The Pope's Monthly Intentions for August 2020:                            The Maritime World
We pray for all those who work and live from the sea, among them sailors, fishermen and their families.

Please Note:                                  Please stay healthy and safe and  practice the Safe Distancing Guidelines put in place by the Archdiocese.

Masks are now required to attend church services.

Winter & Spring              Office Hours ~             

Winter Hours ~                              Begin September 3rd

Summer Hours ~                        Begin June 1st

Monday - Thursday 8:30am - 3:30pm

Fridays - Closed

Weekend Mass Hours ~

Saturday Vigil Mass ~ 5pm
Sunday Masses ~ 9am & 11am

Daily Mass Hours ~               

Tuesday - Saturday ~ 9am

Every Thursday ~          Eucharistic Adoration begins after the daily 9am Mass.
Benediction will be at 6pm with prayers starting at 5:45pm.

New Reconciliation Times ~

(Until Further Notice)                          By appointment or:

Tuesday ~ 9:30am - 10:00am                Friday     ~ 9:30am - 10:00am              Saturday ~ 9:30am - 10:45am              

No Confessions ~                            Tuesday, August 4             Saturday, August 22

Mass ~                                Saturday, August 22 (9am Mass)                                                        

No Adoration/Benediction  ~               

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Carmelite Institute of Spirituality

                  27004 78th Ave NW                   Stanwood, WA 98292

360-629-4032

Br. Mark Moran, OCD ~ Director

mtcarmel.nw1@gmail.com www.carmeliteinstituteofspirituality.com

Carmelite Book Store & Gift Shop

Hours ~

Tuesday & Thursday 

10am - 12:30pm

To visit the store at off hours, please call 360-629-4032 to arrange an alternative time.........Thank you

To watch the Archdiocese Witness Talk Videos CLICK HERE

Parish Office is temporarily closed to the public. If you need to contact the parish office please call our main phone number: 

360-629-3737  

or email:

secretary@saintccc.org

Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.

JM+JT

17 July 2020

Dear Parishioners,

Today the Discalced Carmelite Order celebrates the feast day of the Carmelite martyrs of Compiègne. In the eighteenth-century revolution ravished France. The monarchy was overthrown, and the King and Queen were executed at the guillotine. Robespierre was exercising his power and authority with mass executions and anyone who was perceived to stand against the principles of the revolution were in danger of losing their lives.

The Roman Catholic Church was a prime target of the revolutionaries. Any Catholic practice was seen as subversive and anti-revolutionary. The Nuns in the Compiègne monastery began a novena to the Sacred Heart for peace in their country. During this time a townsman reported the nuns for subversive actions and the authorities went to the monastery and disbanded the nuns.

The Prioress, Mother Teresa of St. Augustine, found apartments around town where the nuns could live. Despite living in separate homes, the nuns still gathered in a common place to pray the Divine Office, have meals and recreation. While the nuns were trying to preserve their religious life, they were arrested and incarcerated at the Conciergerie where the famed Queen, Marie Antoinette, was imprisoned. The nuns were put on trial and convicted. The next day they were loaded into wagons and processed to the guillotine. While the nuns were in procession the people of Paris stood in silent adoration for these holy women. At the foot of the scaffold the nuns chanted the Veni creator spiritus and renewed their religious vows. The nuns kept singing as each ascended the scaffold and gave her life until Mother Teresa of St. Augustine stood alone. Before ascending the scaffold each of the nuns knelt before the prioress, asked her blessing and permission to die and then they reverenced a small statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary. These martyrs are a good model for us today.

I am writing today to update you on my discussions with the Archdiocese. Many of you may know that I have been in discussion with the Archdiocese about some of the regulations that we are asked to implement. These discussions have been ongoing for about six weeks. Most of the conversations that we have had centered around the requirement that all wear masks while they are on church property. I have asked for a procedure in writing from the Archdiocese that would tell me what to do if a person does not want to wear a mask.

