The parish will begin a new series of 7 once-a-week sessions leading us deeper into our faith. It has been announced in the last few bulletins, but now there is a change in scheduled meeting days/times. There now are two options for day/time for “The Search.” Choose which is best for you: The meeting location (Fr. Fisher Hall or Parish Center) will be announced soon. MONDAYS • 1:00pm • beginning Sept. 28 Facilitated by Lynn Waldecker TUESDAYS • 7:00pm • beginning Sept. 29 Facilitated by Deacon Dennis

Alpha explores the basics of the Christian faith. Each session looks at a different question about faith, designed to create conversation. It is a safe, non-judgmental, friendly, and welcoming space to explore life’s big questions together. Join us for an engaging talk and small group conversation. This version is being offered online via Zoom from 7-8:30pm, sponsored by Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit. Note: Space is limited due to technical constraints and the number of seminarians we have on hand to animate discussiongroups. We will contact you personally to let you know if your registration has beenaccepted or not. For more info or to register visit explore.shms.edu/alpha

On the weekend of Sept 25-27, the Diocese of Lansing will host a virtual retreat with Fr. Timothy Gallagher. It will provide practical application in discernment of various life decisions with the foundation of Ignatian spirituality of the Discernment of Spirits. Attendees can tune in virtually or from the St. Francis Retreat Center (still virtual but with additional parts including: Mass, spiritual direction, Examen and other prayers forms, etc.). Visit the Diocesan website dioceseoflansing.org/event/ignatian for further details and to register. Cost $30 virtual only or $115 virtually while at the retreat center.

Work weekends? Retired? Know a priest or religious who would enjoy growing in their vocation? Worldwide Marriage Encounter is hosting a live virtual MIDWEEK experience Sept. 15-16. Apply today for only $19 (priests/religious are free) at esharing.org. Need a weekend date? Check out wwme.org for a listing of all live virtual experiences being offered. Questions? Contact Andy & Jeanne Folfas at 937-886-5196.

Beginning this week (Sept. 28 and 29), all are invited to begin a new series of once-a-week sessions leading us deeper into our faith: “The Search: Finding the Meaning of Life.” There are two options for day/time. Choose which is best for you (check with the parish office re location): Mondays at 1:00pm (led by Lynn Waldecker) OR Tuesdays at 7:00pm (led by Dcn. Dennis).

Covid concerns prevented parish visits from missionaries, visits when we were blessed to hear the stories, the many good works, and the profound needs of our brothers and sisters in the mission field around the world. But the need for our financial and prayerful support still exists! The Diocese developed a short video message in lieu of a face-to-face speaker. It is posted on our parish website and facebook page. The hope is that this message will encourage us, if we are able at this time, to pray for and donate toward the longstanding, core mission groups of our Diocese. All funds collected will be combined and divided equally among these groups. Donations can be made online at the Diocesan website: donate.dioceseoflansing.org/mission-co-op-appeal OR use a white envelope from the pews (make checks payable to St. Mary Church) and drop it in the collection basket just inside the church door or drop it off at/send it to the parish office. Please join in the continued support of the Missioners and the tremendous work of Christ Jesus that they undertake.

Religious Education ♦ Youth Group ♦ Confirmation ♦ RELIGIOUS EDUCATION CLASSES will begin on Mon., Sept. 14 in-person at the Parish Center. Classes will begin at 3:30pm. ♦ YOUTH GROUP will also begin that day. More details to follow regarding times and location. ♦ CONFIRMATION preparation sessions will begin Wed., Sept. 16. If you have not yet been confirmed, please email Lynn at Waldecker.L@gmail.com for more details.

Have you still not received the powerful sacrament of Confirmation? If not, then you are invited to be part of this year’s Confirmation Class. It will be an exciting and interesting series of meetings led by Lynn Waldecker and Gayle Antonelli that will culminate in you being “sealed with the gift of the Holy Spriit.” In order to make sure everything is ready for the number of people who will be attending, we need to hear from you ASAP. If you would like to be part of this group, please email Lynn at WALDECKER.L@gmail.com. Then get ready for sacramental preparation like you may never have had before!

Deacon Dennis encourages us to consider this thought: It is now less than 100 days until the November election. One of the many prayer initiatives that I’ve heard of involves praying a daily Rosary, receiving Communion (actual or spiritual) in reparation for our sins, and praying the following prayer, written by Servant of God Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J. I offer it for your consideration: ...

Family Life Services of Washtenaw County (flsfriends.org/), located in Ypsilanti, empowers women to make informed choices by providing free pregnancy testing, ultrasounds, education, resources and referrals. We are a donation and volunteer-based charity serving Washtenaw County for 35 years, now from a redeemed Planned Parenthood Building. We are seeking to hire a Client Services Manager and an Outreach & Education Coordinator. For position descriptions and application information please search for these position titles on Indeed.com. We especially welcome applicants fluent in Spanish or Arabic, or those from historically disadvantaged communities. Please answer the call to join this our amazing team of dedicated, pro-life staff and volunteers.

Please remember that for the Mass on Saturdays at 5:00pm, the wearing of masks is mandatory. This is to make sure there is a Mass time when those for whom their health and well-being require strict precautions during this time of Covid-19 can attend the Holy Mass without unnecessary worry. Please respect your fellow parishioners who have this need by wearing a mask if you attend Saturday 5:00pm Mass. [Note: If for any reason you are not able to wear a mask, please consider attending Sunday 10:30am Mass. Those attending this Mass should be aware that there may be many without masks, so if mask-wearing is a concern for you, please consider coming to Mass on either Saturday at 5:00pm or Sunday at 8:30am.

