St. Dunstan's Basilica Parish

May 29, 2020

Dear Parishioners of St. Dunstan’s,

This Sunday, the Easter season comes to a close as we celebrate Pentecost. The most familiar image most of us have of this feast is described for us in the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles. Wind filling the house where the fledgling community gathered, while divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them.

We’re told there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem that day when the Spirit was poured out upon the disciples and the face of the earth. The fact that the multitude spoke many different languages and had been influenced by diverse cultures proved no obstacle to the work of the Spirit. We hear that even though those who spoke under the Spirit’s direction were all Galileans, everyone heard what they said in their own native tongue.

The mystery of Pentecost, as with all the mysteries of Christ we remember and celebrate in the liturgy, participate in the timelessness of God. Because of that, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is not left behind in the mists of history. This is the day when the Spirit comes afresh. This is the time and this is the place when the same Spirit as at Jerusalem that long-ago-day animates the multi-fold gifts that Paul speaks of in our second reading. Gifts given to individuals, not as our private possessions, but rather held in trust for the good of all.

Today is the time, here is the place when the Spirit empowers us to live wisely, compassionately, and hopefully in the midst of the corona-virus-pandemic, making choices and decisions enhancing the lives and well-being of those close to us, and of those brothers and sisters far beyond our horizon. It is the Spirit who bestows upon us the truth of the humble recognition that we need others as they need us, if life is to be as God intends.

This Monday, June 1, in our province, marks the beginning of Phase III in the easing of COVID-19’s restrictions. As many of you have heard, this has implications for our communal worship. Beginning Monday, a maximum of 15 are allowed for indoor gatherings. This past week, Bishop Grecco, with the consultation and the guidance of public health officials, issued a protocol for Catholic churches in the diocese. For the full text, see http://dioceseofcharlottetown.com/bishops-letter-protocol-for-funerals-rites-for-15-people/. Please note: this protocol applies to weekday Masses. Permission has not yet been granted to resume Sunday Eucharist.

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday this week, we will celebrate the Eucharist at 9 am, downstairs in Glastonbury Hall. We must limit the congregation size, including myself, to 15. Those wanting to attend are asked to register through this email address: massatstdunstans@gmail.com. For those without email access, please call 902-894-3486. Leave a message, if necessary. Please include your name and the names of those in your household who plan to attend, and your phone number. You will be notified as to the Mass you will be scheduled to attend. These are unusual times. For that reason, and in order to accommodate as many people as possible over the four days, no one should anticipate being there daily.

Please enter by the Dorchester St. entrance. The doors will open at 8:50. Kindly observe physical distancing of 2 meters / six feet between yourself and others while waiting outdoors. For the Mass, chairs will be arranged so as to maintain the necessary separation.  At this time, no lingering in the building after Mass please, and once outside, we are asked to maintain the needed separation.

Public Health directives state that anyone who feels unwell or has travelled outside Prince Edward Island over the last two weeks should not attend. Further, according to guidelines posted on the PEI Government website, “take extra precautions if you are at increased risk, especially those who are aged 65 years and older, have a compromised immune system, and/or have underlying medical conditions.” Anyone who is apprehensive should not come. Would you be so good as to make those who may not see this letter aware of the Masses and the procedure and precautions to follow?

While, admittedly, these guidelines are unfamiliar and seem rigid, they are, for the present, necessary for our individual and communal well-being. Let us bear with one another for the good of all. Your kind cooperation and understanding are appreciated, and will help us all as we move forward. This is likely—including for me—not the manner in which, back in mid-March, we anticipated our return. Nonetheless, it is the reality to which we need respond. We can take heart in the fact that we have moved forward to this point, by the grace of God, the direction of our officials, and our own good will in responding to what has been asked of us over the past weeks.

Some personal great news this week: my sister, on the Island, and I will be able, beginning Monday, to visit our soon-to be-88-year-old mother, who resides at the Prince Edward Home. We have kept in touch by phone calls and window visits, but it will be wonderful to be in her physical presence. Let us remember all long-term care residents and staff in our prayer.

Once again this Sunday, we hope to live stream the Mass from SDU Place. Some have told me of their difficulty accessing it. We hope the problem has been fixed. Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/stdunstansbasilica

Let us pray for each other and for the world as we continue our trek through our present circumstances. In their own way, the steps to our “new normal” may well be as unfamiliar and challenging as was the lock-down. It is good for us to call on our faith, and the love of one another. Each day we encounter the unfamiliar—as did those long-ago Pentecost folks from those difficult-to-pronounce places—let us remember that challenging day is the day when the Holy Spirit is given. The life of God, the power of the risen Jesus, is as present and effective now as then.

My prayer is with you. Please pray for me.