Our conversations became tense and we were not making any progress, so I terminated the calls with the person with whom I had been speaking. I explained that I would only speak with one of the bishops or the Vicar for Clergy. 

On 15 July 2020 I received a phone call from Fr. Gary Zender who is the Vicar for Clergy. We discussed the issues at hand. We had a cordial conversation. Then on 16 July 2020, I received an email from Fr. Zender which contained a procedure that we can implement. In his email Fr. Zender writes, “If you have a medical reason that prevents you from wearing a mask, please let one of our hospitality ministers know and they will seat you in an area that will keep you and others safe.” 

Now that I have a policy from the Archdiocese of Seattle in writing I can implement the regulations as the Archdiocese wants. Our conversations could have been settled sooner if the administration would have given me a procedure. My request for a written procedure was not fulfilled until yesterday. Now that I have a written procedure, I can implement it. 

The policy will be this: If a person cannot wear a mask for any reason that person will be asked to sit in the hall at a 12 ft distance from others. This will be in accord with Fr. Zender’s procedure that he wrote in his email. The 12 ft distance is derived from the regulation regarding priest celebrants who must remain 12 ft from anyone else while not wearing a mask. Since I did not receive the procedure until yesterday and I am not able to announce it in full until this weekend our policy will take effect on July 25, 2020.

I want to thank you all again for your patience and understanding throughout all the difficulties and the unknows that we are all living through during this time. Please continue to be patient with us as we struggle to celebrate the Mass and the Sacraments in these challenging times.

Sincerely in Christ,

Fr. Raymond Bueno, OCD, JCL                                   

Mass livestream with Archbishop Etienne

Archbishop Paul D. Etienne will be livestreaming Mass, Sundays at 10 a.m. on the   Archdiocese of Seattle Facebook page. 

Mass: Pope Francis’ morning Mass will be broadcast live. You can view it in real time and find English narrations at 7:00am Central Eastern Time on www.vaticannews.va.

   If you would like to watch a Mass on television please refer to EWTN Global                                                Catholic Television Network                           please check with your local provider for channel information

                                                 For daily readings and updates please visit                                                                 http://nwcatholic.org/ or http://www.seattlearchdiocese.org/Default.aspx                                                                 For St. James Cathedral for spiritual information and                                                                               activity ideas to do with children on their "Kids Page"                                         http://www.stjames-cathedral.org/narthex.aspx

We are an active faith-filled parish located in Stanwood, Washington, in the Archdiocese of Seattle under Archbishop Paul D. Etienne, D.D., S.T.L. St. Cecilia is the only Washington parish staffed by the Order of the Discalced Carmelite Friars. The Carmelite charism of prayer and community provide an example and inspiration as our members strive to live the Gospel and move toward a closer relationship with Jesus Christ. Through the Word, the Sacraments and love for one another, St. Cecilia Parish nourishes over 600    families and sustains over 40 different ministries that are centered on prayer and service to others -  including the poor, the elderly, the homebound, Faith Formation for preschool through adult, and family programs. Let nothing disturb you, let nothing frighten you. God never changes. Patience obtains all things.                                Whosoever has God lacks nothing. God alone suffices. ~ St. Teresa of Avila   Photo Gallery     Sacraments         Links     Prayer  Requests                                St. Cecilia's Parish Mission Statement St. Cecilia Parish, a community of followers of Jesus, nourished by the      Word of God and the Sacraments, is called to proclaim the Good News to   the community, and to serve those in need. We strive to do this by               listening, prayer and sharing.   NOTICE TO ALL PARISHIONERS If you have moved or changed any of your contact information,  please let the Parish Office know about it; so we have the most current information. As Catholics we are called to take concrete measures to overcome the misunderstanding, ignorance, competition, and fear that stand in the way of genuinely welcoming the stranger in our midst and enjoying the communion that is our destiny as Children of God.                                                                                                                        Welcoming the Stranger Among Us: Unity in Diversity, A Statement of the U.S. Catholic Bishops