Thank you to everyone who has made a gift or pledge commitment to our Diocesan Services Appeal. “Every good work” of the Church occurs through dozens of ongoing ministries made possible by DSA. For those yet to give, gift envelopes are available in church or the parish office. Or you may submit your gift online at www.dioceseoflansing.org/dsa. With your help we will reach our parish goal!.

FORMED is an online library that the parish subscribes to, and it’s yours to use for free. During this stay-at-home period, now is a good time to take advantage of it. If you’ve never used FORMED before, here is how to sign up for it on your computer: 1. Go to the formed.org website. A screen appears with a Sign Up button in the center of the screen. 2. Click on Sign Up. A screen with three options appears. 3. Select the “I belong to a parish or organization” option 4. In the Search field, enter: “St. Mary Manchester/” The parish name, St. Mary of the Assumption, appears along with our parish address (210 W Main St. Manchester MI). 5. Press Enter, then next under Create a new account, enter your first and last name. 6. Enter your email address, then click Sign Up. Congratulations! Enjoy using FORMED

We invited parishioners to share thoughts, blessings, experiences during this quarantine period. Here is a particularly heartfelt, loving, and important response submitted by fellow parishioner Betty Cummings. Consider… As I was watching Easter Sunday Mass being broadcast from a large church, I was struck by just how empty the church looked. I wondered what the priest might be thinking. With Mass attendance down, is this a wake-up call for all of us? Faith Magazine published some astounding figures in its April issue. In the Diocese of Lansing, Sunday Mass attendance is down by 20,776 people in just ten years – a 26% drop! The church was empty this year because of the quarantine, but what about the years to come? We cannot afford to keep losing people in those numbers. Each number represents a person, a friend, a family member, or a co-worker. Someone with an immortal soul. We can’t let them simply drift away. I do not have the answers, but I hope and pray that someone does.

There are many interesting and useful magazines and newspapers available in the church vestibule for folks to pick up and take home. Although some are free, most have an envelope attached to offset the cost the parish must pay the companies for them. Please be sure to put your payment for the publication in this envelope and then drop it off in the mailbox on the front door of the rectory. Thank you.

W E ARE SURVIVING, BUT INJURIES ARE MOUNTING. Weekly collections have dropped. The number of envelopes before the virus averaged in the mid-seventies – they are now in midthirties. Weekly contributions are falling considerably short of the $5,300 goal. When COVID became serious at the end of February, we averaged $5,500/wk – now we average $3,800. It’s reasonable to assume that reduced contributions will continue as long as churches remain closed – for a duration that’s anybody’s guess. But the direct hit of lower weekly contributions is only a part of our loss. OUR SAVINGS ACCOUNT will shrink in proportion to the investment losses realized by the Diocese of Lansing. Their investments (our savings account) is in stocks, bonds, and other diversified financial instruments comparable to IRAs and 401(k)s. We can expect to lose in proportion to the losses sustained in financial markets. Losses & gains are regularly reported to parishes as either positive or negative interest. We will need to keep a close eye on these reports. Before the virus, we realized regular gains. Our gains will now become losses. This means that our PARISH CASH RESERVE will suffer on two fronts: reduced weekly contributions plus a reduction in our diocesan savings account. Another subtraction comes from our FUNDRAISERS. The Fish Fry earned approximately $6,600. Based on the performance of the first three dinners, we expected more than $15,000 because the highest profits are realized at the end. With the Stay-at-Home government directives, the Ice Cream Social and Rummage Sale are in jeopardy. Our total fundraising shortfall might be considerable. There is yet one more financial consideration: CHARITY. Over the years, our parish has provided funds to people in desperate need. Some of these funds have come from Poor Box donations and some from our general fund. With unemployment soaring, more parishioners have been permanently laid off. We must prepare for and expect a greater call to extend support. LAYOFFS: No one on staff has had to be laid off. The hours worked by hourly employees have been reduced. Salaried compensation has remained steady. Because we have not laid off employees, our parish is qualified to apply for the Paycheck Protection Program offered by the federal government. We have submitted two PPP loan applications: one from our local bank, Comerica, and the other from the Notre Dame Federal Credit Union. The Diocese of Lansing suggested we apply to the NDFCU in addition to Comerica. If our application results in funding, we can accept the first and cancel the second. All funds from the PPP must be allocated to payroll, benefits such as health insurance, and no more than 25% toward utilities. We have been deluged by LEGAL AND PROCEDURAL RECOMMENDATIONS from the Diocese; since life-with-the-virus started, we have received 27 documents, many emails and phone calls from them. Paperwork has dominated work in the office. When you see Sylvie, our office manager/bookkeeper, be sure to thank her. Obviously, all parish projects are on hold. Expenses have been reduced wherever possible.

Mass from st. Mary's church Manchester will be available to watch from st. Mary's Facebook page on Sunday. Due to state restrictions There will be no confession or communion until further notice.

Dr Virginia Johnson has generously offered to answer any questions you might have about the Coronavirus. Her email address is: vj370589@comcast.net

PER BISHOP BOYEA: All public Masses as well parish events and gatherings – here at St. Mary’s and throughout the Diocese – have been cancelled, now through Wednesday of Holy Week (April 30, 2020). However, the church will be open daily for private prayer. Also during this time, you can pick up a bulletin from the vestibule.

The following parish news items are ALL TENTATIVE until Bishop Boyea announces the resumption of parish Masses and activities…