As Catholics, gathering together for the celebration of the Holy Eucharist is our most important activity. The Mass is the very instrument God uses to sanctify us through Christ in the splendor of God’s Holy Spirit. At the same time, the Liturgy is the Catholic Church’s primary way of evangelizing and proclaiming the Gospel.
St. Margaret Mary Parish bears great witness to the good news of Jesus Christ by celebrating wholeheartedly in Word and Sacrament and it is to that purpose that we have begun a ministry of technology. Many have noted that we have installed cameras in the church. They have been installed in order to help us to “proclaim from the housetops” the message of Jesus Christ to all the world. This ministry will help us to broadcast the Mass live via the internet. Some of our parishioners and family members were actually able to view Mass at St. Margaret Mary just this past Thanksgiving Day while being hundreds and yes, thousands of miles away.
While the wonderful world of technology affords many great opportunities, let us keep in mind that there is no such thing as “virtual attendance” at Mass. The Holy Catholic Church in The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy reminds us that “all who are made children of God by faith and baptism should come together to praise God in the midst of his Church, to take part in the sacrifice, and to eat the Lord’s Supper (SC, #10.)
Through this capabilty we plan to increase our presence to the sick and homebound of our parish. As it is our duty and responsibility to provide pastoral care and Holy Communion to the sick and to shut-ins, perhaps this “live streaming” of the Mass may help them to feel more a part of the parish family in worship. While viewing the Mass on the internet does not substitute for participation in the actual celebration, it can assist those who are unable to be physically present to identify with our worshiping community, to hear the Word of God proclaimed and to be moved and inspired by the praise and thanksgiving of our vibrant parish community.
Many of our parishioners have viewed Masses that have been “live-streamed” from the website of the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN.) Now, people will have the opportunity to have similar access to St. Margaret Mary Church through our own website. The United States Catholic Conference of Bishops provides particular guidelines for broadcasting the Liturgy and our parish has and will adhere faithfully to their guidelines. Please look for more information on “live-streaming” and programming in future bulletins and on our website www.stmargaretmary.org. A copy of our Web and Video Policy is available by following this link: