St. Francis of Assisi
   Catholic Church

     3717 Hwy 515E 
      Blairsville GA 30512
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 Adoration of the
Blessed Sacrament:

Currently Suspended

Dear Friends:

Here is the most recent update from the Archdiocese for our worship this weekend and Holy Week:

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This weekend’s plan for Confessions and Adoration is cancelled.  The Church will be closed and locked until Divine Mercy Sunday, The Second Sunday of Easter.

We are called to stay home - and stay safe!

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Holy Week Fr. G will be streaming Masses.  There will be no public attendance at these Masses.  Here is the schedule:

Monday - Wednesday Daily Mass 12:15 PM

Holy Thursday - 7 PM

Good Friday. - 3 PM

Easter Vigil Mass - 9 PM

Easter Sunday Mass - 10 AM

* All Masses are live streamed on our parish facebook page.  Directions will follow on exactly how to tune in.

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Update on Joan Furst

Yesterday, I asked for prayers for Joan who had an accident at home and is in a soft cast.  That was all the information I had at the time. Today I learn, Joan is hospitalized at Union County Hospital. Joan was walking her dog at night when he jolted and pulled her into the trunk of a tree. She suffered a broken arm and dislocated elbow, bruised ribs, and she is in a lot of pain - and without visitors or Eucharistic ministers.

Let’s pray for Joan’s relief from pain, Lord, bring her your healing and peace.  Let’s pray for our entire community.  Don’t forget Spiritual Communion.

+God bless,

DJP

Brothers and sisters,

As we come closer to the blessed culmination of the Lenten season, I want to update our timetables relative to the sacred liturgies and the conduct of Palm Sunday and the Triduum, as well as to offer further comment on the administration of sacraments during this time.

 PUBLIC MASSES

We will extend the suspension of public Masses in the Archdiocese through the First Sunday after Easter (Divine Mercy Sunday), hence through April 19, with another update to be offered prior to that weekend. If we should be granted the ability to return to public gatherings sooner, we will, of course, alter this plan accordingly.

SACRAMENTS

Reconciliation

It is no longer appropriate, given the local emergency accommodations, to hear confessions in confessional boxes or confined rooms. This is in keeping with the direction of both the Apostolic Penitentiary (See attached “Note from the Apostolic Penitentiary on the Sacrament of Reconciliation in the current pandemic”) and USCCB (See: “The Care of Souls and the Forgiveness of Sins During This Pandemic” at the USCCB website). Individual confessions may be celebrated in a well-ventilated area, which can provide for social distancing and the confidentiality of the confession. The sacrament of Reconciliation is to be celebrated within spaces of the church or parish school buildings which have been prepared for the worthy celebration of the sacrament. If it can be done, it would be good to provide for the anonymity of the penitent for those who desire it. Spaces for confession should minimize the likelihood of multiple people touching surfaces which the next penitent might contact.  Additionally, some of you are under local restrictions that make it impractical to offer an indoor encounter of any kind.

The provision for general absolution is reserved in the Note from the Sacred Penitentiary to very special circumstances, e.g., a hospital ward in which a number of coronavirus patients are sequestered.

Note the guidance from the USCCB Secretariat of Doctrine and Canonical Affairs in “The Care of Souls and the Forgiveness of Sins During This Pandemic,” reminding of the ability to instruct souls regarding the opportunity to use the Church’s provision of an Act of Perfect Contrition:

“Where the individual faithful find themselves in the painful impossibility of receiving sacramental absolution, it should be remembered that perfect contrition, coming from the love of God, beloved above all things, expressed by a sincere request for forgiveness (that which the penitent is at present able to express) and accompanied by votum confessionis, that is, by the firm resolution to have recourse, as soon as possible, to sacramental confession, obtains forgiveness of sins, even mortal ones (cf. CCC, no. 1452).”    Perfect contrition requires:

• the love of God

• the sincere desire for forgiveness

• the ardent commitment to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation as soon as possible, when available

First Holy Communion and Confirmations

These will need to be rescheduled once we are able to return to the celebration of regular Masses.

RCIA–RELATED PROVISIONS

There will be no Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil this year in the Archdiocese of Atlanta due to the coronavirus restrictions and precautions in place

PALM SUNDAY AND HOLY WEEK
Palm Sunday of the Passion of Our Lord

The pastor or another priest should celebrate Mass for the intentions of the people privately with other priests and those necessary for the celebration of the liturgy (e.g., deacon, lector, server, musician), not to exceed ten persons.

