Month: April 2020

Due to the continuing Covid-19 pandemic and the requirements for social distancing and precautions that we are all being asked to take, in the best interest of the common good and the protection of our volunteers and patrons, the Rapid Run Fest Regional Festival  has been cancelled for 2020.

Fr. Bryan T. Reif
Pastor St Al’s on the Ohio/St Simon the Apostle Parishes
April 30, 2020

Musings of Fr. Bryan T. Reif

As of this writing, the suspension of public celebration of the Mass has one more week to run. As of today, April 27^th, we are slated to begin the public celebration of Holy Mass again reverting to our normal schedule on Monday, May 4th. Our first Sunday Masses celebrated publicly are slated to be Saturday and Sunday, May 9-10^th according to our normal schedule. THIS IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE. We are awaiting word from the Archdiocese as to whether we will resume public celebration of Masses on schedule, or whether the suspension of public Masses will be extended a little longer, or something in between (ie. Social distancing requirements an the like). I know there are many who are very anxious that the public celebration of Mass resume as soon as possible, I am one of them, however, we need to continue to follow the directives of our bishops with regard to this, and they are in consultation with the Governor, and his Covid-19 Task Force. We will follow whatever directives the bishops set. We expect some kind of decision from the Ohio Bishops Conference later this week (if you’re reading this on Sunday in the bulletin, the decision whatever it will be has already been made).

I know that the “stay at home order” that we have all been asked to follow by Governor DeWine has been at times challenging if not downright difficult, but I appreciate what they are trying to do to keep people safe and healthy from the virus. It is my hope that we will continue to patiently abide by the directives coming from the Virus Task Force so that we can get through this with as few getting sick or dying from Covid-19 as possible. I encourage all of us to please support our local businesses who are struggling in this time because of the economic fallout from Covid-19. Grab some take out from local restaurants in Delhi or Sayler Park, and let’s help our communities weather this virus storm.

Finally and most importantly, pray! Pray for an end to the pandemic and an end to the virus. Pray that we and our fellow parishioners and neighbors remain healthy. Pray the Rosary, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, our devotions and novenas, and if public Mass is not yet restored, watch Mass streamed live on the internet. Let us use the tie to grow closer to God, reflect upon our lives and faith journeys, and make a good and holy Confession so that when we are able to receive Communion again, we do so with hearts and souls made pure and in deep abiding friendship with God.

It is the Lord who will bring us through this, and bring us back to His Altar. May we give thanks to Him every day for the blessings we have, even in the midst of quarantine.

Take Good Care,

Fr. Bryan T. Reif

Musings of Fr. Bryan T. Reif

We continue our isolation from one anther during this “Stay at Home Order”, or quarantine time, let us continue to focus on our personal and private prayer and devotions. The Church has given us a treasury of devotional prayer over the centuries. Even though the celebration of the Holy Mass is the source and summit of the life of Faith, it is not the sum total of the Faith. Even during this time of being cut off from the public celebration of the Mass and the Eucharist, we still are able to worship God thorough our personal prayer.

Over the course of this pandemic, I have been live streaming Mass at 10 AM most every day. This has been a challenge since I am very limited technologically. I stream from the dining room of the rectory for daily Mass, and from St. Simon Church on Sunday. These are the locations where I am able to get a reliable internet connection to upload and stream live. Regrettably, I cannot get a strong or reliable signal to stream from St. Al’s. It is my hope that instead of having to watch Mass online, we will soon be able to gather in person again to celebrate the Eucharist publicly again.

Financially, the parishes are struggling. Our donations have been down because of the suspension of the public celebration of Mass, as we suspected would happen. We are, however, extremely grateful for the donations we have received in both parishes, either through electronic giving, or through the Sunday envelope either dripped off, or mailed in to the parishes. What we are receiving, though not quite enough, is helping us to keep bills paid.

Please continue to pray for one another, for the sick, suffering, and lonely. Please also pray that this pandemic will end soon, and that this virus will be removed from our midst. Also, please pray for those affected by the economic impact of the pandemic as well, those who have been furloughed, or lost their jobs or businesses. Together walking with the Lord, we will get through.

Take Good Care,

Fr. Bryan T. Reif

Holy Thursday—7:00 p.m.

Good Friday—7:00 p.m.

Holy Saturday—7:00 p.m.

Easter Sunday—10:00 a.m.

Facebook page: St Simon the Apostle St. Aloysius on the Ohio search for the page and hit the like button

Things I’ve Seen and Heard

Musings of Fr. Bryan T. Reif

On behalf of the entire Pastoral Staff at both parishes of the Region, I wish to extend to you a very Happy Easter. Easter is different this year, with the “Stay at Home Order” in effect, we are not able to spend the time with our families and friends that perhaps we are accustomed to doing on Easter. We are not able to come to Church to celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord as we are accustomed to doing. This year is very different because of the precautions we are being asked to take due to the COVID-19 Coronavirus. This truly is a sacrifice for many. Being unable to gather to celebrate the Sacrifice of the Mass publicly, and being unable to receive the Most Holy Eucharist is a huge cross for many. Many people have expressed to me their hunger for the Eucharist, their desire to attend Mass again. This is good. This “fast” that we have forced on by the virus should make us hunger for the Mass, and the Eucharist, and to come to a deeper appreciation for what the Lord has given to us, His Church. As Christ’s Church, we are obliged to follow the Church’s law, the liturgical rubrics and norms, and the decrees of legitimate ecclesiastical authority: the pope, the bishops, the pastors of the Church. This “fast” we have been forced on should also help us to grow in our understanding and even appreciate that we receive the Faith as gift, God’s way, and His Church’s way, not necessarily our way. This I know has been a difficult time for many, if not most of us. We haven’t had Mass available to us, or Holy Communion, which we had become accustomed to having at our convenience. It is good that we break from that, and recognize that the Faith calls us to something more. We are called to sacrifice and to sacrificial love. We are called to seek the Lord, not just wait upon Him. We are called to do what it takes to place God first in our lives, and not expect the Lord to fit in and around everything else we do and are about. Perhaps these are some of the lessons that we can learn from our “fast” this year caused by the global pandemic.

Pray! Pray! Pray! We still have until at least May 10^th before our first publicly celebrated Sunday Mass. This time we are unable to come to Mass and receive Communion is still a time for prayer. The call to holiness is not canceled. The call to live a life of prayer is not canceled. We must do all we can to strive to be holy and to grow in our life of prayer during this time. It can make the celebration of the Mass and Holy Communion that much “sweeter” for us when the time finally comes, and the pandemic is over.

Please continue to financially support the parishes as well. Because of the pandemic, and the suspension of Masses, our weekly collections in both parishes are way down. Our bills though, still need to be paid, and so do the salaries of our staff. Please consider mailing in your weekly envelope, or giving online through the parish websites through WeShare. We need to not only spiritually weather this storm, but we need to financially weather this storm also.

Finally, I am praying for all of you. Please keep me in your prayers, and let us grow closer to Christ together.

Take Good Care,

Fr. Bryan T. Reif

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