Last week Bishop Oscar Cantu gave us the green light to resume indoor worship after the Supreme Court’s decision affirming our right to do so.  The faithful of our Diocese and throughout California received the news with great joy. It was a surprise and a wonderful gift.

However, just before noon on Thursday, February 11^th, Santa Clara County announced the U.S. District Court temporarily suspended its Monday emergency Order, concluding that the County’s continued prohibition on all indoor gatherings- including indoor religious services – could remain in place for the time being.

I am consulting and working with our Parish Pastoral Council and Parish staff to discern the best course of action for our community keeping the common good and everyone’s health and safety at the forefront of consideration. Please check our website for any updates.

This weekend we celebrate Valentine’s day.  Valentine is derived from the Latin word “valens” meaning worthy, strong or powerful.  For the past several months we have kept our “valens” meaning we remained strong – hopeful that the day being allowed to worship indoors once again would come.  I encourage all of us to remain strong because God’s love is more powerful than any virus.

Whether we gather for worship indoor or outdoor, I’d like to remind all of us that all people attending in-person celebrations to wear face coverings, practice physical distancing of six feet between non-family members, sanitize their hands when entering the worship space and immediately before receiving communion, register through signup.com and please stay home when not feeling well.

As I mentioned in my previous articles regarding the pandemic, our top priority is the safety and wellbeing of all, especially the elderly and health compromised and the continued nourishment of the faithful.

This weekend, we will continue to the follow our current weekend Mass schedule: Saturdays 3:00 PM and 5:00PM (In-person and Livestream) Sundays 9:30AM (In-person and Livestream) and 11:30 AM.

On a different note, I would like to encourage you to join us for our Lenten Series of Talks and reflections: “Through the Desert with Jesus.” We will begin with the introduction of the Lenten season, what the desert means for us, the three temptations of Jesus, and then what the Easter Triduum is all about its meaning and the liturgical celebrations.

My hope is that these Lenten series will help us appreciate the beauty of the holy season and prepare us for the great and joyful 50 days of Easter.

Once again, I’d like to ask all of us to continue to hold each other in prayer.  Let us allow the Holy Spirit to lead us into the season of Lent especially in our fasting, prayer, and almsgiving.