October 2, 2021 - COVID Update
04/25/2024September 29, 2021
Dear fellow St. Boniface parishioners,
Greetings, blessings, and salutations! I hope this letter finds you and yours well. Just your friendly neighborhood pastor again writing to keep you informed about life at St. Boniface in the COVID era. Nothing new to report, sadly, on the restrictions front: all previous restrictions remain in effect, including the strong encouragement for all people to wear masks when at Mass and the requirement that all people wear masks at faith formation activities, including during our faith formation Mass, the next one of which is this Sunday, October 3, at 9:00 AM. The reason masks are required at faith formation events is the fact that most young people have not been vaccinated. According to the PA Department of Health, only people age 12 and up can even be vaccinated for COVID, making our youngest brothers and sisters in Christ the most vulnerable, and only 51% of people in Erie County have been vaccinated.
All of which brings us to the issue of the COVID vaccines. It has always been our position at St. Boniface, even pre-COVID, that we all need to make our own health decisions for ourselves and our families, and we should never be compelled, by law, decree, or social pressure, to make health decisions contrary to our conscience. That said, our consciences need to be properly formed, and our decisions need to be based on facts, not fear, and faith, not politics. Sadly, fear and politics have been the driving force behind many decisions, publicly and privately, surrounding COVID, including decisions about whether to be vaccinated.
As your pastor, it is my responsibility to assist you in forming your consciences properly with both the facts and the teachings of our faith regarding the COVID vaccines. Toward that end, I have provided below links to useful websites on the subject. The first is to the PA Department of Health page on the vaccines, including a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page. The second is a transcript of remarks made recently by Pope Francis on COVID vaccination as an act of Christian charity. The third is to the official statement from Bishop Persico on the ethical issues involved in the vaccines, which itself includes several other useful links for further information.
https://www.health.pa.gov/topics/disease/coronavirus/Vaccine/Pages/Vaccine.aspx
It is my sincere hope that we can all put fear and politics aside in the interest of the greater good and in the service of our mission as a parish. Notice I am not telling anyone what decision to make. That decision is yours alone. But I urge you to make that decision, and all decisions regarding COVID, with a conscience formed by facts and faith, and if I can be of any further assistance in that, or in anything else during this trying time, please contact me.
Peace in Christ,
Fr. Marc
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