The Holy Family

12-29-2024Pastor's CornerFr. Bob Deehan

With both Fr. Bill, our senior assistant, and myself hospitalized recently for different reasons, we have had to re-examine our respective schedules and duties to arrive at a more reasonable activity level that will be more conducive to maintain our health and well-being going forward. Thankfully, Fr Bill is able to continue as our Weekend Assistant celebrating Sunday weekend Masses on a rotating basis with me.

However, Fr Bill will no longer be able to celebrate the Wednesday and Thursday 8:15 morning Masses that he has done for the last 3½ years. Those have been my days off. In addition, he will not be doing every other Friday and Saturday 8:15am Mass, which he alternated with me. Fr Bill will also no longer be available to provide funeral coverage. We have been so blessed to have a retired priest like Fr. Bill who has been so available and willing to assist our faith community for the last few years, but circumstances have changed. I am doing my best to obtain coverage from other retired priests in the area. However, many are unable to make a commitment to celebrate Masses on a regular basis. As the number of available senior priests declines, it makes this search more difficult.

As a result, one decision I am making beginning January 1, 2025 is to discontinue the Saturday 8:15am Mass. With the availability of our Saturday vigil Mass at 5:00pm and other parishes in the area still able to provide a Saturday morning Mass, I believe this is a reasonable decision given both my health needs and the limited number of substitutes available to cover a Saturday morning Mass. This also takes into consideration that on a Saturday, I may be called upon to do a funeral Mass (a more frequent occurrence these days), a wedding Mass, the 4:00pm Confessions, and the 5:00pm vigil Mass. For many of these same reasons, fewer parishes in the area provide a Saturday morning Mass. Here are some local parishes that still do: St. Peter Church, Plymouth – 9:00am; St. Bonaventure Church, Manomet – 8:00am; Our Lady of the Lake Church, Halifax – 9:00am. St. Christine Church, Marshfield offers a 9:00am Mass on the first Saturday of the month. I would advise you to check the respective parish website / bulletin for any changes. I am grateful for parishioners’ understanding about this decision and other adjustments that may be needed in the future. Both Fr. Bill and I appreciate very much your continued prayers.