Peace be with you and yours,

Fr. Keith

Dear Parishioners and Friends of St. Dunstan’s,

Today, we begin Phase II of progressing out of the restrictions imposed by COVID-19. The Diocese is in on-going discussion with the provincial Public Health Office in relation to the re-opening of our churches. Indications at this time, from places further along in the process, are that our going-back will be accompanied by guidelines limiting numbers and prescribing distancing measures and other safe-guards. We will be kept informed.

We celebrate the Ascension of the Lord this week, as the Easter season moves toward its close at Pentecost. Over the past Sundays, we have been hearing from the gospel accounts of the appearances of Jesus to the disciples after he had risen, and their reaction to his new and unfamiliar presence. We’ve also been listening to the Acts of the Apostles, relating episodes in the life of the early Christian community, describing for us the issues they faced, and how they responded. As always, when we relate to the word of God, we have been presented with the privilege and the challenge of finding, in those inspired New Testament words, the story of our own lives, as well as the direction toward which Christ Jesus calls us to live them.

We’ve been reminded of the chaos and confusion in which those early followers of Jesus found themselves after he had been crucified. Their stories show us the gradual way they came to believe in and respond to the mystery of the resurrection. Gradually deepening belief and response to the mystery of the resurrection: is that not the story of our lives—individually and as a people?

From Matthew’s gospel this Sunday, we hear the final words of Jesus to his followers before he ascends to the Father. Go therefore…And remember, I am with you always to the end of the age. How often in moments of challenge and uncertainty did those words come back to Peter and James and John? How many times did Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Mary Magdalene and Thomas listen for the echo of that promise? What about the desert fathers and mothers in Egypt as they sought the Lord in prayer and solitude? How many times were saints, like Martha and Benedict and Dunstan and Teresa of Avila and Thomas Aquinas and Catherine of Siena and Francis of Assisi and Ignatius Loyola and Marguerite Bourgeoys and Teresa of Calcutta heartened by that pledge?

Society’s efforts to come out of the experience of the past two months may pose as great a challenge as have physical distancing and self-isolation. Following public health directives, individually and together, we’ll find the balance between caution and courage. In it all, as Dr. Morrison said today, we’ll do best if we are patient and kind.

Go therefore…And remember, I am with you always to the end of the age. Recollect the power and the mystery of God’s words. From the mouth of Jesus, they were first spoken to his friends as they charted their course over an unfamiliar terrain. God’s word is alive and active says the letter to the Hebrews. Words spoken in history resound in every age, including our own.

The same reassurance Jesus gave those gathered with him on the Galilean mountain long ago are repeated to us, as we go forth in his name and with his message into our own twenty-first-century future. Through the power of the Spirit, in the company of one another, the same Jesus is with us, and through us, with our global community: comforting, challenging, directing, guiding. In his name, may we go forth—even if with some trembling—to respond to his saving presence and call. His promise is sure. Across our unfamiliar post-COVID terrain, we do not journey alone.

Once again this Sunday at 10:30, we plan to live stream the Mass from SDU Place. This is the link:  https://www.facebook.com/events/1259201370949158  .Thanks to the liturgical ministers who are involved, and to Joe Chevarie for his technical prowess and his commitment to the cause. Our appreciation, as well, to the Knights of Columbus for supplying us with equipment to enhance the internet signal.

These past few days, especially, have given us beautiful spring weather. From morning to evening, one can observe the leaves opening. I went for my first bike ride of the season on Wednesday. The lettuce, planted last week, is up. I hope you’ve been able to get out in the air, and that you gardeners and out-doors-enthusiasts are revelling in the opportunity the season bestows.

I’ll close with these words from St. Augustine. “Today our Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven; let our hearts ascend with him…For just as he remained with us after his ascension, so we too are already in heaven with him, even though what is promised us is not yet fulfilled in our bodies…Out of compassion for us he descended from heaven, and although he ascended alone, we also ascend, because we are in him by grace…” In other words, friends, we are one with him and in him, and he is one with us, seated at the Father’s right hand. We in him; he in us. Imagine if we lived day to day conscious of that! May that unity be our courage, our consolation, and our hope. May we be generous in sharing these gifts all around.

Let us continue to pray for each other and for our world in these days of grace—trying days, in many respects, but nonetheless, days of grace.

Peace be with you and yours,

Fr. Keith

ALL HOLY MEN AND WOMEN, PRAY FOR US.

Dear Parishioners and Friends of St. Dunstan’s,

While we celebrate the Easter season, the setting for this Sunday’s Gospel is the Upper Room on the night before Jesus died. After washing the feet of his disciples, as a foreshadowing of the supreme act of service on the following day’s Calvary, he says this, And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth…You know him because he abides in you and will be with you…

That Holy Spirit will be with the disciples, Jesus implies, as they witness the horrific events of the cross that Friday afternoon, will sustain them as they begin to grasp the reality of the Resurrection, and will be their guide as they carry the Good News out of Jerusalem, and beyond to the outermost regions of the world as they knew it.

