Bishop Robert J. Brennan, bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Columbus, will be celebrating Mass with us on Sunday, May 31, 2020 at 9 am at Holy Rosary-St. John Church, 660 South Ohio Ave., Columbus, Ohio. We look forward to having Bishop Brennan with us and hearing his message.
Masses will resume at Holy Rosary-St. John on Sunday, May 31st at 9 am.
Please note that the Mass time at Holy Rosary-St. John has been changed to 9 am.
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From the previous letter from Bishop Brennan:
All Catholics in the Diocese of Columbus are dispensed from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass at least through September 13, 2020. Please, if you have any concerns, do not come at this point. In fact, I encourage all to follow the public guidelines here in Ohio as much as possible. If you are in one or more of the “high risk” categories, it is still too early to come out. And, of course, if you are experiencing any signs of illness, you have a serious obligation to stay at home.
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Below are the guidelines to read over and consider before Mass resumes.
Information about Resumption of Public Worship and Social Service Programs/Organizations Updates
May 15, 2020
Please read below for information about resumption of public worship, more updates from our social service programs and organizations, and ways you can support all that continues to go on at Holy Rosary-St. John…
May 13, 2020
Dear Friends,
With the anticipation of reestablishing public worship, we must do so in a way that does not irresponsibly place the health of our people in grave danger. We are still learning a lot about the COVID-19 Coronavirus, we have seen its tragic force in the death of so many people. We pray for all those who have died these months as well as for those who mourn. We have also seen heroic efforts by those particularly in the health care field but so many others who in invisible ways have provided for our needs. We are all united in sincere gratitude for the work and the sacrifices of these people.
We also pray for and give thanks for those who have prudently guided us through these difficult times at the national, state, and local levels. In particular, we are grateful for the respect, which the state of Ohio has shown, for our religious rights and liberties. At no point have they disparaged our essential right and duty to worship Almighty God at the sacrifice of the Mass on Sunday and encounter the Risen Lord in the Eucharist. Rather, partnering with our brothers and sisters in the civil order, we prudently decided that though divine worship is an essential activity so also is the protection of the common good and the dignity of human life. The medical and public safety officials have been warning us urgently that gathered assemblies of persons was gravely dangerous to the individuals present and to the common good. Faced with these dangers, we have exercised together our moral responsibility to safeguard human life and to allow the local healthcare systems to manage the care of the sick. This prudential judgment on our part required great sacrifice for all in the Church. You have also sacrificed in various ways these days. For us, as Catholics, the loss of our Sunday gathering for worship is a great sacrifice. You have made these sacrifices in a spirit of extreme charity and I am deeply grateful. These measures we have undertaken together, we are advised, have made a difference. Our plans for reopening need therefore, to respect all those sacrifices in a way that is responsible with care for the well-being of individuals and of the wider community.
As one public official told me, the COVID-19 Coronavirus will be with us for a long time and we need to learn how to live with it. Many of the dangers of gathered assemblies remain. The measures proposed in our guidelines and the work that is being done at the parish level will help to mitigate those dangers to some degree. Cognizant of your many sacrifices, I need to ask patience and flexibility as we begin this process of the return to public worship.
This week some churches are beginning to open for individual prayer. The hours will be limited and subject to the necessities of social distancing. Meanwhile Confessions continue to be available by appointment. During the week of May 25, 2020, some churches will begin to celebrate Weekday Mass publicly under limited circumstances as the Churches are ready.
On the weekend of the great Solemnity of Pentecost, May 30/31, 2020, most of our churches will begin the public celebration of Sunday Mass. Please note, many things to which we are accustomed will be different. Schedules will need to be modified for a variety of reasons. Not every Church will be prepared, and some parishes may need to work together. As a matter of fact, since the fall we have been looking at ways that we might need to adjust schedules so that priests and parishes might work together and, in some cases, we may need to do so right away. We also need to leave time to disinfect the churches and we may need to change locations to accommodate some of the larger populations. Parishes are not in competition but rather meeting the individual needs using the guidelines we are implanting. I thank you in advance for your understanding.
