Mass schedule at Blessed Sacrament Church.

We have returned to this schedule at Blessed Sacrament Church.
 
Mass Schedule:
  • 12:05 PM Monday to Friday
  • 5:10 PM Saturday
  • 10:00 AM Sunday

Sacrament of Reconciliation

  • Monday to Friday after Masses (and other times by request or appointment)
  • The north door opens only 30 mins before each Mass (we must sanitize the church before each Mass).
  • You do not need to write or call us to register for Mass but please sign your name on the attendance sheet at the entrance to the Church and social distance at all times.
  • Please bring your own mask which is required to be worn by EVERYONE as you approach the priest or Eucharistic minister for communion in the hand. 
  • It is OK to stay away especially if you are ill or are a vulnerable person health-wise. It is better to be cautious for your own protection and for the protection of others in these difficult times. Remember that the dispensation from the obligation to attend Mass remains in place as granted by Archbishop Donald Bolen previously.
Also note the following:
 
The North door entrance to the Church will be used and will open 30 minutes before each Mass. At the entrance of the church you will be asked:

  • to place/write your name on a list of attendees;
  • if you completed the self-assessment above;
  • if you have a mask for communion (masks will be available for those without one);
  • and not to linger after Mass or in groups.

Upon entering the church you must: 

  • use the hand sanitizer provided at the entrance and in other locations in the church; 
  • not touch your face;
  • sit in designated areas in the church (those of the same household may sit together);
  • maintain the 2m physical distancing, from others not from your household, at all times; and
  • a mask is required for communion which is given only in the hand by the priest or Eucharistic minister (who will also wear a mask).

Your cooperation will allow us to celebrate safely. Our sincere appreciation to everyone in advance.

Fr. Jim and the Blessed Sacrament Parish Pastoral Council
 
Check the Parish website for more information:  https://blessedsacramentregina.ca
 
Blessed Sacrament Parish
2049 Scarth St.
Regina SK S4P 2H5
Office Tel: (306) 522 7422

Welcome Back to BLESSED SACRAMENT PARISH

 We are excited to be able to open our doors to our Parish Community.

Please read the following before returning to the church.

Dispensation from the obligation to attend Mass remains in place as granted by Archbishop Donald Bolen in his letter dated March 18, 2020.

Self-Assessment All those attending Mass do so at their own risk. It is important for individuals and families to take responsibility for protecting themselves and others.

The following must stay home for the sake of the wider community:

  • People with COVID-19 or who live with someone with COVID-19.
  • People who have been exposed to someone with COVID-19.
  • The sick and those with symptoms of illness, especially upper respiratory or flu-like symptoms. Individuals with fever, cough, headache, aches & pains, sore throat, chills, runny nose, loss of sense of taste/smell, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, should remain at home. 
  • Those who have recently travelled outside of Canada.

The following are encouraged to stay home for the sake of the wider community:

  • People who live with someone with upper respiratory or flu-like symptoms.
  • People, especially the elderly, with underlying or compromised medical conditions.
  • Family members who live with elderly people or those who are at risk.
  • Those having travelled to a location with a high number of known, active, cases of COVID-19.

At the entrance of the church (enter by north entrance only) you will be asked:

  • to place/write your name on a list of attendees;
  • if you completed the self-assessment above;
  • if you have a mask for communion (masks will be available for those without one);
  • and not to linger after Mass or in groups.

Upon entering the church you must: v use the hand sanitizer provided at the entrance and in other locations in the church; 

  • not touch your face;
  • sit in designated areas in the church (those of the same household may sit together);
  • maintain the 2m physical distancing, from others not from your household, at all times; and
  • a mask is required for communion which is given in the hand by the priest.

Other notes:

  • Washrooms will be available for emergency use only.
  • Please bring and wear your own mask and bring wipes to wipe down your seating area.
  • Collection baskets will be placed at the entrance/back of the church.

Your cooperation will allow us to celebrate safely.

Our sincere appreciation to everyone in advance.

This document may be viewed and downloaded here – download here.

Regular Schedule of Masses at Blessed Sacrament

We have returned to the regular Mass schedule:

    • Monday to Friday 12:05 PM
    • Saturdays, 5:10 PM
    • Sundays, 10 AM

Though there is a limit at this time on the number of people who can attend (30% of capacity assuring safe distancing), we do not expect to reach or go over the limit. So, there is no need to register before attending the Mass. Also, because cleaning and disinfecting must be done before each Mass, we will open the doors of the Church only 20 minutes before Mass.