In the mystery of, as the letter to the Hebrews describes, the living and active word of God, the promise of the Spirit to the disciples included more than the little band gathered around Jesus on the night before he died. It included all who have followed him over the millennia since. The promise includes us.

John’s Gospel closely associates Jesus’ death and resurrection with the pouring forth of the Spirit. John tells us that on the cross, Jesus “gave up his spirit.” Blood and water flowed from his pierced side. Spirit, blood, water: all signs of life, the Life of the Eternal God, coming forth from Jesus as he was “lifted up…to draw all people to [him]self.”

The season of Easter comes to its conclusion each year with the celebration of Pentecost, a word the signifies the Fiftieth day after Easter. Pentecost recalls the day when the disciples gathered, hearing the mighty wind and seeing tongues of flame, as the Spirit came afresh. That Spirit was present at creation, Genesis tells us: a wind hovering over the chaos, the breath of God, creating harmony and purpose. The same Spirit is ours in Baptism. Easter-Pentecost calls us to receive that Spirit anew. The Spirit is God’s gift when we celebrate the sacraments, the power of the Divine Life, transforming “what earth has given and human hands have made” into the saving presence of Jesus Christ. The Spirit lives in and among us, helping us recognize and respond to the awesome Mystery of God with wisdom and courage and strength and reverence, faith and hope and love.

The Advocate Jesus promised is with us this May of 2020, giving us what we need to live the reality of COVID-19—even if sometimes we falter in our response. The Spirit ignites in us the hope and love and courage to put aside our momentary preferences in the service of the needs of others, the common good. The Spirit gives us the patience to persevere. The Spirit breathes upon us the wisdom to discern God’s presence and care, helping humanity to bear the present burden, and to discover in the midst of our inconvenience—and in many cases—very real struggle and difficulty, the presence of God: soothing us, consoling us, challenging us, as we move through and eventually beyond this experience, discerning how it may teach us to build and live in a world more as God created it to be. Again looking back to Genesis, the same Spirit hovers over our present pandemic chaos fashioning order and purpose and healing and hope, revealing to us and through us the power of the Cross and Resurrection. That great Mystery, as with the Mystery of the Spirit, could never be confined to one time and one place. New life in Christ is for us to receive and to live and to share every day in whatever circumstances we may find ourselves—including this one.

This week in our province, spring is beginning to peak out from behind winter’s curtain. The onions I recently planted in my little—and I mean little—garden are peeking through. The garlic, in the ground since last fall, is already about eight inches high. I planted lettuce a couple of evenings ago, and will continue to exercise my farmer’s streak, maybe even later today.

We continue to see a gradual lifting of restrictions, some ahead of schedule. We have reason both for hope and for renewed commitment to live responsibly, respecting the lives of our brothers and sisters, who depend on our good will and informed judgment to support their wellbeing.

Let us continue to pray for the many people and situations that call for our intercession. For farmers and fishers as their season begins. For the sick and their families. For those who have died. Remember those whose work is in our service—in stores and shops, in hospitals and long-term care homes and laboratories, in legislatures and on the roads. Especially this week, pray for all who feel stressed and pressured by our current circumstances, and for those who are victimized in any way.

We plan to livestream our Mass from SDU Place this Sunday morning at 10:30. We had some technical problems last week, and hope they have been resolved. We’re learning as we go, and like the Spirit’s action in our lives, it’s not always smooth and predictable. Follow this link: https://www.facebook.com/events/1105224579859526/

If I can be of help, please let me know. 902-894-3486  or frkeithstdunstans@gmail.com

My prayer is with you every day. As I pray the Mass, I continue to let my imagination wander around the church, recalling you to heart and mind. I appreciate your prayer for me. Get out when you can for some air and exercise!

Peace be with you,

Fr. Keith

ST. DUNSTAN, PRAY FOR US.

The PEI Right to LIFE Association is hosting a Virtual Baby Bottle Drive from Mother’s Day to Father’s Day. Please support us in advancing pro-life values, and helping Island women and babies in need. See our website: www.PEIRight2life.ca  to donate. Build a team if you like with your friends or parish and inspire some friendly competition! We also have real baby bottles if donating online is not an option. If you would like one, please call or email Pat: 902-894-5473 or office@peiright2life.ca

May 8, 2020

Dear Parishioners and Friends of St. Dunstan’s,

We are about to enter our third month of responding to COVID-19. This week, we have heard that all 27 cases of the illness in our province are considered to have recovered. We’ve also been advised that some restrictions are being relaxed ahead of schedule. That renews our hope as we continue to act responsibly. Islanders are to be commended, we’re told, for taking the situation seriously and accepting in good faith the limitations imposed on us for the sake of the common good. Let’s resolve to maintain our efforts in anticipation of the day when the virus’ impact will be a memory.

As the Easter season continues to unfold, we hear this Sunday in our Second Reading from the first letter of St. Peter. Scripture scholars tell us that this New Testament epistle may have originated as an Easter-time homily from the first century after the death and resurrection of Jesus. If you’d like, find this reading in your missal or in your Bible: 1 Peter 2:4-9.

