Mass Times & Directions

My Dear Parishioners,

As we prepare to enter the most Holy Week of the liturgical year, we find ourselves under the most unusual of circumstances.  Because of the covid-19 pandemic, we are unable to celebrate Sunday or weekday Masses publicly. This applies as well to the liturgies of Holy Week.  The liturgies of the Triduum will be celebrated privately, and in a much-shortened form.

We know that this is necessary.  Above all, I want to encourage each of you to follow the governor’s order to “stay-at-home.”  Please leave your home only when necessary. There is no obligation to attend Mass! Refrain from in-person contact.  Practice “social distancing.”  Wash your hands frequently and use hand sanitizer.  We have been doing what we can to maintain contact through our parish website and Facebook accounts to provide materials for your spiritual and devotional needs.  Please visit this website when possible.

Bishop Schlert has also asked that we keep our church doors open at designated times so that the church might be a place of comfort and refuge for the faithful.  Here at St. Jane’s the church doors have been left open everyday from 12 Noon – 3 PM.  In keeping with our Bishop’s wishes we are also making individual confession available each day.  A priest will be available each day from 12 noon – 1 PM in our chapel, observing the necessary “social distancing” from the individual penitent.  During Holy Week, this time will be expanded so that we might avoid the need for several people to wait in line.  If you do need to wait, please observe “social distancing.”

Let me summarize our situation here at St. Jane for the next two weeks:

1.)    Our Parish office remains closed.  Individual priests may still be contacted by phone. We want to be available to you!!  (Most of our parish staff have, unfortunately, been temporarily laid off.)

2.)    Funerals, Weddings and Baptisms may be celebrated, but with immediate family only.  (no more than ten people.)

3.)    Our priests will continue to celebrate Mass in private daily and fulfill the intentions which have been requested.

4.)    Church doors will continue to be open at 12 Noon and closed at 3 PM every day.

5.)    Individual confessions will be heard each day in the chapel from 12 Noon – 1 PM.

6.)    Palm Sunday Mass, this Saturday evening, April 4 will be live-streamed and made available in recorded form.

7.)    On Palm Sunday, April 5, our Church doors will be open from 12 Noon – 6 PM.

8.)    On Holy Thursday evening, our priests will celebrate privately the Mass of the Lord’s Supper.  This year there will be no reception of the Holy Oils, no Washing of the Feet, and no procession to a repository in the chapel.  Following the Mass, the Blessed Sacrament will be placed in the tabernacle.  The Church doors will remain open 8 PM – 11 PM for private adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.  Please practice social distancing and do not congregate!

9.)    On Good Friday, the Church will remain open 12 Noon – 3 PM.  The priests will celebrate the Good Friday Liturgy in private.

10.)  The Easter Vigil liturgy, in much shortened form, will be celebrated privately.  There will be no lighting of the Easter fire, no liturgy of Baptism or reception into the Church.

11.)  The first Mass of Easter morning will be celebrated at 7:30 AM on Easter Sunday, April 12.  It will be live-streamed and recorded for viewing on Easter Sunday.  The doors of the Church will be open 12 Noon – 3 PM.

12.)  We continue to need your contributions for the day-to-day operation of the parish!  We offer our gratitude to those who continue to drop off contributions via mail, or who contribute electronically through our parish website. (Just hit "Donate" and follow directions.)  Our Easter collection has always been one of the most important sources of income.  Please be generous, as it is especially needed at this time!

Thank you for your understanding during this unusual period.  I know we will get through this together.  Every year we celebrate the message of Easter: darkness is overcome by light; hope overcomes despair.   It is a message that speaks especially to the world today as pray for all the sick and dying, for those infected or affected by this crisis, for those who minister to them, and for all whose lives are disrupted.  May the Risen Lord grant us comfort and hope!

Sincerely yours,

Monsignor Radocha

Update on Palms: 

Bishop Schlert, in union with all of our neighboring Dioceses (Philadelphia, Scranton, Harrisburg, and Metuchen) and in an effort to prevent the spread of Covid-19, asks that the distribution of palms on Palm Sunday be discontinued. While time honored and appreciated by many members of the faithful, the distribution of palms in any way risks the unnecessary spread of the coronavirus. If one person who has the coronavirus even touches some of the palms which someone else will take, the risk of spread could impact potentially others who will receive them.  The risk is too high as infectious disease doctors are telling us that the virus is very contagious. The Church certainly does not want to be the one who endangers the lives of others, especially our elderly who would want so much to take part in this Sacramental.

 

Allentown Diocese Response to COVID-19

 

“O Mary,
you always shine on our path
as a sign of salvation and of hope.
We entrust ourselves to you, Health of the Sick,
who at the cross took part in Jesus' pain, keeping your faith firm.
You, Salvation of the Roman People,
know what we need,
and we are sure you will provide
so that, as in Cana of Galilee,
we may return to joy and to feasting
after this time of trial.
Help us, Mother of Divine Love,
to conform to the will of the Father
and to do as we are told by Jesus,
who has taken upon himself our sufferings
and carried our sorrows
to lead us, through the cross,
to the joy of the resurrection. Amen.

Under your protection, we seek refuge, Holy Mother of God. Do not disdain the entreaties of we who are in trial, but deliver us from every danger, O glorious and blessed Virgin.”