Looking Back with Fr. Joe Horn

I started in February 2020 and about a month later we were in a COVID lockdown. It was unprecedented that the Church would close her doors, that the reception of sacraments would be suspended, that gathering together would be considered as dangerous or reckless. And something as basic as going to school was turned upside-down. Without trying to relive those unbelievable conditions I recognize now how shocked we were by the immense social changes that were taking place around us. And yet with great resilience, our community responded to the crisis immediately. When the adoration chapel had to close, after decades of remaining open 24/7, we initiated outdoor adoration and gave evening benediction from the rectory balcony each evening. When we had to close the confessionals we began hearing confessions in the Northwood parking lot. We were able to maintain parking lot confessions late into the fall until it became too cold for both penitent and priest! I cannot explain to you the sense of isolation for a priest who has no congregation with whom to celebrate Mass (it was completely disorienting).  For those who were homebound, our staff quickly found a way to begin live-streaming the private Masses so that our community could at least experience the comfort of making a spiritual communion daily. Friends and relatives would call and say, “We watched your Mass on TV!” and were excited for the opportunity to have a glimpse of the Mass. Though the doors of the basilica were closed due to the shutdown, our staff was back answering the phones within a week. Many services supplied by staff and volunteers resumed in short order. St. Vincent de Paul continued taking phone requests throughout the pandemic.  Terms like “essential” and “non-essential” workers didn’t seem to matter. Everyone began pitching in. This kind of dedication was evidenced by staff and volunteers alike. And you, our parishioners, responded by showing your support for every effort we made to retain even a trace of our former way of life. Your support allowed us to keep our staff employed throughout the pandemic. Though many changes took place, Mass times, sanitizing pews, blue tape, no holy water fonts and no signs of peace, marriages postponed and funerals delayed, we still managed to keep our chin up and make the best of it.The reason I recount these experiences is to remind us of where we have been and how well we have come through adversity. A great big thank you to everyone who  jumped  at  the  chance  to  return  to  Mass,  and gratitude for everyone who returned at their own pace. We still have a lot to do, but I have faith our community will meet each challenge stronger than before.  In upcoming articles I would like to remind us of some key events from this past year and to set a course for rebuilding our future. “The old things have passed away; behold, new things have come.”