From that inspired work we hear these words: “The stone that the builders rejected has become the very head of the corner.” Some translations use the term “cornerstone.” This quotation is taken from Psalm 118 and Isaiah 8. It’s a good example of the early Christians taking a passage from the Old Testament to teach something about Jesus.

Jesus both forms the foundation and holds together the structure of what 1 Peter calls “the spiritual house,” the People of God, the Church, all of us together in Christ. In spite of that reality, Jesus was not only cast aside; he was put to death. He is the stone, stumbled over and rejected, who became the cornerstone.

Does that still go on: in our own lives, in the life of the world? Moving out from the example of Jesus, what or who do we—individually, locally, globally—dismiss out of hand, that, all the while, has the potential to serve an essential purpose, to be a foundation for something good and necessary and life-giving? Maybe it’s a feature of our personality or something from our history, or in the bigger picture, some world event or some group?

COVID-19 might give us something to think about in relation to those biblical words. Of course, no-one wants it. It’s horrid, spewing havoc. The day it’s banished from our midst will be a day of celebration and joy! At the same time, does it give us—as individuals, as families, as faith communities, as a global family—an opportunity to learn some important lessons? Have we discovered anything about ourselves from the isolation and physical distancing of the past two months? What might the pandemic teach nations about the importance of their cooperating for the betterment of the world? What does it say about who is essential to the proper functioning of society? How does it instruct as to the value of our senior population, and the dignity of where and how people live when they are no longer able to care for themselves? How can we use the current difficult, disrupting experience as the cornerstone of building a deeper way of seeing the world, and living responsibly and compassionately and joyfully in it?

God did not send this coronavirus. Such trauma is not what God is about. At the same time, God is in the midst of it with us. It’s our present reality, the present reality, a news report yesterday related, of every country on the planet. God works today, friends, not in how we’d like things to be or pretend them to be. God works in the way things are. The Spirit of the risen Jesus acts in the here and now—in our personal lives, in the life of the world. That’s why it’s always in our best interest and for the collective good to seize the moment to search for grace, and the direction in which that ever-living, ever-loving presence of God points us. The very reality we would never have chosen has the potential to become the cornerstone of a future in which we would all like to live. It’s for us—at all levels of society—to be open to the inspiration empowering us together—through, with, and in Christ—to bring it about. In the mystery of God’s loving providence, all things, the letter to the Romans teaches us, have the potential for good.

Please continue to pray for Nova Scotia: this week, again, hit with tragedy. Pray for our front-line workers in hospitals and long-term care homes, in stores and repair shops, on the highways. Pray for medical researchers. Pray for our political leaders. Pray for those who find it difficult to live according to public health directives. Pray for homes and families. Pray for those affected and afflicted by the virus, and for those who have died. Pray for engaged couples, postponing their marriages because of the infection. Pray for each other that we may use our here and now reality to its very best, graced advantage. And, yes, on this second Sunday of May, pray for mothers—living and gone before us—expectant mothers, and for those many women who nurture children—tiny and grown—not their own.

Once again, we plan to live stream Mass this Sunday at 10:30 from SDU Place. Here’s the link:  https://www.facebook.com/events/174833937124690/. Some technological changes were made last week to improve the sound quality. Thanks to all involved in this outreach.

My prayer is with you and yours every day. Be in touch if I can be of help.

Let’s bring this to a close, giving the last word to the first letter of Peter: “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you might proclaim the mighty works of him who called you out of darkness into his own wonderful light.” May we support one another, my friends, to live that reality from one day to the next, for the glory of God, for our own true and lasting good, for the salvation of the world.

Peace be with you,

Fr. Keith

St. DUNSTAN, PRAY FOR US!

Dear Parishioners and Friends of St. Dunstan’s,

Today, as I write this, is Day 1 of Phase 1 in the process of easing COVID-19 restrictions in our province. There is cause for rejoicing, though we continue to be cautioned that the virus has not yet been defeated. It remains essential that we continue to follow public health guidelines, avoiding the temptation to exceed what we are permitted to do in relation to activities and interpersonal contact. We are encouraged that our adherence to present regulations will be for our collective benefit in the longer term. As we move through the phases, how they impact us as a faith community will become more clear. For now, the situation continues as it has been since mid-March.

This Fourth Sunday of Easter has traditionally been known as “Good Shepherd Sunday.” Jesus is the “Good Shepherd,” tending the flock to which all of us belong. That’s how we interpret the psalm we will pray at this Sunday’s Mass. Jesus leads us. He guides us. He restores us. He feeds us. He soothes us. In other words, he cares for us our “whole life long.” And we know, that by the power of his Cross and Resurrection, our “whole life long” stretches into eternity.

