March 27, 2020
Dear friends in Christ,
Our parishes are life-giving places where the faithful join in the celebration of the Eucharist, grow in their faith, and come together in charity. We embrace the joys of baptisms and weddings and shed tears at the funeral of a member of our parish family. Simply put, our parishes are our spiritual homes and serve as a refuge, especially in our times of need.
Now, our parishes need our help.
Like so many families in our own Diocese and throughout the country, our parishes are struggling. Even though the public celebration of the Mass is temporarily postponed, our parishes remain as powerhouses of consolation and encouragement because the private celebration of the Eucharist continues. Priests continue reaching out to provide pastoral care and support in new ways of keeping a parish family united and at prayer until the joyful day when we are gathered around the altar again. Parish staffs are serving their communities from home. Many parishes are live-streaming Masses and connecting with their people via social media. At the same time, parishes must meet salaries, pay for utilities and other necessities, and manage expenses – all without the regular Sunday offertory.
Just one week without the generous weekly support of the faithful and parishes face a hardship. Several weeks without it, and they face potentially crippling difficulties.
I ask you to help your parish continue its pastoral care by making a weekly contribution online. Simply click here at helpmyparish.thankyou4caring.org. There, select your own parish and make either a one-time gift or a weekly recurring donation. These contributions will then be forwarded to parishes promptly. As non-profit organizations, parishes are dependent on your generous giving.
In these unprecedented and uncertain times, families that are struggling themselves may not be in a position to financially support their parish in this manner. I speak on behalf of your pastor in saying that I understand completely. If you are faced with such a situation, I ask for your prayers for those impacted by the coronavirus outbreak and for our Church. Your prayer is a matchless gift.
Thank you for being such good and faithful parishioners. I know how much you love your parish, and our Church is blessed by your stewardship.
With the promise of a daily remembrance of you at the celebration of the Eucharist, and commending you to the care of the Blessed Virgin Mary, I am
Faithfully yours in Christ,
Most Reverend Arthur J. Serratelli, S.T.D., S.S.L., D.D.
Retired Bishop of Paterson