Church Visitation: You may visit the Church for prayer each day after weekday Masses until 3 PM. The Church will also be open on Sunday until 3 PM.

Sacrament of Reconciliation: Confessions will be available after Mass Monday through Saturday.

For Attending Mass during the Pandemic:

  • Please register your name with an attendant as you enter the church (by north entry only).
  • You MUST wear a face mask when moving around in the church and approaching others. We suggest that a mask be worn as much as possible but it is required during the communion procession.
  • Please sit in the restricted area and keep a safe distance from others – two metres apart (at least a pew between). Those of one household may sit together.
  • Please progress to communion from the rear pews, wear a mask and keep a safe distance.
  • Approach the priest distributing communion wearing a mask after the previous person has left. Hold out your hand to receive communion, step aside 2 meters, and consume the host which has been given to you (you may need to lift your mask).

The above requirements follow the guidelines of the Government of Saskatchewan.

Archbishop Don’s Weekly Message – June 4th

The serious restrictions brought about in response to the pandemic began as we entered into the season of Lent. Three months later, as we return to Ordinary Time, we are starting to see the easing of restrictions. Last Sunday and this coming Sunday, Mass is being celebrated in many of the churches throughout the Archdiocese with up to 10 people present. That will rise to 30 persons on the weekend of June 13/14, with the prospect of those numbers rising as we show that we are able to celebrate the Eucharist and gather congregations without jeopardizing the health of those attending. There is reason to be grateful that faith communities have been heard. After not being included in the Saskatchewan Reopening plans, heads of faith communities gathered by videoconference, wrote to the Premier, and met with the leader of the opposition. Two extraordinarily gifted members of the Covid response leadership team were assigned by the provincial government to work with us, and this led quickly to the publication of directives for faith communities, and an easing of restrictions. The meetings are continuing, and we can expect further steps to be taken as early as next week. I take this opportunity to express our thanks to those we have had the opportunity to work with. Meanwhile, our Archdiocesan working group is diligently thinking through the implications of these new directives for our parishes. We continue to ask for your patience, perseverance and prayers.

Ordinary time is a beautiful season, because God has blessed our ordinary lives in extraordinary ways. The mystery of God’s presence in the ebb and flow of our daily lives is a source of wonder and joy which never grows old.

But events put in motion by the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis last week have turned our attention elsewhere, and I would like to offer a few reflections in that regard. Our neighbours to the south are in some ways the most advanced nation in the world; but they are also a society deeply divided, with an embedded racism that is deeply destructive. Archbishop José Gomez, the President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, opened his statement of three days ago with these words: “The killing of George Floyd was senseless and brutal, a sin that cries out to heaven for justice. How is it possible that in America, a black man’s life can be taken from him while calls for help are not answered, and his killing is recorded as it happens?”

The days following this tragedy have given rise to protests and riots, to acts of generosity and to acts of aggression. A light is being shone on many things, among them: how racism can lead to violence; and how racial injustice gives rise to inequalities in terms of poverty, incarceration rates, access to quality education and to health care, family breakdown, and other experiences of marginalization. We are hearing an outcry against all of that, and we are witnessing a backlash against protestors, and a stifling or distorting of those who cry out for justice.

As church we are called to stand in solidarity with all those who suffer, all those who yearn and actively work for a just society. Non-violent protests against injustice are a powerful way to bring about change, and the life and teaching of Jesus give witness to peaceful but costly ways to transform situations of injustice. It is above all in his death on the cross – which was a death by asphyxia – that the Lord ultimately witnessed to how the deepest transformation is brought about by God. George Floyd too died by asphyxiation, and the Lord who invites us to stand with the crucified in our day summons us to solidarity.

The polarization and embedded racism of American society brings forth lament from us. But here in Canada, here in Saskatchewan, we too struggle with an embedded racism. Why is it that our Indigenous people are on the losing end of so many societal indicators of well being – education rates, incarceration rates, health struggles, economic struggles, children taken from their parents, suicide rates? Why is it that these injustices persist? Why are we so slow to walk with our Indigenous Peoples, to stand with them in their struggle for justice, to address and to root out the seeds of racism? How is it that our churches, inspired by the Gospel of the crucified Christ, are so often blind to the suffering and injustice, humiliation and wounds of our sisters and brothers? Those are questions that should shape our agendas and draw on our best energies and resources, in our churches, and in our society, going forward.

