I received a note this morning from one of my students, participating in our ‘distance ed’ program – and quite a distance, all the way out to the shores of Newfoundland. He asked for prayers, as his parish – and, it seems, every other parish and church in his diocese – is up for sale to pay of the debt of payouts off the various abuse scandals that have rocked the rocky island in decades past:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/church-sale-holy-rosary-1.6418287
Already, basilica in the neighbouring diocese has been turned into a pub. The only way parishes can remain open is if parishioners pool together to purchase them back from the auction block. The church of the Holy Rosary, if you scroll down the article, is beautiful and majestic, overlooking Portugal Bay.
But there is a vociferous group that wants to buy the church and turn it into a heritage, cultural and arts centre. Whatever their intentions, Newfoundlanders need the Sacraments, not least the Holy Eucharist, even if they know it not. As Padre Pio put it, the world could live more easily without the Sun, than without the Mass.
We suffer not only for our own sins, but for those of others, and such vicarious atonement can do much good – infinite good, in the case of our Saviour, which really is the message of this Triduum.
Pray that God’s holy will is done, and that the island, once so vibrantly Catholic keeps at least some remnant of the Faith of their fathers.