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From: Leighton Drake
Date: Sun, Mar 22, 2020 at 8:37 PM
Dear friends,
I believe JoAnna has updated our Flocknote messages, so hopefully you’ve received the last couple I sent to the CFF families. If not please let us know and we can add you to the CFF Family Update list.
It’s Sunday evening. What an incredible couple of weeks it’s been.
First and foremost, please know that all of you and your families have been and continue to be in my prayers. I pray for physical, spiritual, and emotional health for all.
This past almost week and a half the parish staff has been mobilizing to put together ways we can reach parishioners, including using online tools, caring for the needs of those who need food, etc., and reaching out to the elderly of our parish to see how they’re doing.
As you know, a week or so ago things were changing at such a rapid rate, and we found ourselves scrambling to put things together as we knew that we’d probably be unable to meet in person soon. Most are working from home and observing the mandate of social distancing.
As you’ve seen, no doubt, Father Richard made it a priority to make it possible for us to experience the Holy Mass, at least remotely. While far from being the same as actual participation in person, I'm so grateful to have that connection to OLMC. I found myself very moved this morning as my family prayed the Mass with our OLMC community through Facebook Live and made our spiritual communion.
This week I’m putting together some online resources for our CFF and middle school ministries. I have been so pleased to see that some of you have already reached out to your students’ families with lessons and activities to do at home. Please continue with that. We want to make sure that though the parish buildings and church are closed, we continue to help our families grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ and His Church. If you need any contact information for students’ families, please let JoAnna know via email (you should have access to your class information in Realm).
The resources I will send out are meant to be broad in scope, so I’m hoping that you’re able to offer your students some direction on their lessons. If they have their books at home, they can be doing their chapters as a family. I won’t be overwhelming them with things they need to do, but rather give families different resources to help them grow in faith, hope, and love as we navigate these very difficult times.
At this time, we have to assume the first Holy Communions will be delayed, but I’m hoping that we can do them soon after we resume public gatherings for Masses. Arranging for that, once it’s safe to congregate, should not be complicated.
I am terribly sad to be separated from all of you and our CFF families under these circumstances, and look forward in hope to that day we may join together in the school to do the work that God has called us to do. It is truly my privilege to work with all of you, and to be part of the formation mission of our Church.
I'll send more information out soon, and will keep you abreast of any news on our end.
If you haven’t already, please go to our OLMC Community Group HERE.
Jesus, I trust in You.
Peace be with you,
Leighton
Leighton Drake
Director of Children's Faith Formation / Junior High Ministry
Office: 317-663-4017
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church
14598 Oakridge Rd.
Carmel, IN 46032
ad majorem dei gloriam
“[T]he definitive aim of catechesis is to put people not only in touch but in communion, in intimacy, with Jesus Christ: only He can lead us to the love of the Father in the Spirit and make us share in the life of the Holy Trinity.” St. John Paul II, Catechesi Tradendae, no. 5