February offers a bit of a breather this year. The Christmas season is wrapped up and we have a few weeks of “Ordinary Time” before March comes along with the season of Lent. “Ordinary Time” in the Roman Catholic tradition doesn’t mean dull or everyday hum drum. It is a time to recognize God’s presence in our lives outside of the big festivals and holidays. Winter Ordinary Time is a break from all the extras and a focus on doing the “normal” things well. At Sacred Heart we are blessed with an increase in participation in our Masses on the weekends as well as the daily Mass at 8 a.m. on Mondays, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. On Tuesdays, you can join us a little after 7:30 a.m. to pray the rosary or spend an hour or any part of the hour in prayer on Monday afternoons from 3-4 p.m.
We are introducing a new ministry, our Prayer Shawl Ministry which will meet the first Monday of each month at 4 p.m. in the Children’s Chapel for prayer and inspirations for those who knit or crochet prayer blankets or shawls for anyone in need of healing/comfort due to illness or loss of a loved one. The members support one another and the parish supports them all. Donations of yarn have been coming in to assist in the production of the handcrafted items. Each one will be blessed and then passed along to our homebound and friends in need of healing.
Another ministry being “reintroduced” in these Ordinary Days will be our ministry to the Incarcerated. For years, members of the Sacred Heart Parish Family have spent time praying, sharing the Bible and our faith with the men in MacDougall/Walker and Osborn Correctional Facilities. Due to COVID restrictions, this ministry has been paused but now, a dedicated team of volunteers and hopefully some additional members will help us get it back on track. This important outreach has impacted many lives in the past and hopefully will continue to do so for years to come.
For more information on parish events and ministries, please visit our website at http://www.sacredheartct.com or pray along with our daily and weekend Masses online on YouTube and Facebook. Call our parish office at 860-668-4246 or stop by at 446 Mountain Road, Suffield.