Years ago I had the privilege of studying the writings, speeches and life of Martin Luther King Jr. Grounded in the Gospel, he points a way forward for the people in the United States, past and present, and for us too. King noted that one who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as one who perpetrates it. The civil rights movement he led sought to bring change, but to bring it in a non-violent way. He noted, “I’ve seen hate on the faces of too many sheriffs…, too many Klansmen of the South to want to hate, myself…. Hate is too great a burden to bear.” “Hate begets hate; violence begets violence; toughness begets a greater toughness. We must meet the forces of hate with the power of love.” But that love was not to be passive. Love never rests easy when people unjustly suffer.

One last quote from Martin Luther King Jr., which speaks to us powerfully today, in Saskatchewan as in Minneapolis; in the church as in society. He writes, “Our loyalties must transcend our race, our tribe, our class, and our nation; and this means we must develop a world perspective…. the judgment of God is upon us, and we must either learn to live together as sisters and brothers, or we’re all going to perish together as fools.”

I trust and pray that the God of all creation won’t let that happen; but that same Lord and God summons us to remove all hate from our hearts; to love and walk with those in greatest need; to stand up for justice, to seek peace, so that our lives witness to a Gospel-inspired way of living together. Now is the time to learn how to transform our lives, our churches, our society, that we might truly reflect the Gospel we proclaim and the Kingdom Jesus came to bring.

God bless you all on this journey.

Masses are Reopening for 10 people in attendance

Friday, May 22, 2020

Dear Parishioners,

After frequent consultations with the Saskatchewan Government and Health Authority, the Archdiocese has recently announced that Churches are now allowed to celebrate the Eucharist with up to 10 parishioners in attendance. To make this effective here at Blessed Sacrament, we have organized it in the following manner.

Our Schedule of Mass (maximum 10 persons participating) beginning with Pentecost:

    • Saturday, 5:10 PM, May 30th and after
    • Sunday, 10:00 AM, May 31st and after
    • Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM, June 1st and after

We would like to emphasize that the dispensation from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass is still in effect. While we would like to celebrate Mass with all parishioners again, we strongly recommend that you do not make yourself available for scheduling if you are…

    • Symptomatic (see the list below)
    • immunocompromised
    • over the age of 65 with pre-existing conditions
    • Have recently travelled outside of Canada
    • Have been in contact with someone suspected of having Covid-19.

If you do not fall into any of the categories above, you are welcome to contact the parish office to let us know you would like to attend Mass, and if you have a preference for a particular day of the week. Please keep in mind though that we can’t guarantee you’ll get your preference especially if many choose only Saturday or Sunday. The office can be reached by email at office.bsacrament@sasktel.net or by phone at (306) 522 7422 by leaving a voice message.

The parish office will then complete make a schedule for all those parishioners who wish to attend Mass at Blessed Sacrament. So that all parishioners have an equal opportunity to attend Mass at least once, everyone will be scheduled once before being scheduled again. The schedule will be sent to you by email and also posted outside the side door of the church.

When attending a scheduled Mass:

  • Use entry to Church on North Side where a greeter will meet and instruct you on procedures we are required to follow during the Mass.
  • Only attend the Mass for which you’ve been scheduled. If the 10 person capacity is broken, it puts everyone in attendance at risk, including yourself.
  • Social distancing will be required (2 meters separation except those of one household).
  • Face masks will be required when entering, for communion procession, and when leaving. They are recommended also at other times.
  • Note that areas of the Church will be sanitized before and after use.

If you exhibit any symptoms of one or more of the following: fever, cough, headaches, aches and pains, sore throat, chills, runny nose, loss of sense of taste or smell, shortness of breath, or difficulty breathing, please stay home and call 811.

Once again, thank you to all of you for your patience, courage, and charity. Your prayers and donations are much appreciated.

Note that the Church remains open for private prayer each day between 10:30 am and 3 pm.

