Miss me yet? You may have noted that our ten painted glass art deco windows have been removed and their rotting frames replaced. As part of the church restoration project, the windows are themselves being reworked with the central figures in each window being retained and the decoration around the figure being replaced. The draft proposal for the first window to be reworked is featured on the cover of this week’s bulletin. You might note that the decorative border, which was originally art deco, now matches the more classical style found on the St. Cecilia window in the choir loft, while the background of the scene is far more realistic and is reminiscent of the background of the windows in the apse, behind the altar. The hope is to create a stylistic unity with the new windows while maintaining the subject matter and ele- ments of the original windows. The first two windows are being worked on now and will be installed by the end of the year. They are being funded by a generous loan from the diocese. If you are interested in the project or know someone who would like to fund a window, large or small, please contact our Direct of Advancement, Mrs. Am- ber Hiske at ahiske@shgr.org for more information.

Did you know you can have our Sunday bulletin delivered directly emailed to your inbox? Go to:

discovermass.com/subscribe to sign up.

Please visit the Commitment of Fidelity page to complete the Commitment of Fidelity Form.

Sacred Heart is happy to announce that we will be moving forward with another crucial piece of our restoration project–the construction of a handcrafted pipe organ!

Handcrafted to our church’s architecture and acoustics, it will serve as yet another monument to the glory of God. Made possible by a generous gift from the Secchia Family Foundation, work will begin next month with a plan to install the new instrument in the summer of 2025 in time for the conclusion of our year-long Palestrina500 Festival. We are so thankful for all of the generous donations that are making our Parish restoration and the work of our apostolates possible. We ask for your continued prayers and support as we continue our restoration efforts!

We are excited to announce that a hearing assistance system is available. Please see an usher to sign-out a receiver before Mass.

Jonathan Bading, Director of Sacred Music for Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, was recently interviewed by Julian Kwasniewski from Catholic World Report about Palestrina500 coming up in 2025. Enjoy the article here!

Bishop Walkowiak has issued new regulations on the care, handling, and distribution of the Most Blessed Sacrament. These changes have the force of “particular law” in our Diocese and will take effect this fall. Most of these represent little or no change from our current practices at Sacred Heart. However, the most significant change will be the Bishop’s prohibition of any blessing for those unable to receive Holy Communion.

The Bishop’s decree states: “Ministers of Holy Communion may not impart special blessings, (e.g. for children or non- Catholics) while distributing Communion.”

You might wonder what the reason for this norm is. The reception of Communion is the reception of Jesus Himself, whole and entire, and ALIVE. It has always been the tradition of the Church that priests, who make Jesus present in a lesser way (“in persona Christi”), do not bless anyone or anything else while Christ, the One Who blesses, is truly present before them in the Blessed Sacrament. The custom of blessing that has popped up in the last forty years or so, largely for sentimental reasons, never really made theological sense since it distracts from the purpose of the moment, namely union with the One Who blesses. As the Bishop reminds us, after Communion is received, “all members of the assembly, including those who have not received the Eucharist, are blessed at the end of Mass” by the priest.

Starting this fall, we ask that if you are unable to receive Communion for any reason, you should stay in your pew, making way for those approaching the altar and asking the Lord to make a spiritual communion. To facilitate this, please be flexible with your seating at Communion time. Remember, if there is a free space at the altar rail, please take it without drawing attention to those ahead of you who, for whatever reason, are not ready to approach the altar. Parents of small children are, of course, still welcome to bring their children with them if necessary so long as it is understood that they will be blessed at the end of Mass.

Here is an act of Spiritual Communion:

My Jesus,
I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love You above all things,
And I desire to receive You into my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment 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

We are currently unable to meet with all those asking for help due to a critically low number of volunteers.

What exactly does this ministry do?

Our volunteers meet with, pray for, and befriend those in need in our local and parish community. The overarching goal is to show Christ’s love to our neighbors by accompanying them through their hardships and seeking sustainable solutions. Sometimes this means helping them materially, but it always starts with listening, praying with, encouraging, and helping them negotiate a world that often forgets the poor.

We need help:

• Occasionally monitoring our voicemail
• Pairing up with other parishioners to meet neighbors in need at a safe location like Root’s Brew Shop
• Listening to, praying for, and prudently considering how to best help our neighbors
• Discerning how to best use funds donated by the parish
• Planning service projects to raise awareness about poverty
• Volunteering at the Christmas Market and other hospitality events for our neighbors
• Meeting with parishioners to discuss our efforts, God’s graces, and new initiatives
• Prayer in supporting the apostolate
  

Who do we help?

A typical neighbor calls seeking assistance with back rent or medical bills, as they have fallen on hard times. They or a dependent family member have become injured, sick, lost a job or work hours, have lost access to transportation, and do not have family or friends able or willing to help them. Sometimes it’s as easy as helping them fix a broken car so they can get to work. Or encouraging someone who has lost hope to send out some job applications. Other times it’s a single mom who was abandoned or abused by her husband who has tried to manage the household with multiple jobs, but rent payments have fallen behind the past few months and are in danger of eviction.

Often taken advantage of by, or getting lost in the system, the poor need advice on how to get thngs done or referrals to professionals who can help them. Whether it’s helping with bills, buying school supplies, or providing Christmas dinner—in all cases, it’s a son or daughter of God, your neighbor, who may be on the verge of losing hope in their dignity and God’s love. Christ has no hands on earth now but yours. Are you willing to help?

Interested in learning more or serving/praying? Contact Catie Southerton at catie.gammon@gmail.com

Next meeting: Wednesday, September 13, 6:00pm Adoration in the church. 7:00pmmeeting in Room 302 (classroom above the gym). Join for either or both!

Ushers are needed, especially for the 9:30am Mass! This is a great opportunity to serve God and the parish community. A nice option for families to contribute to the parish. Arrive early for the best seat in the house and help hand out programs before Mass and bulletins after Mass. You can sit with your family during Mass and then do a quick pick-up of extra programs afterwards. Children love to help and this gives them a feeling of importance and responsibility. It also helps draw you closer to parishioners. We are a close-knit group and fill in for each other as needed. Please contact Stanley Sedore at stanley.sedore@aya.yale.edu with questions or to volunteer.

When possible, homilies are recorded and made available by volunteers of the parish. Please enjoy them here and on myParishapp.