There is no better-known or more-beloved psalm than Psalm 23. Its words of comfort convince us, in the midst of life’s ups and downs, that “goodness and mercy shall follow [us] all the days of [our] life.” Further, ultimately, no matter how we might feel in the throws of chaos and uncertainly—personal and societal—goodness and mercy retain the upper hand, and have the final triumph.

God’s word in Psalm 23 comforts us. God’s word in Psalm 23 does something else for us. It challenges us. Expect to find comfort and challenge in every encounter with the word of God. Both hold out the gift of salvation. To find the challenge in Psalm 23, it helps to go back to the very first chapter of the very first book in the Bible: Genesis. There we learn that human beings are made in the “image and likeness” of God. In other words, at our depths we profoundly resemble God. So if God, in Christ, shepherds us, we are called and empowered to shepherd one another.

One of the ways we do that in this spring of 2020 is by following the guidelines that are laid out for us by public health. We don’t have to travel far afield or accomplish head-line-grabbing feats in order to shepherd each other in the name of Jesus. Simply be faithful and generous and responsible in living every day, as he was when he walked the hills of Galilee. In him, that’s what saves the day. That’s how the salvation he brings is experienced and shared. No frills. Faithful living in the big things and the small. Spouses being faithful, parents nurturing their children, members of families caring for each other, neighbours looking out for neighbours, people of good will responding to the needs of those on the other side of the globe: That’s what it is to be shepherds, in imitation of and in gratitude to the “Good Shepherd.” It takes sacrifice. That, too, is a gesture of imitation and gratitude. We learn from Jesus that loving sacrifice is the door that opens unto new life—for those making the sacrifice and for those receiving it.

A concrete way to shepherd in our present situation: is there anyone you know who may need a phone call or a connection of some kind? Please reach out to them. If I can be of support, or you’d like me to make an outreach, contact me: frkeithstdunstans@gmail.com or 902-894-3486. The Knights have also offered their services. Contact Don Chevarie 902-566-4337. Other parishioners have offered to be in phone contact with anyone who would appreciate that. As I mentioned previously, those folks can be reached through me.

We plan to live stream the Mass from SDU Place this Sunday at 10:30. Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/events/234039087940915/

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,” says the Psalm. In the risen One, may we be goodness and mercy to one another, goodness and mercy for the sake of the world.

Peace be with you,

Fr. Keith

PS Below is a copy of the message of sympathy I sent earlier this week on our behalf to the mayor of Colchester County, Nova Scotia.

Dear Mayor Blair, I'm sending along this note to express our deepest sympathies to you and to the people of Colchester County in the aftermath of the horrific events of April 18 and 19. Colchester County is a part of Nova Scotia with which so many PE Islanders are familiar as we make our way across the bridge to Halifax, so the pain all of you feel is the anguish of our neighbours and friends. We share your grief, and, every day, hold you, your colleagues, and the people of your community in our thoughts and prayers.

Most Sincerely,

Fr. Keith Kennific and the People of St. Dunstan's Cathedral Basilica Parish, Charlottetown

Dear Parishioners and Friends of St. Dunstan’s,

Since last Sunday, we have all shared in the horror and grief of our neighbours and friends in Nova Scotia, as we collectively reel in the wake of the mass killing in Colchester County. As details slowly emerge, sadness, fear, bewilderment, anger are among the emotions we feel. We can hardly imagine that such a devastation could happen in our part of the world. Our prayer accompanies the victims’ families, the residents of the area, the RCMP, the various officials tasked with providing compassionate and effective leadership, and all whose lives were touched by the violence.

The tragedy puts our life with COVID-19 in perspective, leaving us scarcely wanting to mention it in the face of the plight of our brothers and sisters across the Strait. When the virus comes to mind, our hearts immediately turn to the struggle it adds to their pain, leaving them unable to gather to express sympathy and to offer support in the manner to which Maritimers are accustomed. Human ingenuity and good will, guided by God’s Spirit, will help them adapt and cope and live on. Signs of that are already seen.

As we’ve observed together before, the time of Easter never denies human anguish. In the midst of catastrophe, this holy Season hearkens us back to those inspired Gospel stories of women and men walking about in a daze, numbed by the unjust death of their innocent friend, unable to see anything but darkness ahead of them, and afraid they’ve been forsaken in the midst of their agony.

Think of them. Mary Magdalene, Peter, and the others on Easter Sunday; Thomas, last week; and this Sunday, the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, trying to put as much distance as they could between themselves and Calvary’s carnage. As they, our ancient faith-ancestors, came to experience resurrection in the face of destruction and death, we pray the same for those killed last week, and for all who survive them. May we continue to hold them and their communities in prayer.

Distractedly this week, we’ve continued to follow PEI’s latest public health developments. 26 cases, as I write this, with 24 of those deemed recovered. There has been more talk of a gradual easing of restrictions. Repeatedly emphasized is the caution that, while there is room for optimism in relation to the virus in our province, we must hold firm in our precautionary measures. Home, except for necessary excursions; and when out, careful observance of physical distancing. These are among the crucial ways we can all contribute to the common good, and join the world-wide effort to overcome the pandemic.

I want again to assure you of my thoughts and prayers, and to invite you to contact me if I can be of support or assistance: 902-894-3486; frkeithstdunstans@gmail.com The Knights of Columbus continue to hold out their offer to run errands if someone needs that service. To contact the Grand Knight, Don Chevarie, call 902-566-4337. Additionally, several people have offered to be in touch by telephone, if that would be helpful. They can be reached through me.

This Sunday morning, I will be taking my turn presiding at the 9 o’clock Mass at Holy Redeemer. It will be broadcast live on Eastlink, Channel 10 or 610. We plan to have it available at 10:30 am on our parish Facebook page for those who don’t have access to Eastlink, and would like to participate from home.

May blessings be upon you and yours in the week ahead. Together, while apart, we’ll pray for Nova Scotia, for all our health-care workers and those who provide us with other essential services, for those sick with COVID-19, for their families, for those who have died from the illness, for those who find it difficult to live with our present restrictions or don’t see the need for them, and for one another.

We’ll keep in touch.

Peace be with you,

Fr. Keith

Dear Parishioners and Friends of St. Dunstan’s,

Today marks one month since we last gathered for the celebration of the Eucharist. If someone had suggested to us, even six weeks ago, that life would be as we find it this mid-April, we would scarcely have believed them. Nonetheless, here we are. And not only we, the world with us. It could be a moment of greater solidarity between and among peoples and nations. We pray, when the current reality is behind us, that may be one of its lasting legacies.

On PEI, the news is much this week as last: a minimum of new cases, recovery of most of those who have been infected, and, at this writing, no reported COVID-19 hospitalizations. Public health and government officials are cautioning us—even as we eagerly look down the road to an eventual loosening of restrictions—that we need to keep our resolve. Curbing our excursions to that which is truly essential and practicing physical distancing: these remain the order of the day. Not only are these marks of responsible citizenship; they are the fruit of the practice of Christian virtues: hope, perseverance, and love.

I chatted with someone on the phone just a bit ago. The person jokingly said they could scarcely distinguish one day from another. They added, “I know now a bit of what someone in solitary confinement must feel!” The conversation then turned to the opportunity our present situation gives us to try to put ourselves in the shoes of lots of our brothers and sisters in so many parts of the world, who live—for a whole host of reasons—in physical, emotional, spiritual confinement. As we experience our inevitable frustration, even anguish, will we allow our hearts and minds to be lifted toward them? Will the reality of our present moment help us be more grateful, more compassionate? Such thoughts come to all of us in our effort and desire to live our communal encounter with the corona virus in faith.

And we meet all of that in this time of Easter. Easter doesn’t deny struggle and fear. Easter reassures believers, and through us, all humanity, that in the power of the risen Christ, neither struggle nor fear has the final say. That was the message to Mary Magdalene and Peter and the others last week. That’s the message to Thomas this Sunday. Even in those moments when we may feel like giving up—moments we realize, when we read the Gospel stories, these great heroes of faith all had—even when the chips are down, we are able, in Christ, to rise above the fray, and live on.

Rising above the fray: that’s what our Bible ancestors were able to do; that’s what essential workers in hospitals and grocery stores and trucks and repair shops are able to do in April 2020; that’s what scientists working day and night to find treatments and a vaccine are able to do. That’s what we’re able to do, brothers and sisters, in our day-to-day ups and downs. And all because of the presence of the Risen One, he who is the Divine Mercy. He became like us, many of the early Christian teachers taught, so that we can be like him: showing the face of mercy to the world.

We are that face, friends, when we put aside what we feel like doing in order to protect the common good, when we give someone a call whom we know might be having a tough time or simply want to hear a friendly voice, when we support those under our own roof, when we pray for medical researchers, for those on the front lines, for our health officials, our political leaders, for those who are ill and their families, for those who have died and those who grieve for them. We are the face of mercy when we embrace hope, and do what we can to share it.

I continue to hold you up in prayer every day, and to let my mind wander around the church seeing your faces. I look forward in anticipation of the day when we will be together again in body, as we are now in spirit. Think of that being together in spirit the next time you say the Apostle’s creed and mouth the words, “I believe in the communion of saints.” That’s our belief in the power of God’s love being so profound that it keeps us together, even if we must be physically apart. It’s the Father’s answer to the prayer of Jesus the night before he died, that they may be one as we are one (Jn. 17:11b). It’s the fruit of their gift of the Spirit. It’s a relationship we’re invited to receive with joy and gratitude, and to handle with care.

As with last week, we will be live streaming the Mass from SDU Place this Sunday morning at 10:30. You may access it through If you click on this link https://www.facebook.com/events/227362231819572/, it should take you there. I look forward to praying with you: “together, apart.”

Blessings be upon you and yours.

