Come back to the Mass! Our Cardinal urges us in his latest February 22 Pastoral letter…”Today I want to take a moment, first of all, to thank you for your faithfulness and for your presence here at Mass. These last two years have been very difficult and I thank God for the gift of faith which you have received, which you have nurtured and from which, I know, you receive great grace and strength. I know this to be true because it is true for me too. Now I would like to ask your assistance. During these last two years there were times when our way of life was severely curtailed. We were in ‘lockdown’. At one time, for three months, even the doors of our churches were firmly closed. Being unable to enter the House of God and to take part fully in the celebration of the Mass was, for many, an experience of real dismay and pain.

But that is no longer the case. We are again able to fashion the way of life that we choose. The doors of our churches can stay wide open. Yet, as you know, many have not resumed the pattern of coming to church, week by week. Other activities have filled that space. For some, the thirst for being at Mass, for celebrating life-giving sacraments, has diminished. This is where I ask for your help. I would like you to be ready to approach those whom you know, and who are not present here today, with a word of invitation for them to join us. I know this is not easy. You may well feel it is an intrusive thing to do. Also, taking the step across the threshold of the church can be daunting for someone who has been away for a long time. So I ask you to exercise great deference and kindness when approaching them, perhaps offering to accompany them on this return journey.

Click here to read the rest of the Pastoral letter…