Church of the Assumption

615-256-2729

1227 7th Ave North 

 Nashville, TN  37208

 APRIL 19: 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM

It has been an interesting Lent a Assumption—to say the least! We have crawled out of the wreckage of the tornado into a pandemic, the extent of which none of us have ever experienced. The repercussions of these events are going to have long lasting and perhaps even permanent consequences for our lives. The rhythm of our days has altered, the education of our children has been interrupted, we have lost jobs and are facing very challenging financial difficulties. Perhaps most painful, our religious practices have been limited and, for the time being, public Masses have been suspended.

People have much anxiety, which I share, and many questions. I am afraid that, right now, we have few answers and our ability at Assumption to communicate during these days has been severely limited. The Church and rectory have been without internet or direct phone lines since the storm. Our ability to fully assess the storm damage to the Church is now hampered because of restrictions placed on us due to COVID 19 fears. Moreover, we are anticipating rather severe financial strains with regard to our already stressed operating expenses.

Of course, these worldly concerns are but a part of the worry over what the implications of these two disasters will have on the spiritual life of our parish and it’s sense of community.

I wanted to share with you a few of my own reflections that have been part of my prayer during the difficult Lent of 2020.

The first is that the events of the past month are a unique occasion for each of us to search our hearts for what the Mass means for us in our personal, family, and community lives. It was said during the Reformation, “it is the Mass that matters.” The faith of our fathers was so strong that “neither dungeon, fire, or sword” could come between them and Holy Mass. In our day do we really appreciate the Holy Sacrifice, or has it become a comfortable part of our weekend routine. It will be interesting to see if more frequent daily Mass will be one of the fruits of this once life returns to its normal pace.

To be deprived of Mass and Holy Communion is a particular moment for us to recall that many of our fellow Catholics in many parts of the world must go for long periods without Mass or Holy Communion — people in parts of the world where there are too few priests, Catholics in countries like Saudi Arabia or China where the free exercise of religion is circumscribed or where Christians are actively persecuted.

Just before the last global pandemic, Our Lady appeared at Fatima to warn a troubled world of the need for penance, reparation, and devotion to her Immaculate Heart, particularly through the rosary. This century old message is perennial, but one that we are in greatest need of hearing again in our own day.

This Passiontide is an opportunity for us to renew our spirit of penance and reparation, that is doing voluntary penance for others, and above all our devotion to the Holy Rosary.

I encourage you to increase your fasting and abstinence, insofar as your physical health will allow.

I recommend abstinence from meat on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, which are the Church’s traditional days of fasts of devotion.

I encourage you to recite the Family Rosary daily, but especially at the time your family would normally attend Mass. I remember reading many years ago the reflections of Pope St John Paul II on his life under the persecution of the Communists in Poland, that many Sundays the faithful were denied Holy Mass. Their practice was to place a purple stole over a chair and then recite the Rosary for their priests followed by an act of Spiritual Communion. Perhaps our families might consider this practice rather than turning to our tiny screens and computers.

Please be assured that the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is offered for you and your families every day at Assumption — We have, in fact, not missed a single Mass since the storm. There are still two Holy Hours each week on Thursdays (5:00-6:00 pm) and Sundays (6:00-7:00 pm) as well as a Holy Hour for First Friday (5:00-6:00 pm) which you may attend and during which Confessions  may be heard. We must be mindful of the guidelines put in place by the Diocese of Nashville for social distancing, so I would ask that if you come to Father Bernard Hall to one of the Holy Hours, please make your visit brief so that there are no more than ten people in the chapel at a time.

Our Lenten penance and prayer are not an end in themselves. They are the means we have been given for growing in our spiritual lives, the grace of which then pours over into our social and community lives. These difficult days and our response to them in faith, hope, and charity will surely lead us all to the brightness of the eternal Easter if we embrace them generously.

As we pray, “by meditating on the mysteries of the most holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, may we imitate what they contain and obtain what the promise.”

Assuring you of my constant prayers,

Fr Price.

PLEASE NOTE THE ADDITIONAL MARCH 31, 2020 LETTER TO THE FAITHFUL AND DECREE FROM BISHOP J. MARK SPALDING. THE SUSPENSION OF PUBLIC SERVICES HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO APRIL 24, 2020.

All Public Masses, Confession, Religious Education, Catechism, Confirmation and any other public event that was scheduled at Assumption has been canceled and/or postponed until after April 24, 2020. Fr. Price will be saying private Masses for all intentions on the calendar. At this time, due to the fact we still have no wireless or phone service (date to restore is at least a month) the office will operate from the office manager's home where these services are avaiable. Office functions (Accounts Payable, Deposits of offerings & Payroll) will continue. Offerings can be made online, through VENMO or mailed to the church. In addition as the situation allows, we are continuing to work with our insurance company, Catholic Mutual, and the Diocese of Nashville to repair/ restore our beautiful church to its proper condition. Please read the attached Decree & Letter to the Faithful from the Bishop explaining this decision.

If you need to contact the church office please email lcooper@assumptionchurchnashville.org.

Please visit www.dioceseofnashville.com for further updates.

With winter weather possible in the near future, I wish to communicate the procedure Assumption will follow in the event of inclement weather. Please be aware that as well as trying to keep our schedule as regular as possible, we need to also weigh the risks and safety of having parishioners travel to and around our facility in inclement weather. Many parishioners travel significant distances to attend Mass and that weighs heavily on my mind.
 
During weekdays if Metro Nashville schools are closed, Mass will be cancelled and the office will be closed.
 
On weekends, Saturday & Sunday, the situation will be a little harder to predict. Obviously, you will need to use your judgement as to if it is safe to travel from your home to Assumption. The local news & weather would be the first resource as to road conditions. If the newscast advises “ If you don’t have to be out on the roads, please stay home” please heed their advice. We do not have the resources for snow and ice removal and our gravel parking lot cannot be plowed. It is also unlikely that metro will plow side streets in time for Mass.
 
If there is snow and ice on a Sunday, it is dangerous to travel, the Sunday Obligation is commuted to the reading of the Mass readings & collect and the recitation of the family rosary for all families who are unable to make it to Mass safely.

If you need to contact the office please do so by email to lcooper@assumptionchurchnashville.org.