“Message from Your Pastor.”
Message from Your Pastor
Dear Brothers and Sisters:
In today’s social environment, plagued as it is with senseless violence, which has involved attacks on places of worship, it is very important to me as your pastor that those attending Mass are free to worship without worry. I believe it is also important to have available resources in situations requiring medical assistance. For these reasons, and in consultation with the Diocese, I have begun a program for our ushers that includes both security and first aid training. Many of our ushers have already begun this training.
Should an event occur at the church, it is my expectation that only the ushers would need to respond unless the ushers specifically call on parishioners to assist. An event could be as simple as someone fainting during Mass, or an individual disrupting the Mass in some way. In the event that you or someone around you at Mass needs assistance, gaining the attention of one of the ushers should be the first action.
While our surrounding community feels very safe and removed from some of the stories we hear and read in the news regarding incidents at churches, it is to our security advantage to be prepared. The ushers are being trained in various security protocols to prevent disruptions in the Mass. In the unlikely event of such a disruption, please allow the ushers to manage the situation.
It is my hope that this information regarding our preparedness brings comfort to anyone who might have concerns about attending Mass. I ask that more adults in the parish volunteer to be an usher in order to ensure adequate coverage at every Mass. To volunteer or inquire more about the usher training please contact Rick Lauber or Jay Tippett at koc12791@gmail.com.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Father Killian