Coronavirus

When unable to receive Holy Communion, pray the prayer below:

A prayer for Spiritual Communion

My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.

I love you above all things and I desire to receive you in my soul.

Since I cannot at this moment receive you sacramentally,

Come at least spiritually into my heart.

I embrace you as if you were already there

And unite myself wholly to you.

Never permit me to be separated from you. Amen.

(Source: Archdiocese of Detroit) 

HOLY WEEK 2020

Fort Bend County issued a "Stay Home to Save Lives" order this afternoon, effective midnight tonight through 11:59pm April 3.

As communicated earlier today, the Chapel of Divine Mercy will close at 9pm tonight, and we will suspend Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

Additionally, we will now close the parish office and the church. Staff has access to their voicemail and email and have been directed to work from home until further notice.

Tune into Mass this coming weekend and look for regular updates from your parish via Flocknote. For now, stay home and go HERE for great online resources to keep your faith alive during this unusual time.

Stay well, dear St. Laurence family!

Fr. Drew and Fr. Jaison invite you to be in communion and Spirit as they celebrate Mass for the 4th Sunday of Lent. A recording of this Mass will be available on the home page of the St. Laurence website from 6 pm this Saturday, March 21, through Sunday night.
 
Today, at 3 pm (Houston time) Pope Francis urges every family, every individual Catholic, and every religious community to simultaneously pray the Luminous mysteries of the Rosary. In this way, on the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Catholics worldwide will unite in prayer amid worsening conditions related to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Go HERE to link to the Vatican video feed.

3/18/20

We have been notified by our bishop, Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, that the public celebration of all weekday and Sunday Masses is suspended in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston until further notice.

Read the Cardinal’s full message.

We are so grateful to Cardinal DiNardo for making this hard decision for the welfare of us all in these extraordinary times.

This means that all daily and Sunday Masses are cancelled. All parish activity (school, meetings, religious education, events) was already cancelled, effective last Friday. For now, the church will stay open and available during the day until 5:00pm, for private prayer. The chapel will also remain open for Eucharistic Adoration, and the parish office will be open from 8:00am-5:00pm, Monday through Friday.

As we have all experienced over the past few days, this is a very dynamic situation. We will continue to post updates to our parish website and communicate news as it develops via eblast and social media.

In the meantime, I thank you for your prayerful and patient response. Please pray for our world, our Church, our nation, for those who are sick, and for the healthcare professionals who are working tirelessly in response to this pandemic.

Surrender to God. Take care of one another, forgive one another, love one another. Easter is coming, but first we must endure the desolation of this most unprecedented Lent.

Let us keep praying for one another.

Your brother in Christ,
Fr. Drew
 

FROM FR. DREW REGARDING CONFESSIONS (3/18/20)

In this particular moment of the current health crisis, scheduled confessions are virtually impossible.

If you are conscious of deliberate, grave sin, simply make a perfect act of contrition (even in your own words) with a determination to come to the Sacrament of Reconciliation personally when things normalize.

A perfect act of contrition means repentance and sorrow motivated primarily by the love of God and not simply fear of punishment. Do not feel guilty or scrupulous about this. We're all doing the best we can.

God wants you to have joy, trust and the freedom of the Holy Spirit. We'll get through this!

Your brother in Christ, 
Fr. Drew
 

COVID-19 IMPACT ON PARISH (3/17/20)

The COVID-19 pandemic is unlike anything that we have ever faced as a parish, as a nation and as a world community. Fr. Drew is working closely with archdiocesan and parish leaders to respond to this dynamic situation in a way that meets the spiritual, emotional and physical (safety) needs of his large parish family.

 
Effective currently through Saturday, March 28:

• All parish meetings, classes, programs and events cancelled
• All special devotional Masses are cancelled
• Ave Maria Parish Life Center and parish courtyard meeting rooms closed
• Parish office closes at 5:00pm Monday-Friday
• Play & Pray not available during the 9am and 11am Masses
• Friday Morning Rosary cancelled
• Habitat for Humanity house blessing cancelled

• Drained baptismal and holy water fonts
• Disinfected all hard surfaces with a hydrogen peroxide cleaner disinfectant
• Long-lasting, non-toxic, microbiostatic antimicrobial coating applied church interior

Again, the obligation to attend Mass has been dispensed, so please remain home, especially if you are ill, over 60, or have a compromised immune system.  St. Laurence, pray for us!
 

COVID-19 UPDATE (3/16/20)

In light of the announcement from President Trump earlier today, Masses and Confessions this Tuesday and Wednesday at St. Laurence are cancelled, awaiting further direction from the Archdiocese.
 

COVID-19 UPDATE (3/13/20)

Late yesterday, we received this correspondence from the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston regarding the developing COVID-19 health crisis.

Bishop Sheltz made it clear that any parishioners who are uncomfortable about attending Sunday Mass due to the coronavirus are excused from the obligation to attend. Additionally, all parishioners who are currently ill or who suffer from a chronic health condition or compromised immune system are asked to remain at home.

For the time being, the following is in effect immediately:

Masses at St. Laurence will continue to be held, as scheduled.

• Play & Pray will not be available during the 9am and 11am Masses.

• The 7:30am Daily Mass has been moved from the small chapel to the church.

• Includes all religious education classes and retreats, ministry meetings and Play & Pray.
• The Ave Maria Parish Life Center and parish courtyard meeting rooms will be closed, except to staff.
• The parish office will close Monday-Friday at 5:00pm.

• Stations of the Cross (7:00pm) and Liturgy of the Hours (6:30pm) each Friday in the church
• Rosary (6:30am Friday morning) and Rosary before Noon Mass (11:30am Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri)
• Perpetual Adoration in the Chapel of Divine Mercy

• drained the small holy water fonts
• all hard surfaces of the church, classrooms and meeting rooms disinfected with a hydrogen peroxide cleaner disinfectant
• a long-lasting, non-toxic, microbiostatic antimicrobial coating was applied to the interior of the church via a fogging unit

This is a very dynamic situation, so check HERE regularly for updates from the parish and please pray for a speedy end to this health risk, for those who are sick and for the healthcare professionals who are responding to this crisis.

See latest news here:
https://www.archgh.org/news-events/news/latest-news/

The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston has a list of online Mass and liturgies. (St. Laurence does not have that capability) https://www.archgh.org/onlinemass

Bishop Sheltz has issued a Memo and is seeking our assistance in disseminating important information regarding the Coronavirus as well as precautionary measures recommended to minimize the spread. The Office of Worship has also issued a Memo which is included:

To access this information, click on the following documents:
1.  Bishop George Sheltz Memorandum - Coronavirus
2.  CDC Coronavirus Disease Situation Summary
3.  CDC Fact Sheet
4.  Do Your Part - Slow the Spread of Germs (CDC Poster)
5.  Stop the Spread of Germs
6.  COVID19 - Symptoms (CDC Poster)
7.  Stay Home if You're Sick (CDC Poster)
8.  Office of Worship Recommendations