Dear Parishioners, About a week ago we received word from Bishop Thomas Daly of his decision to close Sacred Heart Church in Springdale within the next six months. As this summer season was coming to a close, I made the initial request to the bishop in August to consider how Sacred Heart hasn’t seen growth in attendance or activity in at least two years, averaging about 8-12 people each Sunday. That is just not enough to justify keeping this church location open nor is it sustainable. This was following a question I proposed one year ago to all our parishes, after outlining our current demographics, that stated, “Should we or can we keep all our locations open?” I appreciate everyone who has been a part of Sacred Heart’s history and presence in Springdale for more than 110 years. The first Catholic Church in Springdale was erected in 1913; it was considered a mission until the early 1950's. Then the current church was built in 1964 by the help of many parishioners. I invite the Sacred Heart parishioners to continue to be a part of the new St. Mary of the Rosary Parish as Sacred Heart’s boundaries in Springdale are incorporated into St. Mary’s along with Holy Ghost and St. Joseph’s boundaries in Valley. Even without a physical location in Springdale, we want to continue to serve the Catholic community in the area, to help everyone access the sacraments and provide religious formation, which is our obligation as a parish. I also hope that we can memorialize the church within our parish in a special way as it has been a significant part of our South Stevens County Catholic presence for so many decades. I, along with the parish council, will be working with Sacred Heart parishioners in the coming months as we go through the closure and the incorporation process.
SAINT OF THE MONTH Once a month, during our Wednesday Faith Night, we will be highlighting a “Saint of the Month” in all our Faith Formation classes. For the month of October, we have chosen St. Dominic because of his connection with the Holy Rosary. The statue in St. Mary’s sanctuary is a statue of Mary giving the Rosary to St. Dominic. At our Faith Night this week, I will give a little history of St. Dominic and his connection with the Rosary. The children will also be learning about our Saint of the Month with several activities. Saints are physical reminders of God's love and salvation. The Church honors saints not for their sake alone, but for the sake of Christ. A saint is a testament to God's faithfulness and devotion. They are signs of hope, living proof that Jesus is among us and is working to make us holy.
COMMUNION UNDER BOTH SPECIES You may have noticed or heard that we have begun to offer Communion under both species at the Saturday Vigil Mass at St. Mary’s. I was approached by some members who attend that Mass that they wished to see it return so I said we would have to find enough people who could be trained to sustain such a move. We were able to find and train the necessary people. It is part of our Pastoral Plan to introduce the Eucharist under both species at all the masses eventually. I also want to make sure that we use the proper terminology for Communion under both species. After consecration the “wine” becomes the “Blood of Christ,” so it should be properly referred to as the “Precious Blood” and not as “wine.”