Weekly Update 6/26/20
(the "Guad Squad" weekly update will be sent every other week during the summer)
CELEBRATING PUBLIC MASSES
Join us starting July 4
Now that King County is in Phase II, Archbishop Etienne has given parishes permission to celebrate public masses, but with significant restrictions and conditions. These safety measures are employed out of love for neighbor and concern for the vulnerable. The Parish Staff and Liturgy Commission have been meeting to prepare our plan and we are happy to announce that it has been approved! At the same time, the dispensation from Sunday Mass will continue, so you are not required to attend public mass at this time.  

We want you to be fully aware of what conditions and requirements will be in place. These procedures and protocols are based on the current guidance from the Archdiocese and are subject to change. Currently we plan to offer only one public mass on Saturdays at 5:30 pm while continue to livestream the Sunday Mass at 10am . 

W HAT WE WILL BE ASKING OF PARISHIONERS:
  • We will do everything possible to ensure the safety of those who attend. However, anyone attending Mass does so at their own risk. Vulnerable, at-risk and otherwise concerned persons are strongly encouraged to remain home.
  • Registration will be required for each mass, either electronically or by phone. Persons will be asked to sign up for one mass at a time to begin with. This will allow everyone who wants to attend a mass to be able to do so. (Records are kept for contact tracing and will be destroyed after 30 days).
  • Mass participants must agree to certain requirements, such as wearing masks (not optional), taking your temperature at home, practicing physical distancing, and agreeing to other restrictions needed to avoid the spread of COVID-19. As you are checked in by staff, you will be asked to confirm that all requirements have been met.
  • You will be shown to your assigned pew and will NOT be able to choose where you want to sit.
  • Public masses will be very different from our normal experiences. Differences include the absence of congregational singing, bathrooms will not be open, and Holy Communion will be administered after Mass. See link below for more details. 

IMPORTANT LINKS:

$97,103.53

Thank you to the 38% of our parishioners who have responded to the needs of our Church in Western Washington through the 2020 Annual Catholic Appeal. We have met our ACA parish share of $82,112.

In these final weeks of the campaign we are still hoping to reach our parish goal of 100% funding for the expansion of our youth and young adult outreach program ...we are almost there!
We are blessed with such a supportive and generous community, even during these difficult times.
Thank you! Thank you!
By participating, you are joining with Pope Francis and Catholics around the world to respond to those who are suffering as a result of war, oppression, and natural disaster and disease. How can I help?
 
  • Pray for the Holy Father as he reaches out to serve those around the world who are suffering and will benefit from this collections
  • Share the story of Peter's Pence with someone who may be interested and tell others how Pope Francis supports the marginalized
  • Give generously to this collection as a witness of charity and an offer of hope to those suffering around the world. 
Good News and Other News
This month, OLG helped organize and run a major food distribution event with Holy Family Parish, Catholic Community Services (CCS), and the Westside Interfaith Network (WIN). Pacific Coast Fruit, one of the recipients of the USDA’s federal contracts to ease farm surpluses and hunger, arrived with a refrigerated semi truck filled with 20,000+lbs of protein, dairy, and produce for our local community. Volunteers and staff from OLG, Holy Family, St. George, WIN, CCS, and more helped hand out all that food hundreds of families trying to make ends meet.  Local non-profits, including Neighborhood House and Transform Burien were able to pick up in bulk for people who could not come themselves. You can learn more about this effort in the Catholic community in the recent Northwest Catholic article .  There will be two more food distribution events this Saturday, June 27th at Holy Family and at St. Edward’s, both at 10am.  
Congratulations to Julia Herron, a student at Gatewood Elementary has won the Seymour Kaplan Award!

Let us all celebrate with Julia and her family, who won the Seymour Kaplan award. Julia is an active member of our OLG parish community and a dedicated member of our faith formation program. Upon graduation, she received the Seymour Kaplan Award which is the only award not solely based on academics, attendance or athletics; rather, recipients are nominated by their peers for their humanitarian work in building relationships and treating everyone with dignity, kindness and respect. Seymour Kaplan dedicated his life to social justice, helping people to overcome prejudice and accept differenced. Julia demonstrates what it looks like to live out the Gospel values of Jesus. Congratulations, Julia!
Chicken Soup Brigade: Do you have 2 Hours a Month?
We are looking for a couple volunteers to join our Chicken Soup Brigade team. This program helps our homebound, aged, and chronically ill neighbors to get groceries and nutritious meals. Drivers commit to doing deliveries once a month on the approximately 2-hr Thursday afternoon route. Working in a team provides great flexibility and a chance to build community with others.   See the bulletin for details.