OLDP updates
  
   Masses are slowly increasing in attendance. This is great news! Saturday at 4:00 p.m. has almost reached its maximum of 80 people. We were just under 80, recently, and it was difficult for people to find a seat. Unfortunately, some people are still sitting on the ends of the pews, first, and leaving no place for someone to sit in the middle of the pew. Please be considerate when you choose your seat. Also, there are at least 8 spots over in the choir area that seem to always be open.

   If you move the pool noodles, for better seating, please put them back. I am having to do this, myself, after every Mass. Sometimes, the noodles are on the floor or in a closed-off pew. Also, I am having to pick up bulletins and Clarion Heralds left in the pews. Please take them with you or wait to pick them up until after Mass on your way out of Mass.

   The 2:00 p.m. Saturday Mass, the 8:00 a.m. Sunday Mass and, especially, the 6:00 p.m. Sunday Mass regularly have plenty of seats available. The 4:00 p.m. Saturday Mass does not. Please make your reservations accordingly. Some people aren’t making reservations, at all, and just showing up, which means that at some point they will get turned away, especially at the 4:00 p.m. Mass, which is almost at max capacity. I would hate to see anyone turned away but if the Church has reached its safe seating capacity it will happen.

   After Saturday, July 4 ^th we will discontinue the 9:00 a.m. Saturday morning Mass except for the 1 ^st Saturday of each month. I had added that Mass to be an additional Mass if we maxed out our seating at the Weekend Masses. We have not done that and doing 6 Masses each weekend, plus a daily Mass, Monday through Saturday, is getting to be a bit much for me. If, at some point, we do max out our seating capacity, at all Weekend Masses, and, therefore, would need to bring the 9:00 a.m. Saturday morning Mass back to accommodate people, we can certainly consider doing that, but right now there is no need.

   Because of the drop in finances, and the lack of availability to get visiting priests, I have been doing all the Masses, 7 days a week. Now that more people are returning, and some other priests are available to help, and so that I don’t burn out, we are dropping the Saturday 9:00 a.m. Mass, and we will try to have a visiting priest rotate through a different Mass on the weekend and take the Monday morning Mass to give me a day off again. Of course, we have to pay visiting priests, $75 for each Mass they celebrate so we will need to continue to grow our finances and donations.

   Please, remember to wear a Mask to Church and practice social distancing of at least 6 feet, if possible.

   If you have extra hand sanitizer wipes, that you could donate, we would appreciate it. Please bring it with you to Mass and place it in the blue bin in the Narthex or drop it off at the Church Office, 1000 N. Starrett Rd. Initially, we got a few donations of containers of wipes but those are gone now. Since supplies have run out it would help if you brought a disinfectant wipe to Mass with you to wipe down the pew where you sit, until we can get more.

   I have bought a “Hands-Free” standing Sanitizing Liquid Dispenser that has been placed directly in front of you as you enter the Church (by the Bulletin Board). Also, there is a “hands-free” foam sanitizer on the table. When the foam dispenser, on the table, gets low please do not try to refill it. Let me know. It only works with the foam. Someone added liquid to it, recently, causing it to stop working and I had to dump the sanitizer and refill it. There is also a manual “pump-style” bottle of sanitizer on the table.
  
   Please check our website www.oldp.org for regular updates on all things concerning our Church Parish. Thank you.
  
 
God bless you,
Fr. Mike