A
STATEMENT FROM THE RECTOR TO ST. STEPHEN’S
MARCH
16, 2020
The Wardens and I have been in almost constant contact
over the last few weeks discussing how St. Stephen’s should respond to the Coronavirus
crisis. We have taken tentative and precautionary steps, trying to follow Diocesan
standards and the example of other Episcopal congregations.
Yesterday
(March 15), after Mass, the Wardens and I met with Dr. John Baird, St. Stephen’s
member and semi-retired from Cass County Public Health in Public Health and General Preventative Medicine. John, as
you all know, is well-trained and well-prepared in how to respond to pandemics.
After that discussion, and after deep prayer, and in consultation with the Wardens,
I made the decision to close the doors to public worship at St. Stephen’s beginning
on Sunday, March 22.
This
was a hard decision for me. I have been committed to walk a middle road between
the extreme reactions to this crisis. I am also of a very strong conviction
that the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist is an important source of spiritual consolation
in times of crisis.
However,
as I have said again and again, my main commitment is to the health and
well-being on our congregation. I do not want St. Stephen’s or anything we do
here to be the reason one becomes ill. I would rather err on the side of overreacting
and being safe, than be guilty of underreacting and causing further illness to
others.
My main priority as
your priest is your health and well-being, both spiritually and
physically.
With that in mind, I am asking the
congregation of St. Stephen’s to do the following:
MASSES: Beginning on March 22, we will be
suspending regular attendance at both the Sunday and Wednesday Masses. Please
note that Mass will still continue to be celebrated “in house,” but with only
Fr. Jamie, John Anderson, James Mackay and a very small group of assistants. Beginning
this Wednesday, March 18, all of our Masses will be live-streamed so that everyone
may participate in the Mass via Facebook.
FACEBOOK: I know that several members of our congregation
have avoided Facebook for various reasons, and I am empathetic to those
reasons. However, for the sake of remaining in community with St. Stephen’s, I
am asking St. Stephen’s members to please join Facebook, if for no other reason
than to join the St. Stephen’s Facebook group.
Please
know that you can join Facebook under an “alias” so that no one will know it’s
you. Also know that just because you join Facebook does not mean you have to
accept “friend requests” from others.
To join the Facebook St. Stephen’s group, please
go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/52039214842/
Press the ‘Request to Join” button. That request will be sent to me. I am the only
one who sees it and I am the only one who “approves” members to this group
If you have any
questions about this, please send me an email or a text and I will help walk
you through it. Please do not send me emails or comments about the “evils” of
Facebook. I do not have the time or the energy to discuss those matters at this
time.
In addition to the
live-streamed Masses (which one can either watch live on Sundays at 11:00 a.m. or
Wednesdays at 6:00 p.m. or at any time after those times), regular updates will
be listed on the Facebook group. I will also update our webpage regularly, as
well as our blog (ststephensfargo.blogspot.com)
INTERCESSIONS: Please send your prayer
intercessions to me at my email frjamieparsley@gmail.com
or by text or by Facebook message. Everyone on the prayer list will be prayed
for during the Masses and during my own personal daily prayers.
CONTACT: I, along with John Anderson, will make
every effort to make regular pastoral contact with all of you during this time
of social isolation. I will be making phone calls or sending emails or text
messages to check in. Please respond to these communications so we can remain
in contact with each other.
To make my job a bit easier,
please regularly check-in with me if you are able just to let me know you and
your loved ones are well.
IF YOU ARE ILL: If you are ill, or just in need of
contact or prayer, please do not hesitate to contact me at any time.
PLEDGES/OFFERINGS: Please do keep up your pledges during
this time! Please know you can still mail offerings through regular mail and by
pressing the “donate” button on the webpage (ststephensfargo.org)
PRAY: Please PRAY! Pray for our congregation, for
our members, your wardens, your vestry, your organist and musicians, your Candidate
for Holy Orders as he prepares for ordination, and me, your priest.
Pray for your
neighbors, our country and all those affected by this crisis throughout the
world.
MOST IMPORTANTLY: Keep healthy and keep safe!
Please socially/physically isolate as best you can during this time.
Also, please forgive
any lapses or information that doesn’t get conveyed. The Wardens, the Vestry
and I are all working overtime to keep St. Stephen’s running and on task during
this strangely uncertain time, while also trying to maintain our own health.
In my sermon
yesterday, I preached that the message we receive from God again and again
throughout scripture is, “Do not fear.” That message speaks loudly to all of us
today. The God who loves us and knows us intimately is telling each of us right
now: “Do not fear.” Please hold these words close to you as we journey together
through these uncharted waters.
Jesus, you lived in a time in which illness and
mass sickness were common,
you knew the loneliness, the weakness
and the degradation times of stress and uncertainty bring;
you knew what times of fear entail.
Jesus, your suffering is the only hope,
the only reconciliation for those who endure these issues.
Be with us all as we grapple with these uncertain times.
Be a promise to us
that these present anxieties will cease;
be the hand that we can hold;
be present, Savior, for we need you now.
Fr.
Jamie Parsley, Rector
Please keep in
contact:
Website:
Ststephensfargo.org
Blog:
ststephensfargo.blogspot.com
Twitter:
twitter.com/ststephensfargo
Facebook
group: facebook.com/groups/52039214842
