass with supervised attendance will be permitted on June 28.

CONFESSION AND COMMUNION

We remind all parishioners, especially those planning to attend Mass, that in order to be properly disposed to receive Communion, one should not be conscious of grave sin and should have abstained for one hour from any food or drink, with the exception of medicine or water. A person who is conscious of grave sin is not to receive the Body and Blood of the Lord without prior sacramental Confession, except for a grave reason where there is no opportunity for Confession. Now that churches have reopened, you are encouraged to take advantage of the opportunity to receive the sacrament of Confession and the graces it offers.

                SPIRITUAL COMMUNION

My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the Blessed Sacrament.
I love you above all things and I desire to receive you in my soul.
Since I cannot now receive you sacramentally,
Come at least spiritually into my heart.
I embrace you as if you were already there
And unite myself wholly to you.
Never permit me to be separated from you.
Amen 

BOOKS by FATHER RUTLER

The collection of pastoral letters A Year with Father Rutler, originally published in a leather-bound edition, is now available in a four-volume paperback set published by Sophia Institute Press for $59.95. For more information and to order, kindly visit A Year with Fr. Rutler 4-Book Set | Sophia Institute Press on the Sophia Institute website (www.SophiaInstitute.com).