The first form of the entrance (Procession) will not be used. The second form (Solemn Entrance) will be used at the cathedral only.  The third form (Simple Entrance) will be used in parish churches.

Palms are not to be blessed at this time but to be kept, blessed, and distributed at an acceptable time in the future.

Holy Week

Chrism Mass

Archbishop-designate Hartmayer has asked that the Chrism Mass be postponed this year until after his installation, allowing him to celebrate the Mass with the priests of the Archdiocese.  When a date is selected, you will be notified right away.  In the meantime, those needing consecrated oils from 2019 may obtain an additional supply from the Cathedral of Christ the King.

The Sacred Triduum

The bishops will celebrate the liturgies of the Sacred Triduum at the Cathedral of Christ the King, to be broadcast in live stream to all who would avail themselves remotely.  Some parishes will have the ability to do something similar.  The following are guidelines that are in keeping with the recent statement from the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (“Decree in Time of COVID-19”):

The faithful should be informed of the times of the private celebration of these liturgies so that they can prayerfully unite themselves in their homes. The means of live televised or internet/live streamed broadcasts are recommended.
 
Separate provisions are being sent to monastic, religious, and consecrated communities within the Archdiocese.

Holy Thursday, Mass of the Lord’s Supper

The Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments has granted the exceptional faculty to each priest to celebrate Mass, without the people present, on this day in 2020. As above, the pastor or another priest should celebrate Mass privately with other priests and those necessary for the celebration of the liturgy (e.g., deacon, lector, server, musician), not to exceed ten persons.

The foot washing option is to be omitted.

At the end of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, the procession with the Blessed Sacrament to the place of repose is to be omitted and the Blessed Sacrament is to be kept in the tabernacle.

Priests who are unable to celebrate Mass should instead pray Vespers/Evening Prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours.

Good Friday, Passion of the Lord

As above, the pastor or another priest should conduct the liturgy with other priests and those necessary for the celebration of the liturgy (e.g., deacon, lector, server, musician), not to exceed ten persons.

During the Adoration of the Holy Cross, the customary kissing or touching of the cross is to be omitted. A genuflection or profound bow would be an appropriate sign of reverence.

Easter Vigil

As above, the pastor or another priest should celebrate Mass for the intentions of the people privately with other priests and those necessary for the celebration of the liturgy (e.g., deacon, lector, server, musician), not to exceed ten persons.

At “The Solemn Beginning of the Vigil or Lucenarium,” the preparation and lighting of the fire is omitted.

The Paschal Candle is lit; the procession is omitted.

The Easter Proclamation (Exsultet) follows.

The Liturgy of the Word takes place according to the rubrics.

For the “Baptismal Liturgy,” the “Renewal of Baptismal Promises” alone is necessary (cf. Missale Romanum, pg 371, n. 55).

The Liturgy of the Eucharist then follows.

All priests and religious who have no possibility of uniting themselves to the Paschal Vigil celebrated in a church should pray the Office of Readings for Easter Sunday in the Liturgy of the Hours. Others are likewise invited to pray the Office of Readings in union with Church universal.

Easter Sunday

As above, the priest may celebrate privately or have up to four additional asymptomatic adults assisting in the vital ministries.

Archdiocese of Atlanta cancels 

2020 Eucharistic Congress

The Archdiocese of Atlanta has made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 Eucharistic Congress, originally scheduled for June 12-13. Organizers recognize that even if the spread of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus has slowed by mid-June, we do not believe we will be in a position to host an event which typically draws up to 30,000 people.   Additionally, travel arrangements for presenters and visitors cannot be assured in the present circumstances.
 
Our efforts will now be devoted to moving planned activities one year forward. The 2021 Congress promises to feature dynamic national speakers, age- and culture-specific tracks and, of course, the cornerstone of the Congress, a joyful Eucharistic Procession and liturgy. And it will still be the 25th Archdiocese of Atlanta Eucharistic Congress, but one year later than anticipated.  Join us June 4th and 5th, 2021.
 
If you are a vendor or speaker, someone from the steering committee will be in touch with you about next steps. In the meantime, please join us in prayer for an end to the spread of this virus and for healing for those impacted.
 
Since 1996, the annual Congress has drawn the faithful from across the Southeast to worship, celebrate diversity, and lift up Christ in our world. The steering committee for the event looks forward to 2021 with faith and hope.