A Thriving Lenten Community

02-26-2021Letters From Fr. BrianRev. Brian F. Manning

Dear Parishioners and Friends of Saint Mary Parish:

I was quite happy that on Ash Wednesday so many folks were able to come to the Church either to attend Mass and receive Ashes or come to the Reception of Ashes outside at mid-day. In addition, many families and households signed up to obtain ashes a head of time and have a brief and holy service at home and receive them. Our Religious Education Director sponsored and facilitated this faith activity. Many also watched the Ash Wednesday Masses on our Livestream in real time or later. We took the experience of Christmas Eve and Day Masses of how Parishioners responded and participated and used this as a model and planned Ash Wednesday.

Holy Week, from Palm Sunday through Easter Sunday will also be designed and planned in light of how you all participated in the various ways which we had offered. Parish Ministry has certain had to pivot and turn in so many ways during this Pandemic. I deeply appreciate that so many of you who have been positive, helpful and understanding. The strain of the Pandemic has most people near an edge of anger and it surfaces quite often in us despite our best attempts to remain peaceful and calm.

I have learned that our participation in the Franklin Interfaith Council’s Envoy “Eat Out –Take Out-Help Out” Program of supporting the Franklin Food Pantry by going to or ordering from certain Franklin restaurants on a particular night has been an ongoing success. Details are always available through our website and you can obtain a calendar for each month to make your food planning easier or just check for a particular day.

Just to update you: Daily Mass Monday through Friday at 7:00am has begun and folks are starting to attend it. I notice that our Saturday/Sunday attendance is now slowly starting to increase. Live-Streaming Sunday Mass is very frequently chosen by many people. Our Pastoral Associate, (Deacon) Stephen May’s Tuesday Night “Zoom” Spirituality Program for Lent is an outstanding success with the amount of folks who are “tuning in”. Please check our website for details and plan to participate. If you sign up and miss the Program in real time, it is being recorded and you will get an email which will let you know how etc. to view it at another time. Technology is great, some of time!!! I know Tuesday night is meeting night for many people, so you can still be part of it all, even if you cannot participate every Tuesday night. Many folks have told me that they signed up for the “BestLentEver.com” daily email from Dynamic Catholic and they appreciate the spiritual and reflective thought for each day. Our Knights of Columbus has just launched its annual “Palm Sunday Stop and Shop Card Drive” to support our Parish’s Saint Vincent’s. The Pandemic has made it go mostly on-line to support this charitable drive in purchasing cards, so I direct you to the Knight’s website: (kofc1847.org).  You also can access this via our parish website.

Our Saint Vincent’s continues its sacred trust and mission of serving those who are in need. This is due to your faith generosity. Thank you. Our Parish also continues its mission and holy work due to your financial faithfulness via on-line (accessed at: stmarysfranklin.org), by in-church contributions or drop by or mail-in envelopes. Thank you for these constant acts of support. Cardinal Sean has announced his Annual Archdiocesan Appeal via letter and media. I ask that you consider supporting his and the work of the Archdiocese. Each parish has a required assessment and I am inviting you to help us meet our required goal. If you do not have a letter by the end of the month, please email Trish Murphy (businessmanager@stmarysfranklin.org) in our Office and she will mail you a donation envelope which will credit our Parish for you to use.

During this Lent we always dedicate ourselves to extra prayer and reflection so that we may grow in the ways of faith and celebrate Easter Sunday with a greater vitality. We increase our prayer to our Intercessor Mary, Mother of God and we continue to ask Saint Rocco to intercede for those who are ill in body, mind or spirit and bring them healing. This Lent may be different, but it can be a great spiritual time for us to prepare to greet the Risen Lord on Easter Sunday.

God bless,

Father Brian

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