May the Lord bless and keep you and stay safe,

Blessed Sacrament
Fr. Jim, Pastoral Council and Staff

Easter Messages from Archbishop Bolen

On this Holy Saturday, we prepare to celebrate the event in history which most gives us hope and fills us with courage in times of trial, the Resurrection of Jesus.

Below, please find a link to my Easter message for this year. https://youtu.be/xMSEKCRhMzI

I am also forwarding my Holy Thursday/Good Friday message, though some of you will have seen it already. https://youtu.be/F9GQAJeopDU

Much joy to you all as you celebrate the Resurrection, amidst circumstances less than ideal.

In Communion of Spirit,

Bishop Don

Good Friday Taize Prayer at 7 pm through Zoom

Blessed Sacrament will be hosting a night of Taize prayer through the Zoom app on Good Friday April 10th at 7 pm. We hope you will be able to join us.
 
You are welcome to join us by clicking the link below, or by copy and pasting it into your web browser. It should work on either your computer or smartphone. Depending on what kind of browser or device you’re using it may want you to download the program.
 
Topic: Taize Prayer on Good Friday
Time: Apr 10, 2020 07:00 PM Saskatchewan
 
Join Zoom Meeting
 
You shouldn’t need a meeting password to join, but if you need to enter a Meeting ID the information is here:
 
Meeting ID: 849 836 766
 
In order to see and hear what is happening you will need to say yes to joining audio and video. After you do so, we ask that you mute your microphone and stop your video soon afterwards so that everyone will be able to focus on the music in the quiet of their own homes.
 
If you would like to follow along from home click here for a pdf of the song list that you are welcome to print out.
 
God Bless, and please email me back at office.bsacrament@sasktel.net if you have any further questions.

Letter from Pastor for Easter

Dear Parishioners,

Most of us will be celebrating Easter quite differently this year than we have in the past. We will be having meals but separated from those family and close friends with whom we have normally celebrated in these days. Many of you will be isolated at home alone, as I will be. Or you may be ill and need the isolation to recuperate and refresh your spirits. Some of you will be going to work on Easter, providing essential services for us. All of us are anxious and worried about what will come. 

In the midst of these lonely and dark moments, I hope that you will read the Gospel proclaimed at the Easter Vigil. Matthew’s gospel speaks of Mary Magdalen and the other Mary coming to the tomb. And there was a great earthquake shattering those early hours of Easter morn. Not unlike the “earthquake” of the corona virus shaking our lives now. In the Gospel, angels appear, break into the fear of that moment and say: “Do not be afraid!” Matthew goes on to say that the women went quickly from the tomb, fearful yet overjoyed, to share the good news of angels who announced that Jesus was raised from the dead. As they returned to the apostles, there was an encounter with the Lord, who greeted them. They approached approached him, embraced his feet, and did him homage. “Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid’.”

The women, though shaken, allowed joy to overtake them in that dark and fearful time following the death of Jesus. I pray that we too will allow joy to overtake us in our own struggles in this time of the pandemic. The risen Lord speaks those words, “do not be afraid,” to us too. Most certainly, we have challenges now, and ahead of us. Yet, also allow the voice of the Lord to be heard in your hearts.  Be like the women at the tomb: “They then went away quickly from the tomb, fearful yet overjoyed…” Our fears are real but so too is our hope which we have through our faith in the Lord Jesus. 

Be at peace, for he is risen, risen indeed.

Fr Jim Hentges,
adminstrator

 

Shelter Me • a prayer-song during the pandemic

A good friend, Fr. Michael Joncas, has composed a prayer-song for this moment of the COVID-19 pandemic. He used the shepherding psalm, PS 23, with a first verse looking to past intimacy with God, a third verse anticipating a restoration of that intimacy, and a central verse acknowledging that we are “walking in the valley of the shadow of death”. I found it comforting as well as beautiful. I hope you do too.

On YouTube:
https://youtu.be/1EbCgi_7gQs

 

Collection for the Holy Land 2020

From the Congregation for the Eastern Churches (Vatican):

The current COVID-19 pandemic concerns many countries and in many of them preventive measures preclude the normal community celebration of Holy Week. The Christian communities in the Holy Land, also exposed to the risk of contagion and living in contexts already full of serious sufferings, benefit every year from the generosity of the faith fully from all over the world. This solidarity enables them to continue their evangelical presence, in addition to maintaining schools and social structures that assist all citizens with healthcare, education and peaceful coexistence, attending above all to the weakest and poorest.