All Catholics in the Diocese of Columbus are dispensed from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass at least through September 13, 2020. Please, if you have any concerns, do not come at this point. In fact, I encourage all to follow the public guidelines here in Ohio as much as possible. If you are in one or more of the “high risk” categories, it is still too early to come out. And, of course, if you are experiencing any signs of illness, you have a serious obligation to stay at home. Given that the obligation is dispensed, individuals who wish to participate at Mass and receive Holy Communion might consider coming at a less crowded time, perhaps during the week. The Cathedral will continue to broadcast Mass each day on St. Gabriel Radio and to stream via our diocesan YouTube channel as will many of our parishes.
We will need to be flexible with last minute changes to schedules, and further changes may be necessary even after we begin. Out of care for you, the priest is subject to the same obligation not to offer Mass if he is showing even the slightest signs of not feeling well. No one is required to receive Holy Communion and the reception of Holy Communion on the hand is strongly encouraged. Please be respectful of the guidelines for social distancing and please understand that when the Church has reached capacity allowed for health and safety reasons, we cannot admit any more people under any circumstance.
Please take the time to read carefully the accompanying guidelines. And most of all, please pray. Pray for me, for your parish priests and the teams with whom they are working to prepare for the return to public worship. These days the Gospels take us spiritually to the table of Jesus with his Apostles on the night of the Last Supper. Reading these chapters little by little (John chapters 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17) might be a good spiritual preparation. And know that I pray for you with gratitude every day.
Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us.
Most Reverend Robert J. Brennan
Bishop of Columbus
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The guidelines that Bishop Brennan mentioned are available in PDF format at:
columbuscatholic.org/documents/2020/5/Guidelines%20for%20All%20the%20Faithful%20for%20The%20Return%20to%20Public%20Worship-2.pdf
They are also available in image format below.
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Remember, you can go to the St. Dominic Church website to watch Fr. Ramon Owera celebrate the weekly Mass. They are hosting the weekly Masses for St. Dominic and Holy Rosary-St. John to access, and thanks to them for that:
stdominic-church.org
Let us continue to pray for everyone!
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Below are schedules/updates for the social service programs and organizations in the St. John Community Center (640 S. Ohio Ave.):
Community Kitchen is offering grab-and-go sack lunches Monday through Friday from 10:30 am to noon at the St. John Community Center (outside) and at St. Dominic Church (also outside). Also, some personal care items are available on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Call (614) 252-6428 for more details.
St. John Food Pantry is open on Thursdays from 9 to 10:30 am. Outside walk up and drive through only. Call (614) 252-5926, ext. 3 for more details.
Order of Malta Center of Care is offering some toiletries and personal care items during pantry hours on May 21st. After that, they are currently planning to provide services (including basic medical check ups like blood pressure, temperature, blood oxygen level checks) and hand out personal care items along with the St. John Food Pantry every Thursday from 9 to 11 am, starting in June. Call (614) 530-8643 for more details.
St. John Learning Center adult education programs are still suspended, but the learning center coordinator is working on plans to get programs back up and running in early July. Classrooms will be sanitized, and social distancing/masks will be used. Some workshops may also take place online, and those online workshops may be available prior to July. Call (614) 547-2171 for details.
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Please note that we have cancelled our Church Anniversary Celebration this year. We hope to have it in July of 2021 instead.
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We realize that many people’s finances have been impacted by this public health crisis and that there are many good causes out there, but we also need to say that Holy Rosary-St. John is in great need of continued donations, so please consider donating online. More details are at:
hrsjchurch.org/donate
Also, we are going to have to have the elevator replaced in the St. John Community Center, the former school that now houses parish programs, such as the St. John Food Pantry and St. John Learning Center, and organizations such as the Community Kitchen, Inc. and Order of Malta Center of Care. Our community center receives over 100,000 visits every year, but as a small parish, we cannot keep these things running on our own. We really need assistance from around the Diocese and around the city/county/state/etc. We welcome donations from anyone who is interested, and we can accept them through a variety of platforms. For more information, please call (614) 252-5926, ext. 7.
