Pastoral Letter to Sheltered-in-Place Parishioners

The priests of Nativity of Our Lord sent this pastoral letter to all registered parish households to assure them of their prayers and support, update them on the state of operations, and inform them on how to stay connected and make the most of this time.  Click here to view the letter , or contact the parish office at (651) 696-5401 to receive a hard copy.
 
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Dear Brothers and Sisters,
 
The priests and staff at Nativity of Our Lord have been praying for you fervently in these difficult days of sickness and distancing. We miss your physical presence immensely! Yet we are so grateful for the many creative ways our community has ensured that distancing in no way requires isolation. We are together in this, and most importantly, God is with us, in good times and bad, in sickness and in health… in the present.
 
 
Following Jesus Wherever He Leads
 
Mysteriously, God created you and me knowing that we would bear his name and bring his presence to this moment both individually and collectively, as Christ’s Church. Nativity is in no way on a hiatus! Indeed, the opposite is true: perhaps more than ever, now is the time God has uniquely chosen for us to show the world that he, the Changeless One whom we treasure, is alive among us!
 
Since we are a Eucharistic Church, it is so painfully strange that the current reasoned — and charitable — solution to this outbreak keeps us from Holy Communion.  Indeed, we should feel strange — that’s a good sign! Even as our communal access to the Mass shifts, however, know that it will always be offered daily, and Jesus will never stop leaping down from heaven to fill our chapels with his sacramental presence.
 
Our top priority, as always, is to follow Jesus Christ, abiding unflinchingly in our midst through it all, tirelessly on the move. He keeps going to the poor, the sick, the estranged, the lonely, the scared, the confused. And that is where we end up as we keep following Him...loving and serving our neighbor.  If you are starving to meet Jesus in the Eucharist, we encourage you to call a neighbor, someone you haven’t talked to in a while, or just someone who would appreciate it. He will meet you there.
 
 
Missionary Response Plan
 
First and foremost, we want each of our parishioners and anyone who lives in our parish bounds to know that they are not alone. So many have stepped forward to help, offering to check in with others via phone or to deliver necessities. Our staff has been hard at work on a holistic Nativity Missionary Pandemic Response Plan, inspired by the timeless spiritual and corporal works of mercy which serve the body, mind, and soul.
 
Please, if you, your family, or someone you know is in need of any kind (or would like to help!), contact our new parish hotline or email: (651) 317-9685 or united@nativity-mn.org. See the prayer cards detailing this information, along with prayers of protection and spiritual communion, and share it with those who may need it, parishioners or not. (Cards are available at the church entrances as well as  at the parish office).

The image on the card is Our Lady, Salus Populi Romani (pictured), to whom we entrusted the health of our parish on the feast of the Annunciation, March 25, 2020.
 
Our response plan includes phone calls to as many households as possible, beginning with the most vulnerable in our parish. The goal is to help them all stay connected whether they are utilizing the latest technology or not, ensuring they have essential items, their pastoral needs are met, and assuring each of them that they are loved and cared for.

We are in a unique time when barriers can and should be torn down and a true sense of neighborliness returns. These interactions have immeasurable value to our individual parish members as well as to the community as a whole.
 
 
Operational Stewardship Needs
 
While we shift our missionary activity, we have also sadly but necessarily stripped down to the basics. We have unfortunately had to temporarily unemploy over 25% of our employees across church and school, which is especially painful at a time like this. (N.B. - We are committed to continuing to provide their health benefits during this exceptional time.)
 
Even with reductions, we project an operational deficit of over $350,000 by the end of the fiscal year (July 1), in part because of a decrease in our weekly stewardship giving of over 60%. While not the primary focus of this letter, we are in real need of financial help to sustain our essential daily operations and meet the pressing needs of our parishioners.
 
We know that we are not unique when we say that this time has strained our budget, and we know that many of you are similarly hurting or are otherwise financially vulnerable. However, for those of you who are able, please maintain or resume your usual giving, either by submitting it directly to the parish office or through our website at  https://nativity-mn.org/online-giving. Please contact Joyce at the Parish Office at (651) 696-5436 if we can be of further assistance.
 
 
Ongoing Communications
 
As our current situation has demanded, our primary communications are now through digital channels, and we are already seeing the fruits of our efforts to pivot to this space. Distance learning launched with great success at the school as well as for our RCIA and other Faith Formation programs. Clergy, staff, and volunteers are creatively designing ways to help us thrive in our domestic churches.
 
We encourage you to join us daily for live-streamed 8:15 AM Mass, where we will also offer a spiritual check-in and make any pressing announcements. Lord’s Day Mass is live at 5:00 PM on Saturdays in addition to 8:15 AM on Sundays, and all recordings remain available upon completion. Also, if you have not yet signed up for our e-newsletter, now is a vital time to do so.
 
That all said, we are committed to keeping all our parishioners fully connected and appraised — regardless of what technology you do or don’t have. Our hard-copy bulletin is still published weekly and can be sent via the mail upon request from our parish office at (651) 696-5401. Mass is also broadcast daily on TV and radio:
 
Relevant Radio, 1330AM WLOL

• Sunday Mass is at 9am; Daily Mass is at 12pm.

 
TV

• Sunday Mass is at 11am on KSTC-TV/45.
• EWTN (Comcast cable ch. 291):
  • Daily Mass is at 7:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 6:00 PM, and 11:00 PM, and is rebroadcast on channels 14.2, 14.4, and 14.5.

 
 
Doors Remain Open
 
How will the stay-in-place order affect our operations? The Archbishop, in consultation with the governor, has said that “essential pastoral care” can continue, and we needn’t lock the church doors to prohibit that. Thus, at this time, we will continue to offer Eucharistic Adoration from 9:00 AM - 10:00 PM Sunday-Friday and 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM on Saturdays.  

Please stagger your visits so that no more than ten people are in the church at a time, and please practice social distancing of at least six feet. Private baptisms, weddings, or funerals are still evaluated case-by-case. The priests will continue to offer Confessions at a healthy distance, or just a chance to talk, every Sunday from 8:00 AM until noon on the front steps of the rectory.
 
 
Embrace the Monastic
 
Lastly, on a personal note, we priests have found in our increased time at home a great opportunity to learn from the tried-and-true monastic tradition of the church. When we use this opportunity to plan a rhythm of prayer, work, study, and refreshment — our “monastic rule,” so to speak — this time becomes the Lord’s, filled with mission and purpose.  

We invite you to create your own household “rule” and to embrace with faith and hope that God will work through it. Look to our parish website for a wealth of ideas and forthcoming video messages from the priests — and potentially even your fellow parishioners — to utilize in your own “holy routine.”
 
 
May God bless you with health, holiness, peace, friendship, and most especially his abiding embrace.


Fr. Patrick Hipwell, Pastor
Fr. Nick Hagen, Parochial Vicar