APRIL 23, 2020
"PEACE BE WITH YOU"
Christians & Coronavirus:
Staying Connected in Christ
PEACE BE WITH YOU
A few weeks ago, I along with several others, were asked if we would be willing to call a list of parishioners during this difficult time away from our St. Andrew community to see how they are doing and if they had any needs with which we may be able to assist them. I am never very excited about getting phone calls from solicitors so I was a bit anxious about making these calls, but I agreed. When my phone list came I said a little prayer to God to give me the strength to respectfully deal with whatever I may hear.
My fears vanished after the first couple of calls. People were so thankful that their church was concerned enough to reach out to them during this time of distress. Most said they were doing fine and didn’t have any immediate needs. I encouraged them to call the office to leave a message if the situation changed and they needed help. Many commented they were watching the Masses online and had increased their time spent in prayer since they had more uninterrupted time at home. They were praying, in particular, for their family and friends but also parishioners who may have or may likely be exposed to this virus, such as doctors, nurses and medical/lab technicians.
I was particularly pleased that several even volunteered to serve any parishioners that may need grocery or pharmacy pick-ups or rides to doctor appointments. All of them expressed their surprise and thanks to the
St. Andrew community for reaching out to them and for bringing them hope and the mercy of God through these calls.
Father Cordier suggested making these calls and Deacon Tim organized the process. We are blessed to have Father Cordier, Father Chris, Deacon Tim, and the entire staff at St. Andrew for coming up with such a wonderful idea and bringing us all together during this difficult time. We will miss our priests and their wisdom and concern.
As a caller, I am particularly appreciative for the opportunity to reach out to other parishioners and I feel blessed that they were all so gracious and thankful. The mercy our parishioners were willing to share with others provided hope to me through talking with them.
When we are all back at Mass in our church and we extend the greeting "Peace Be With You” to those around us, I will be very thankful for my St. Andrew Community and the optimism these parishioners showed to me.
Cathy O'Toole
St. Andrew Parishioner