Masses Suspended through May 29th and Updates from our Social Service Programs and Organizations
April 29, 2020
Please read below for information about suspension of Masses through May 29th, more updates from our social service programs and organizations, and ways you can support all that continues to go on at Holy Rosary-St. John…
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April 28, 2020
Letter to the Faithful from Bishop Brennan
The Lord is Risen – Happy Easter!
The Ohio Bishops met yesterday. After consultation and a close examination of the facts determined that while it is not yet possible to begin the public celebration of Mass, we are looking at a target date of May 30/31 – Pentecost Sunday hopefully to resume our celebrations. Each of us continues to dispense all Catholics from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass and I also dispense from the canonical obligation of Easter Duty. During his press conference yesterday, Governor DeWine indicated that through increased and widespread testing and other means, much knowledge will emerge to allow for safer conditions for the assemblies of people. In the meantime we will begin the gradual process in various ways.
This week many of our priests will begin setting aside dedicated time for the Sacrament of Reconciliation on a wide basis by appointment and in places deemed to provide for safety and hygiene. These locations will include spaces free of the need to touch surfaces such as doors or furniture, providing appropriate social distancing and privacy and limiting the number of people gathered at any one time to a bare minimum. The locations and contact numbers for appointments will be posted on our Diocesan Website (www.columbuscatholic.org) beginning Wednesday, April 29 so that appointments for confessions may be scheduled, and hearing confessions can begin Friday, May 1. We will be working to make it possible in at least some of our churches for people to visit and pray during certain hours in the coming weeks. Again, care for the continued health and safety of those who visit is paramount.
The process of preparing for Mass will encompass many considerations. We will work to be ensure that the Churches are clean and safe. We are working to have plans in place to manage seating and movement, allowing for safe social distancing; this may perhaps limit the number of people in the Church or any other spaces at any given time. We will follow the guidelines for assemblies regarding face-coverings and other protective measures. It may be necessary to adjust schedules to allow for priests to help each other beyond parish boundaries. In recent weeks there has been a task force looking at the many opportunities for evangelization here in the diocese. Their work will turn to provide recommendations on how we as a diocese and as parishes use this time for pastoral and interior preparation.
Looking ahead with hope and anticipation I ask your prayers. Looking back, I can only do so with deep gratitude for your continued goodness, your sacrifices, your patience and understanding. I am convinced that the measures we have taken together with the rest of our community have made a significant difference. Let’s pray for those who have suffered deeply, especially those who have died and those who mourn. And let’s never forget the sacrifices and hard work that so many people heroically make for us and our well-being.
In the peace of our Risen Lord,
Bishop Brennan
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Remember, you can go to the St. Dominic Church website to watch Fr. Ramon Owera celebrate the weekly Mass. They are hosting the weekly Masses for St. Dominic and Holy Rosary-St. John to access, and thanks to them for that:
stdominic-church.org
Let us continue to pray for everyone!
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Below are schedules/updates for the social service programs and organizations in the St. John Community Center (640 S. Ohio Ave.):
Community Kitchen is offering grab-and-go sack lunches Monday through Friday from 10:30 am to noon. Also, some personal care items available, mostly during pantry hours on Thursdays (perhaps some Tuesdays, too). Call (614) 252-6428 for more details.
St. John Food Pantry is open on Thursdays from 9 to 10:30 am. Outside walk up and drive through only. Call (614) 252-5926, ext. 3 for more details.
Order of Malta Center of Care is offering some toiletries and personal care items during pantry hours on May 7th (and, every other Thursday after until they re-open). Otherwise, they are closed for now, but are working on plans to re-open in late May or early June. Call (614) 530-8643 for more details on which days they will be there with the pantry and re-opening dates.
St. John Learning Center adult education programs are still suspended, but the learning center coordinator is working on plans to get programs back up and running as things gradually re-open. Classrooms will be sanitized, and social distancing/masks will be used. Some workshops may also take place online. More details to follow. Call (614) 547-2171 for details.
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We regret to announce that we are cancelling our Church Anniversary Celebration this year. We hope to have it in July of 2021 instead. Watch for details.