Peace be with you,

Fr. Keith

ST. PIUS X COUNCIL KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS MOBILE FOOD DRIVE
29 APRIL 2020
10AM - 2PM
FRONT PARKING LOT OF ST. PIUS X CHURCH
106 ST. PETER'S ROAD CHARLOTTETOWN

Council 6917 Knights of Columbus will be holding a Mobile Food Drive on

29 April 2020 from 10AM to 2PM.  In order to maintain safe practices during this pandemic, only donations of Dry Goods will be accepted.  Dry goods are defined as packaged food, can goods boxed cereals and such.  No donation of fresh food can be accepted at this time.  Donors may deliver donations to a truck which will be clearly marked and situated in the front parking lot of the St. Pius X Church.

Upon arrival at the truck, donors will be required to disembark from their vehicle and place their donation on the back of the truck.  There will also be a donation box for those who prefer to make a cash donation.  A member of the Knights of Columbus will be present and will secure the donation in the vehicle where it will be sanitized prior to deliver to the Charlottetown Food Bank.

It is important that during this most difficult time that we bear in mind those who struggle with the demands of everyday living and the additional pressure that they feel due to the pandemic.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Dan Miller, Grand Knight, 902-393-4621 or danmiller59@outlook.com

YOUR GENEROUSITY IS VERY MUCH APPRECIATED.

Dear People of St. Dunstan’s,

It’s been almost a month since COVID-19 has been front of mind for all of us; front of mind, indeed, for the world. Locally, our cases appear manageable. Nationally, we hear troubling stories, though some tentative indication, in places, of an ever-so-slight “bending of the curve.” We are being reminded of our call to be of firm resolve in heeding the advice of the officials asking us to stay at home as much as we can, and if we must go out, to observe physical distancing.

All of this in the midst of the season when we remember and celebrate the events central to Christian belief: the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We’ll not soon forget the Holy Week of 2020. How do we integrate the great mystery of the dying and the rising of the Lord into our current state of affairs? That’s a question Christians are invited to ask ourselves in every situation of life. It’s all the more important these days.

In the gospel of Palm Sunday, we listened to Matthew’s Passion story. We heard of the sky darkening that Friday from noon until three, when Jesus cried again with a loud voice, and breathed his last. After Joseph of Arimathea claims the body of Jesus and lays it in his own new tomb, we’re told he then rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and went away. Further to that, some Pharisees then went to Pilate, afraid that by some trickery the disciples would come and remove the dead body as a way of falsely claiming Jesus had risen, as he had said. With Pilate’s permission, they went with the guard [of soldiers] and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone. Sealed stone and guards: all intended to make sure death retained the upper hand.

At the Easter Vigil this year, that stone is again featured in the gospel. After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an Angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. And not only that; from the mouth of God’s messenger, these words to the women: Do not be afraid; I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here for he has been raised, as he said.

A great stone, sealed with what we’d call cement, and a guard of soldiers. Nothing could prevent the Son of God from conquering the forces of death and destruction, and pouring forth the boundless life of the Spirit upon the face of the earth. Nothing—not even COVID-19!

You and I have the benefit of hindsight; we know how the story ends before we even begin to listen to it. Mary Magdalene, Peter, James, John and the others had no such inside track. When they saw the dead body of Jesus taken down from the cross and carried to the tomb, no-one would have been able to convince them that their life was not as forsaken as they assumed Jesus’ to have been. It took them a while to be convinced that they had been too hasty in their judgement about their future. Eventually, though, as the story continues, they recovered hope, and spread the message of resurrection wherever they went and to whomever would listen.

Worried and forlorn and afraid, convinced they would never smile again. And all of that, changed and healed and transformed because God had abandoned neither Jesus nor them. That’s where we and our wearied world greet the resurrection of Jesus this Easter of 2020. We’re living in a reality we haven’t met before. We can identify with the dark sky over Mount Calvary. But let’s remember what was found as the first day of the week was dawning.

Easter is our assurance. It doesn’t deny the pain and anguish of the cross, our struggle in this moment, the seriousness of the virus, our duty to act responsibly. It does, though, reassure us that, in Christ, pain and anguish do not have the final say. Death does not speak the last word; life does. Let that truth, my brothers and sisters, be the foundation of our courage and our hope. Let us journey together, in the company of the world-wide community, toward the day when with the help of God’s grace, the dedication of human intelligence, and our own commitment to work together for the common good, we shall be victorious.

I want to let you know that on Easter Sunday morning, we plan to live-stream the Mass at 10:30. Since there is no internet connection in the church, the Mass will be celebrated at SDU Place. You may access it through www.facebook.com/events/852478971899262 . Pray that the technology works!! Thanks to Joe Chevarie for his invaluable assistance. Note, due to the current restrictions, there will be no congregation. A reminder for us all to be united in prayer, at home, at noon Easter Sunday, when the Basilica’s bells will ring out with those of other churches, in the hope of resurrection.

