The parish office employees are in the office every weekday during regular business hours (9:00 AM to 4:00 PM), but due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the office is closed to visitors. Please feel free to call the office, 717.392.2578. The weekly bulletin will be sent to all parishioners for whom we have an email address.

Mass

Public Masses, Adoration, Stations of the Cross and any other liturgical functions are all cancelled until further notice. Fr. Brian will celebrate Mass privately each day for the intention of the day. They can be viewed on our Facebook page and our Livestream channel.  Specifically, Sunday Mass is streamed at 11:00 AM on our website and Livestream channel.

At this point, Facebook and Livestream are our best methods of providing livestream of various liturgical events at the parish, such as Mass, adoration, morning/evening prayers. It is also the best platform to upload videos to lead us in prayer, especially those provided by fellow parishioners. By next week, Fr. Brian hopes to have a more firm schedule down of the various liturgies, and that will be posted Sunday morning. Please know that you can view the Livestream of Sunday Mass for free by clicking this link or on our website and that you can acquire a Facebook profile with nothing more than an email address (i.e. you don’t have to provide pictures, make friends, or do anything else but follow St. Mary’s page to access livestreaming services).

The church is closed to the public until further notice. A deep cleaning of the church will take place when it reopens.

Keeping Holy the Lord’s Day

Please click here for an example of Sunday prayer at home. Please note that Magnificat has a free app with lots of resources that you are encouraged to use.

Holy Week

The Holy Father released directives for Holy Week this year. Unfortunately the Holy Week services and Easter will not be celebrated publicly in most places throughout the world. Fr. Brian is putting together a schedule of when the services will be livestreamed from St. Mary’s. Hewill be blessing the palms and Easter water, and both will be waiting for you at St. Mary’s for when the time comes when we can return “home.”

Confession

The regularly scheduled times are cancelled, but if someone is in an emergency and in danger of death, please contact Fr. Brian to arrange confession on the front porch (or at their bedside)

Adult Education

Please check out the bulletin for details of the various Bible studies and groups in the parish, many of whom are meeting via Zoom these days.

Funerals

For the time being, a graveside service with the family is permitted. A Mass of Remembrance can be scheduled for a future time.

Baptisms

They may occur at this point if less than 10 people are present.

Youth Ministry

Our Youth Group continues on too! I’m sure some of your teens may be getting a little stir crazy. Send them to Bob and dozens of other teens Thursday night at 7:00pm. Email bob@stmaryslancaster.org to get on his email list to stay updated.

Established in 1741, this beautiful church stands as a symbol of the vitality and dedication of Catholic life in Lancaster. We have the distinguished honor of being the fourth oldest Catholic Church in the original thirteen colonies and the added blessing of Mary, the Blessed Virgin of the Assumption, as our patroness. In addition, our church was granted a special spiritual bond with the Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome in February 2009 (more info). Look beyond the beautiful sacramental signs of handcrafted marble statuary, stained glass windows and carved altars, and you will see a special mosaic…not of sculptures or paintings, but a mosaic of people from different cultures, economic backgrounds, and ages all gathering together to pray and serve the Lord.

In Christ’s Peace,

Rev. Brian J. Wayne, Pastor

Click here to see the most recent Sunday Mass video.

The importance of Spiritual Communion is becoming more evident as all public Masses are being cancelled. Please click here for more information on this practice that is powerful not only when we cannot receive the Eucharist but even when we can.