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We realize that many people’s finances have been impacted by this public health crisis and that there are many good causes out there, but we also need to say that Holy Rosary-St. John is in great need of continued donations, so please consider donating online. More details are at:
hrsjchurch.org/donate
Also, we are going to have to have the elevator replaced in the St. John Community Center, the former school that now houses parish programs such as the St. John Food Pantry and St. John Learning Center, and organizations such as the Community Kitchen, Inc. and Order of Malta Center of Care. Our community center receives over 100,000 visits every year, but as a small parish, we cannot keep these things running on our own. We really need assistance from around the Diocese and around the city/county/state/etc. We welcome donations from anyone who is interested, and we can accept them through a variety of platforms. For more information, please call (614) 252-5926, ext. 7.
Divine Mercy Sunday and Social Service Updates
April 17, 2020
This coming Sunday (April 19th) is Divine Mercy Sunday and Bishop Brennan asked parishes to share the following info/links:
There will be Divine Mercy Liturgies from The National Shrine of the Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, MA. These will be available on Saint Gabriel Radio, EWTN, and on the Facebook page of the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy.
Saint Gabriel Radio: stgabrielradio.com/divine-mercy-sunday-schedule/
The National Shrine of the Divine Mercy – web page: shrineofdivinemercy.org/
The National Shrine of the Divine Mercy – Facebook: facebook.com/ShrineOfDivineMercy/
EWTN: ewtn.com
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Schedules remain the same for the social service programs and organizations in the St. John Community Center (640 S. Ohio Ave.):
Community Kitchen: grab-and-go sack lunches available Monday through Friday from 10:30 am to noon. Also, some personal care items available, mostly during pantry hours on Thursdays (perhaps some Tuesdays, too). Call (614) 252-6428 for more details.
St. John Food Pantry: open on Thursdays from 9 to 11 am. Outside walk up and drive through only. Call (614) 252-5926, ext. 3 for more details.
Order of Malta Center of Care: offering some toiletries and personal care items during pantry hours on April 23rd. Otherwise, they are closed for now. Call (614) 530-8643 for more details on which days they will be there with the pantry.
St. John Learning Center: all adult education programs still suspended.
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God bless and let’s keep everyone in prayer!
Remember, you can donate online at:
hrsjchurch.org/donate
The temporary suspension of all publicly celebrated Masses continues through May 3rd.
From the Ohio Catholic Bishops: “Governor Mike DeWine extended the executive “Stay at Home Order” to continue to curb the spread of the Coronavirus in the State of Ohio. Out of deep concern for the common good, as well as the physical and spiritual well-being of all the people of Ohio, the Catholic Bishops of Ohio have agreed once again to cooperate with the governor’s direction. To that end, the Catholic Bishops of Ohio extend the temporary suspension of all publicly celebrated Masses/liturgies at least through and including Sunday, May 3rd. The Bishops of Ohio dispense the Catholic faithful who reside in their respective dioceses and all other Catholics currently in Ohio from the obligation of attending Sunday Mass during this time period.”
You can watch Fr. Ramon Owera offer Mass online on Palm Sunday on the St. Dominic website at:
stdominic-church.org
Resources for Holy Week are available on the Diocesan website:
columbuscatholic.org/holy-week
Let’s keep everyone in prayer! Have a blessed Holy Week!
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Updates from our social service programs and organizations in the St. John Community Center:
The Community Kitchen will return to providing sack lunches on Monday through Friday from 10:30 am to noon at the St. John Community Center (640 S. Ohio Ave., Columbus) and at St. Dominic Church (453 N. 20th St., Columbus). The Community Kitchen can be contacted at (614) 252-6428.
The St. John Food Pantry will be open on Thursdays. Pantry hours will be 9:00 am to 11:00 am. Outside walk up and drive through. They will bring the food outside where everyone can maintain social distancing. The St. John Food Pantry can be contacted at (614) 252-5926, ext. 3.
The Order of Malta Center of Care will be closed through April, but volunteers will be helping out and offering supplies at various times with the Community Kitchen and the St. John Food Pantry. They will be there during pantry hours on Holy Thursday.
St. John Learning Center adult education programs will continue to be suspended until further notice, but the Learning Center coordinator is working on programs for later in the year when things re-open.
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Remember, you can donate online at:
hrsjchurch.org/donate
Please Join Pope Francis in Prayer
March 25, 2020
