Dear Prince of Peace Parishioners:
IMPORTANT NOTICE … The Offices of Prince of Peace and St. Gabriel Parishes will be Closed the July 12th through July 16th for Staff Development. The Parish Campus will be closed, staff members will not be onsite.
- In the words of Archbishop Paul Etienne: Our goal with this guidance is to ensure safety, protect the vulnerable among us and support the common good. Please remember that many people are unvaccinated and may not be able to receive the vaccine for various reasons. As a welcoming Catholic Church, we must ensure they feel safe and welcome to worship in person.
As vaccination rates continue to rise and Washington State begins to further lift restrictions, the Archdiocese of Seattle will be lifting some of its restrictions as well. However, please keep in mind that the Pastors/Administrators/Pastoral Coordinators of parishes will have the final decision on what can and may be done in their specific churches when relaxing previous Mass reopening restrictions. One parish may not be able to offer the same opportunities as a neighboring parish due to size, space limitations, or other circumstances
The following are a few top items that you may be wondering about:
- The Mass Reservation System will be discontinued, there is no need to register for any Masses at this time.
- There will be sections made available at both Churches to allow people to continue the 6 feet social distancing, if so desired.
- Though restrictions on social distancing has changed, we are still limited to only 50% of each Church’s capacity, St. Gabriel in the main Church 275, St. Gabriel and Prince of Peace 106.
We will continue to Live Stream Mass each weekend.
- Holy Water is not allowed in the fonts. This will return the weekend of July 24th, 2021
- Sign of Peace is still not allowed. This will return the weekend of July 24th, 2021
- Presentation of the Gifts by the Faithful. This will return the weekend of July 24th, 2021
- At this time, Congregational Singing is still not allowed, instead sing in your heart and soul, with the Cantor. This is expected to return the weekend of August 28th, 2021
- No Social Gatherings such as Coffee/Donuts Breakfast, Luncheons or Dinners. No Date Yet.
- Precious Blood is still not allowed for the congregation. No Date Yet.
Please see further information on what changes in Covid-19 in effects starting now and what changes remained unchanged in this bulletin or on our parish website: www.stgabepop.org
- I hoped that you also had a wonderful celebration of July 4 (Independence Day) this past week. What a great day to remember and celebrate the reality of who we are as a nation and as a people to continue to set high the value of Freedom, Peace and Justice. We pray that God continue to bless our nation and form our world to the values that we hold dear in our heart.
- Today's Gospel Mark 6:7-13, the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time, is about the formation of those who will eventually spread the Gospel to the ends of the earth. Mark sees the teaching and work of the apostles as an extension of Jesus' teaching and work.
Why does Jesus tell the apostles to "travel light" with little or no provision?
Jesus wants his disciples to be dependent on him and not on them. Jesus promises to work through and in each person called for his glory. The significance of shaking the dust off one's feet served as testimony against those who rejected the call to repentance.
What kind of authority and power does the Lord want us to exercise on his behalf?
Jesus gave his apostles both the power and the authority to speak and to act in his name. Jesus commanded them to do the works that he did: to cast out evil spirits, to heal, and to speak the word of God, the good news of the Gospel, which they received from Jesus. When Jesus spoke of power and authority he did something unheard of; he wedded power and authority with love and humility. Following Jesus is a risk, as every new way of life is. Each of us is called to teach as Jesus taught and to heal boldly and compassionately as he did.
- While enjoying the “Summer rest”, please don’t forget our parishes – Prince of Peace and St. Gabriel.
Christ’s Peace,
Fr. Phuong Hoang