Dear San Pablo Family,
May the Peace of the Risen Lord be with you all!
Today, we celebrate the Fifth Sunday of Easter as we draw closer to the end of this liturgical season, which will culminate in the solemnities of the Ascension of the Lord and Pentecost. In today's Gospel, Jesus begins to prepare the apostles for His physical farewell as He ascends to take His place at the Father’s right hand. He assures them that they will not be left orphaned; rather, He will accompany them with special care and announce the arrival of the Holy Spirit, who will guide them toward the knowledge of the truth. That same Holy Spirit continually guides us in our daily lives when we call upon Him with faith and humility. He strengthens us amid trials and pain, filling us with hope as we journey toward the Promised Land. Let us trust in the merciful presence of God, who never abandons us and fills us with His infinite love.
This weekend, we will have a second collection to support the Catholic Communications Campaign (CCC). This campaign provides an opportunity for many people across the country to connect with their faith through media outlets such as radio, television, and social media. When you contribute to this campaign through the collection, half of your donation will fund national programs established by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, while the other half will remain in our home diocese to support local communications initiatives. I appreciate your support for this important campaign.
After much reflection and consultation with the other priests of the parishes in our Monroe County deanery,Ihave decided to cancel the 8:00 a.m. Saturday Mass effective June 7th. This decision is based on several factors: 1) There has never been a Saturday morning Mass at San Pablo Parish until my predecessor instituted it a little over three years ago. 2) None of the other three parishes in our deanery, which each have only one priest, hold a Saturday morning Mass. 3) Attendance at Saturday morning Mass is lower than on other weekdays. 4) By mandate of the archbishop, priests serving in the Archdiocese of Miami are not authorized to celebrate more than two weekday Masses and three Sunday Masses. Currently, I have two Masses on Saturdays, and if there is a wedding or funeral, I end up celebrating three, which combined with the three Sunday Masses totals six Masses for the weekend exceeding the permitted number.
I hope this explanation helps you understand the situation in its broader context. I ask for your cooperation with this minor adjustment to our liturgical celebration schedule.
God bless you abundantly,
In Christ,
Father Oscar Perez Dudamel