Welcome Fr. Baiju YOUR SUPPORT CAN MAKE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ! Together, we have the opportunity to bring the uplifting message of Jesus to those in need in India. The Vincentian priests serving in the North Indian Missions rely on your generosity to continue their vital work. Your prayers and financial contributions play a crucial role in spreading the Gospel and providing assistance to the poor and needy. This upcoming weekend, September 7th and 8th, we are honored to welcome Fr. Baiju Kidaagen VC, a dedicated missionary from the North Indian Province - St. Thomas Province of the Vincentian Congregation. He will be sharing more about the important work being done in North Indian Missions and seeking your support for the Missions. We humbly ask for your kind and generous donations to support this noble cause. Your contributions will directly impact the lives of those in need and help spread hope and love to communities in North India. Thank you for considering how you can help make a difference through your prayers and support. (Please write checks to Holy Redeemer, note India on check or place in a separate envelope)

Minor Tweaks & Shifts: Starting in September there will be no daily Mass or confessions on Mondays as it is will be my day of. Per diocesan policy priests are granted 1 day of a week (compared to two for the rest of the working world.) Although I am still getting a sense of how the Sacrament of Reconciliation is being utilized, from what I’m experiencing there is sufficient numbers celebrating on the Monday evening hour of confessions that I plan to shift that to Thursday evenings at the same time 5:30-6:30. The main chalice used by the presider and deacon will now be one of the cups used for distribution of Precious Blood to the congregation. Liturgical norms allow for the use of extra cups of the Blood when warranted by practical necessities. At the same time, the sharing of the ‘one cup’ [as much as practical and possible] has always been a symbolic focus from the time of the last supper. This is the reason why the Catholic Church has not gone the route of individual sanitary cups for everyone as some other Christian denominations have done. I think that it is important that main chalice be included in the distribution of the precious blood to maintain that one cup symbolism. This does not change anything in how we will distribute the precious blood, but this is just a heads up in case anyone notices the change and wonders why.

Reception of Communion on the Tongue. Many Catholics remember Communion rails, and the training they received, to say “Amen” to the announcement of “The Body of Christ” and then stick out their tongues with their mouths open. Because the kneeling at a railing provided stability, there was little movement and the tongue was a fairly easy target for the standing priest to place the host on the tongue. Additionally, the moist tongue and the dry light weight host made almost instant adhesion so there was little risk of dropping a host, besides an altar server carrying a paten on the recipient’s chin was a safety net for the Lord. Vatican Council II formalized some of the evolving theology regarding Eucharist. For example, chewing the host had been determined as not offensive or harmful to the Body of Christ. Reception of our Lord in the hand became permissible with the realization that we can and do sin with our tongue as readily as with our hands. Ultimately it is the mercy and grace of God that allows us to consume Christ not some specific piety or posture. The Church allows reception of Communion either in the hand or on the tongue; it is to be the recipient’s choice unless specific circumstances dictate otherwise. For example, in the early stages of COVID, reception in the hand was required given the masking protocols of the time. As a priest, and the ordinary minister of the Body of Christ, I ask folks who still choice to receive Communion in on the tongue to note the following:. 1) Say “Amen”. (This also applies to everyone) 2) Stick the tongue out; the bigger the target the easier and safer it is to place the host securely on the tongue such that it doesn’t get dropped. 3) Stand still, and keep your head still. If there is movement, there is a greater chance of the fingers of the minister to come in contact with the recipient’s mouth/tongue. Granted those who share the cup share a much more substantial risk than the possibility of saliva on the bread minister’s hands, but it is still their choice to receive from the cup or not. Those who are dealing with compromised immune system may only have the choice of receiving the Body of Christ, and we collectively should do our best to keep it as safe as reasonably possible. So just as those who receive in the hand should do so reverently, steadily, with flat palms to ‘receive’ our Lord, those who receive on the tongue should do so with their tongue out, head and body still, to receive the same Lord.