Live-Streamed Masses There have been some inquiries from parishioners about why we are live-streaming Masses rather than (or in addition to) video-taping Masses and making the pre-recorded versions available on our web site. This is certainly a fair question, and I’ll attempt to explain why we are only live-streaming the Mass during this unprecedented time. It is important for the integrity of our worship together as a parish community to experience the Mass in real time as opposed to a recorded Mass. Our attempt is to offer an opportunity to pray together as community as opposed to simply “watching the Mass” as an individual or as a domestic family. So, while we are all physically separated and scattered these days, we are still praying together, hearing the Word of God together, and taking “Spiritual Communion” together as a local parish community. We are inviting our parishioners to actively participate in a real-time liturgical celebration. This experience is really not new to us. We do essentially the same thing when overflow crowds attend Mass on Easter and Christmas in the parish hall with a television monitor airing the Mass that is actually taking place live in the church proper. The same is true of the Sunday televised Mass each week in the St. Anne’s Church Hall for handicapped parishioners. Of course, we have ministers of Communion available to bring the Eucharist to those attending Mass in the parish hall, but outside of not being able to receive the Eucharist, the new reality we face today is the same. The only difference is that we will be physically separated not by a couple of hundred feet, but by miles. Be assured that God’s power knows no bounds! To be clear, we will be live-streaming two Masses each weekend: Saturday vigil at 4:00 p.m. and Sunday morning at 8:00 a.m. The Sunday Mass is not a recording of the Saturday vigil Mass, but rather a second Mass that will take place in real time. Every Mass concludes with a blessing imparted by the priest-celebrant to everyone who has participated in the Mass before they leave to go out into the world to be disciples of Christ. Given the challenges that we all face today, perhaps that sacred blessing has never been more important. Please know that the final blessing, imparted in real-time, is no less efficacious for those participating in the Mass through live-streaming than it is for those physically present at the Mass. My conscious intent is to impart God’s blessing upon everybody connected to the live-stream, and providing that your intent is to actively receive that blessing, we’ll all experience God’s grace together. A final blessing that is pre-recorded is just a recording of a priest saying the words of the blessing prayer and not a blessing. Please join us for the live screening of Mass from Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Windham, Saturdays at 4:00 p.m. (Easter Vigil will start at 8:00 p.m.) and Sundays at 8:00 a.m. until the time when we are able to physically gather again. Fr. Lou Phillips

June 25-June 29, 2018 9-12noon

Many of our Parishioners enjoyed working together by assembling Christmas Baskets for the needy. It was a great way for many families to work with the community and enjoy the true spirit of Christmas. 207-839-4857 - Parish Office Helen Andronaco (Coordinator with Barb Welch)