For this reason, Pope Francis has approved the proposal that the Collection for the Holy Land, for the year 2020, take place on Sunday, September 13th, near the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. The celebration that commemorates the discovery of the Relics of the Cross by Saint Helen also marks a new beginning of public worship in Jerusalem, with the construction of the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre. May it be a sign of hope and salvation after the Passion to which many peoples are now associated, as well as solidarity with those who continue to live the Gospel of Jesus on the Land where “it all began”.

Giving–How to Donate to Blessed Sacrament

Giving–How to Donate to Blessed Sacrament

On the right side of our website, the following information is available for helping you support your parish! 

During this difficult time, your parish needs you! Even though public health directives do not allow communities to gather for Masses, parishes still need funds to survive. Here are some ways to continue to support your parish through this crisis.
  • Pre-authorized Direct Debit: click HERE to complete and submit form.

               *Note: In message field please include parish nametownyour address and phone number so we can send you a tax receipt.

  • Off-Line: mail your cheque to Archdiocese of Regina, 445 Broad St. N., Regina, SK  S4R 2X8, ATTN: Parish Donation
  • By Phone: contact Financial Officer Deacon Barry Wood at 306-519-8997.
  • Credit Card Donations via CanadaHelps: Click HERE   CanadaHelps Logo

             *Note: In the message box, please indicate your parish name and town.

Processing of payments made possible through the Archbishop’s Appeal

Private Prayer in Church during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Questions & Answers

Can I go to Blessed Sacrament Church to pray privately?

  • At the current time and under certain conditions, yes. This may change at any time depending on local public health information and directives.

Personal conditions: You can go to church to pray if you:

  1. have not traveled out of country or out of Saskatchewan in the last 2 weeks;
  2. are not elderly, do not have underlying medical conditions, and are not a healthcare worker; and
  3. have no signs of illness, either yourself or in your household.

*Important Note: It takes time for symptoms to appear after COVID-19 exposure. Also, some of those who are infected show no symptoms at all. It is safest to assume you are infected, and to work to avoid transmitting the illness to others.

Church conditions: You can go to church to pray if:

  1. Blessed Sacrament Church is open from 10:30 AM to 3:00 PM daily (7 days).
  2. you use hand sanitizer upon entry and ensure that your area of the pew is sanitized before and after prayer;
  3. you avoid touching surfaces with your hands or passing items from person to person; and
  4. you leave at least 2 metres of space between you and others.

What if personal or church conditions do not allow you to pray in church?

  • You are not alone. Our entire faith community is sharing this suffering. Our Lord, who dwells in our hearts, is always with us.
  • While we wait for our beloved churches to welcome us back once this trying time is over, we can meditate on the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:6:
  • But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Pope to offer special blessing & calls for worldwide prayer

Sunday that he will offer his “Urbi et Orbi” special blessing Friday, March 27th as the coronavirus pandemic continues worldwide. The pope said he plans to offer the blessing traditionally only given at Christmas and Easter this Friday as the COVID-19 outbreak has infected hundreds of thousands and disrupted societies around the globe. Friday’s blessing will be delivered in an empty St. Peter’s Square. Catholics can receive a special indulgence in person or online, which is a remission of punishment for sins. 

The Pope requested Christians around the world say the “Our Father” prayer at noon Italian time. “We want to respond to the pandemic of the virus with the universality of prayer, of compassion, of tenderness.  Let’s remain united”.

Pastoral Offices Closed

The Pastoral office of the Archdiocese of Regina is now closed to the public until further notice, if you need to reach a staff member, the best way to contact them is by email. A full list of their contact information is available on the COVID-19 Updates page. https:// archregina.sk.ca/content/covid-19-updates

Pope Francis is asking the world to join in praying the rosary today at 2:00 SK Time (9:00 PM Rome time).

Pope Francis is asking the world to join in praying the rosary today at 2:00 SK Time (9:00 PM Rome time).

We will use the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary

1. The Baptism of the Lord in the River Jordan

2. The Wedding Feast of Cana

3. the Proclamation of the Kingdom of God

4. The Transfiguration

5. The Institution of the Eucharist.

May Christ continue to reveal himself to us in these times of fear.
St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, pray for us.