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Fourth Sunday of Lent
17 March 2007
Parish Announcements for the Fourth Sunday of Lent 2017
A warm welcome to all visitors. I would like to introduce myself; I am Father Sredni Vashtar, and I am the new Pastor of St Mary’s, Greenville. I am also the canonical administrator of Our Lady of the Rosary, St Anthony, St Paul in Spartanburg, Jesus Our Risen Savior, Prince of Peace, St Mary Magdalene, St Elizabeth Ann Seton, St Luke, Holy Cross, Blessed Trinity, St Paul in Seneca, St Francis, and St Andrew. The Official Catholic Directory lists the average life expectancy of priests in the Diocese of Charleston to be around 35, so at the age of 85, I do not know how long I will be with you, but it will be a joy.
Today marks the second anniversary of our celebrating Mass in the Bi-Lo Center. Our people counters tell me we have some 45,000 registered and active parishioners in my parishes and 38,000 are here this morning. Since 36,000 of this number have Spanish as their native language, today will be the last Sunday we have Mass in English for lack of interest.
Please continue to pray for vocations. We had our meeting of the ten active priests of the Diocese last week and the Bishop is very concerned about the faithful in the parishes leaving the sacraments for megachurches because they cannot all fit into the assemblies for Mass and because they miss the old time parish system.
I am very sorry I cannot greet you after Mass today; I must depart immediately so I can say Mass in the Columbia Convention Center because their priest has finally dropped dead of over exhaustion, And since last week the collection plate came back with less than it started with, we cannot afford to rent the Bi-Lo Center next week. We will have Mass in Cleveland Park outside. The forecast calls for rain. God bless you and holy Lent!
But you laugh!!!! “It will never get that bad,” you say. So many of us take for granted that we will have our own parish church, Mass in our own language, a priest or four always at our disposal, and that the way we have experienced church for all our lives will always be that way. The February/March 2007 issue of Crisis magazine has a very interesting report on the state of the Catholic Church in the United States. Check it out!
More Catholics and fewer priests means difficult decisions for parishes and for those who worship in them. Next Wednesday, March 21 at 5pm the Knights of Columbus are sponsoring a special Holy Hour for vocations to the priesthood. Let’s pray that in 2017 we won’t hear the above announcements from the pulpit.
Father Christopher Smith