Welcome to St. Anne’s Parish!

PENTECOST SUNDAY – CREATING UNITY THAT EMBRACES DIVERSITY

The descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples transformed a fearful, bewildered group of disciples hiding in a safe room in Jerusalem into a courageous lot, ready to sacrifice their lives for the mission entrusted to them by the Risen Jesus. Before the coming of the Spirit, they had neither the conviction nor the courage to begin the great mission. Upon receiving the Holy Spirit, as promised by Jesus, they became a joyful and courageous missionary community, on fire with zeal, and eager to be Christ’s witnesses to the world. The readings today remind us of three important truths about the Church and its mission: that the Church is essentially missionary; that the Holy Spirit is the principal agent of its mission; and that the goal of mission is to create a unity that embraces diversity.

The miracle of Pentecost was a miracle of mutual understanding, a restoration of the unity humanity lost at Babel. Today we might ask ourselves what gift of the Spirit, what language do we need so that everybody can understand no matter what their ethnic or linguistic background? Yes, there is such a gift, such a language. It is the language of love. This is a language that all people understand and it is, to quote the words of Teilhard de Chardin, ‘the only force that can make things one without destroying them’.

RESTORATION OF SUNDAY MASS OBLIGATION

In March of 2020, Bishop Paul had dispensed with the obligation to Sunday Mass because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now that the public pandemic restrictions have been lifted for public gatherings, including public worship, the Bishop has restored the Sunday obligation for Catholics in the Diocese of St. Paul, starting on Sunday, June 5, 2022, the Solemnity of Pentecost.

As has always been the case, anyone with a “serious reason” or a “grave cause” is excused from this obligation. Such reasons include:

–     Anyone who is sick, symptomatic or recently exposed to COVID-19

–     Anyone with serious health risk factors requiring them to avoid public spaces

–     Anyone who cares for sick persons

–     Anyone who cannot attend Mass because of frailty or old age.