Mid-Year Transitions and the Holy Spirit

Change is a sign of growth. And the Holy Spirit is leading IHM through a number of mid-year transitions as we grow. Beginning next weekend: 
 
Sunday Mass Will Be at 1:00 pm. Instead of 12:30 pm.
 
After much prayer and consultation, I decided to change this Mass time for the following reasons:
- To allow the two groups more time to pray: in thanksgiving after the 11 am Mass, and in preparation for the next Mass. 
- To allow the narthex to better accommodate people for fellowship after the 11 am Mass without disturbing the next Mass. 
- To better accommodate families and liturgical ministers preparing for a Baptism at the last Mass. 
- To allow for a smoother transition of people between the last two Masses, both in the narthex and in the parking lot.
- To allow liturgical ministers more time to prepare for the last Mass. 
 
All of these goals can be more easily reached with an extra 30 minutes between Masses. There's a good reason why all the other Masses on Saturday evening and Sunday morning are separated by about an hour.  May this change help us to relax a little more on the day the Lord has given us to rest. The music ministers at this Mass will be the Men’s Schola accompanied by Eva on the first and third Sundays, and various other musicians on the other Sundays.
 
Music Ministry Changes
 
After 51 years of serving IHM as a music minister, Don Kalkorst has discerned that the Lord is calling him to rest and worship beside his wife, Linda, on the Lord's Day. He will no longer lead music at the 4 pm Mass on Saturday, and at the 7 am Mass on Sunday. Don will, however, continue to serve for the monthly Revive Mass and Healing Service, and for other special events like weddings and funerals. Thanks, Don, for sharing the gift of your time and talent so generously with our parish family! 
 
Carole Denise and Martin Nguyen will move from music ministry at the 11 am Mass on Sunday to the 4 pm Mass on Saturday.   
 
Janet Isaak’s Ensemble (formerly 12:30 pm) will minister at the 11 am Mass on Sunday. 
 
Because of Don’s resignation and the subsequent transitions of the other music ministers, the 7 am Mass on Sunday will be without music until the Lord raises up more music ministers. (Might He be calling you?)  
 
Some of you may be disturbed by these changes. Please be assured that our Mission Leadership Team and I are trying to best accommodate the needs of all our parishioners as we pursue our parish mission. The Holy Spirit is leading us through change into new opportunities for growth . On this Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, let us recall that they did not always agree; but their partnership in mission laid the foundations of the Church of Rome. We join their partnership in a Church that has grown through many difficult changes. But as Jesus promised, “the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16: 18). St. Peter and St. Paul, pray for us!