BLESSED SACRAMENT PARISH

. . . . We, the Roman Catholic Christian community of
Blessed Sacrament, nourished by and united in the Eucharist, empowered by the Holy Spirit, dedicate ourselves to being the Body of Christ and actively living the Gospel.  As faithful stewards we will continue to develop and build the Body of Christ by prayer and service.
 

Located on the northeast side of Grand Rapids, we invite to come join our parish family for Sunday Mass and see what we have to offer you and your family.
 

October 5, 2020

Dear Friends in Christ,
             God calls us to be in relationship with one another. “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And all who believed were together and had all things in common.” (Acts 2:42-44)  These words remind us of the importance of the Christian community. It is the place where we are nourished by Word and Sacrament.  Therefore, I am happy to announce the ability to open our churches in the diocese more widely.  I have provided guidance to our pastors allowing them to admit to Mass  the  number  of  people  they  are  able  to  safely accommodate  while  maintaining  proper  social  distancing.
          We  have  been  able  to  safely  and  effectively return to public Masses for the last four months. Within this timeframe and across our 80 parishes, we are aware of only five people who have tested positive for COVID-19 after attending Mass. We have no reason to believe  that  any  of  these  cases  were  a  result  of  transmission at a parish. To safely maintain public Masses with an increased seating capacity, parishioners need to continue to follow our guidelines including wearing  a  face  covering,  practicing  social  distancing,  and frequently washing their hands. Parishes will continue to ensure that high-touch surfaces are disinfected after every liturgy.
          It is good that more of you will now be able to attend Mass. I also realize, however, that by maintaining proper social distancing, our churches still face some occupancy restrictions. I am extending the dispensation for all Catholics within the territory of the Diocese of Grand Rapids from their obligation of attending Sunday Mass through November 23 to address this concern.
          I grant this dispensation to ensure that anyone who needs to stay home to protect the common good can do so in good conscience. If you are homebound, please contact your parish to inquire about the ability to have Communion brought to you. Mass will continue to be televised at 10 a.m. Sunday on FOX 17 and livestreamed on the diocesan website ( grdiocese.org ) and Facebook page ( Diocese of Grand Rapids ).
          Those  who  are  able  to  attend  Mass  should return, remembering that our physical presence at the Eucharistic table is irreplaceable. While this dispensation is in effect, all baptized Catholics are reminded of their obligation to keep the Lord’s Day holy.
          We entrust our prayers to the intercession of Our Lady of Lourdes, patroness of those who suffer illness.  Please continue to check the diocesan website: http://bit.ly/GRdioceseCOVID19Updates and social media for the latest information on our COVID-19 response.
 
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Most Reverend David J. Walkowiak
Bishop of Grand Rapids

Click here to read the special issue of Focus from Michigan Catholic Conference.

You can make your CSA donation here.  The picture below is a link to the Diocese of Grand Rapids website.  Click on that link and it will tell you how to make your donation.  Don’t forget to reference Blessed Sacrament when filling out the form.

ALONG WITH OUR SUNDAY MASSES, WE WILL BE CELEBRATING DAILY MASSES ONLY ON TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY AT THIS TIME
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REGULAR WEEKEND AND
WEEKDAY MASS TIMES

SUN:   9:00am / 11:00am

TUE:   8:30am

WED:  10:30am (Mass is at 8:30am when school is not in session)

THU:   8:30am

FRI:     8:30am

SAT:    4:30pm/confession 3:30pm

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Please check the current bulletin for any changes in the weekday Mass schedule.