A letter from Fr. Theo and Fr. Naveen
Activities > Coronavirus
Dear Parishioners,
It has been almost 7 weeks since we have
had to cancel the public celebration of Masses and the celebration of the other
Sacraments due to the restrictions on public gatherings and also the directive
from our Archbishop and the Archbishop of Detroit, the Most Rev. Allen
Vigneron. Since that time as a community, we have been celebrating Masses
privately for the sanctification of the world and the good of all of us. These
Masses have been live streamed on Facebook and many of you have shared how
grateful you are for these access to these vital experiences. As a Parish, we
have responding to the needs of Parishioners in the best way we can, with the
very restrictive movements and the limit on public gatherings implemented by
the local authorities.
Over these 7 weeks, we have learnt of the
hardships being experienced by many in our Cayman Community and even most
importantly our very own Parishioners. Many have lost their jobs temporarily or
even permanently. Some are on island and would love to be able to leave the
island to be with their families but because of travel restrictions, they have
to stay in their homes with dwindling resources and in some cases no resources.
Archbishop Vigneron in his Pastoral
Letter, “10 Guideposts for Christians in the Time of the Coronavirus Pandemic”,
shared:
“Each of us, especially in our families, faces fears about what the future holds for us as the spread of the virus unfolds. But we’re not alone in this. Some of us will become seriously ill, and undoubtedly there will be fatalities — along with all of the suffering that follows for those with loved ones who become ill. Many of us face the prospect of economic troubles, the loss of jobs, the collapse of businesses, with all the trials these misfortunes entail. We must support one another in this time of trouble, not only with sympathy but with ready acts of practical kindness — that is, works of mercy."
Our food pantry has assisted hundreds of
local needy families since we have been opened and we continue to serve clients
on a very limited basis since the restrictions have been in place. We are in
the process of reaching out to the government to see if we will be allowed to
operate the food pantry in a very strategic way to assist needy parishioners
with food items. If/when we get the go ahead, we will confirm with
parishioners and let you know how the process will work.
INFORMATION - PARISHIONERS WHO ARE IN NEED
In the meantime, we would love for
Parishioners who are in need of assistance with food and personal items to complete the form at the link below. Feel free to email to ignatius@candw.ky or
o’neil.miller@st-ignatius.com
for more information.
If you are aware of any Parishioner who is in need and they have not received this email, please forward it to them, so they may contact the Parish office. Rest assured that the data/information collected will be kept confidential and secure.
DONATIONS FOR FOOD PANTRY
If you have been a regular donor to the
food pantry and still find yourself in a position to continue to donate, please
know that you can drop off your food items in the car port at the Church
office. These will then be collected from there and sorted for distribution.
If you would prefer to donate money
instead of food items, this can be directly debited to the Parish’s Butterfield
bank account and indicate that it is for the St. Ignatius Food Pantry. Donated
monies will be used to purchase gift certificates that will be handed out with
the non-perishables so those in need can purchase perishable food and personal
items at the supermarket. The Parish’s Butterfield bank account number is
02-101-031260.
OFFERTORY COLLECTION
Thank you so much to the parishioners who
have been submitting their weekly offerings through the Butterfield bank online
transfer. Thank you also to the parishioners who have reached out to the Parish
staff to personally follow up regarding their regular offering. If you are in a
position to pass on your offering and would love to do so, please continue to
make the online transfers or contact the Parish office.
In closing, we share with you the
prayerful hope of Archbishop Vigneron as we journey through these unprecedented
and difficult times. He writes,
“Keep focused on Jesus’ example of abandonment into the hands of God the Father. Keep close to Jesus in prayer. Keep confident that Jesus is with us in this time of trial. Keep at peace, for Jesus is Lord, conqueror of sin and death, victor over every evil.”
In Christ,
Frs. Theo D’Cunha, SAC and Naveen D’Souza,
SAC