Pray for all afflicted by the virus and for those who provide us with essential services. All the while, as a sign I read downtown this week recommends, “Let’s do what Dr. Morrison says.”

From my previous letters, you have my contact information, and particulars on the services others have offered to provide. Please don’t hesitate to be in touch. I’d love to hear from you any time.

My thoughts and prayers accompany you every day. Please pray for me. May the grace of the risen Lord fill your hearts and homes with the very life of God, as we celebrate the resurrection, and always. And remember Do not be afraid…for he has been raised, as he said…

Happy Easter!

Peace be with you,

Fr. Keith

Queen of heaven, rejoice. Alleluia! For the Son whom it was your privilege to bear, Alleluia! Has risen as he said, Alleluia! Rejoice and be glad O Virgin Mary, for the Lord has truly risen. Alleluia!

April 2, 2020

Dear Parishioners of St. Dunstan’s,

We are nearing the end of another week dealing with the world-wide pandemic. In our province, the news has been relatively heartening. Our new cases of COVID-19 have been manageable,and thus far, there is no indication of community spread. Dr. Morrison has cautioned us, though, that we need to keep vigilant. Frequent hand-washing, physical distancing, and as far as is possible, except for necessary ventures, to stay at home: those practices remain essential if we are to do our part in curbing the virus. The Gospel call—emanating from the example of Jesus himself—that we love one another, impels us to make responsible other-centred choices, particularly at this time.

As I write this, we are on the threshold of Holy Week. It will be a different experience for us. Our usual liturgical celebrations are not possible. The thought of it breaks our hearts. Each of us will deal with this in our own way. Together—while apart—we’ll all grieve the loss of these holy assemblies in whatever way we must. Then, let’s pledge to pray for the grace to live in the reality of the present moment. That’s where God is: in the here and now of our lives. The difficulties this situation imposes upon us present an invitation: to come to a deeper appreciation of the presence of God within us, around us, where we are.

St. Paul said something similar in his second letter to the Corinthians (6: 1-2): We beg you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For he says, “In an acceptable time I have heard you; on a day of salvation I have helped you.” Now is the acceptable time! Now is the day of salvation! Himself, no stranger to hardship and affliction, Paul was able to say, in the same letter (4:16-18): Therefore, we are not discouraged; rather, although our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this momentary…affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to what is seen but to what is unseen; for what is seen is transitory, but what is unseen is eternal.

The salvation wrought through the events we commemorate this week remains God’s gift to us. Who we are and where we are, may we celebrate that great salvation: ours through the cross and resurrection of Christ Jesus.

This Palm Sunday, we’ll call to mind the words of the eighth-century bishop, St, Andrew of Crete: Let us run to accompany [Christ] as he hastens toward his passion, and imitate those who met him then, not by covering his path with garments, olive branches or palms, but by doing all we can to prostrate ourselves before him by being humble and by trying to live as he would wish. Then we shall be able to receive the Word at his coming, and God, whom no limits can contain, will be within us. In his humility Christ entered the dark regions of our fallen world and he is glad that he became so humble for our sake, so glad that he came and lived among us and shared our nature in order to raise us up again to himself.

On the evening of Holy Thursday, remember these words from the night Jesus instituted the Eucharist: and during supper Jesus, knowing that the Father had put all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him…After he had washed their feet…Jesus said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? …I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you (selected verses, Jn. 13: 1-15). Doing, in the present state of affairs, what’s asked of us to safeguard public health is washing one another’s feet in our own time and place. It’s our response to the gift of the Eucharist.

This Good Friday, let us be mindful of the presence of the cross in our own lives, in the life of the world. Unite ourselves with the Crucified One in the sacrifice of not being able to come together, in the inconveniences and challenges of social and physical distancing, of staying home when we’d sooner go for a visit, in the surrender of what we feel like doing in order to observe faithfully what we must do for the greater good.

Holy Saturday night, recollect the light of resurrection penetrating and scattering the darkness of fear and uncertainty, paralyzing the disciples in the wake of the death of Jesus. From the Exultet, these words: This is the night when Christ broke the prison bars of death and rose victorious from the underworld…O truly blessed night when things of heaven are wed to those of earth and divine to the human…

Easter morning, recall Mary Magdalene: … [S]he turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have taken him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (selected verses, Jn. 20: 1-18). These days, often unrecognized, Jesus comes to us and calls us by name in our tears and bewilderment, reassuring us that life, not death, has the final say.

I’ll conclude by reminding you to call or send me an email if I can be of help: 902-894-3486; frkeithstdunstans@gmail.com. The Knights of Columbus continue to offer their assistance if anyone needs an errand run. Contact Don Chevarie, Grand Knight, 902-566-4337. Others have offered to keep in contact by phone if someone would like that service. They may be contacted through me.

We look to the day, my dear brothers and sisters, when shall be together in our church again, all the more appreciative of what it is to come together to worship and to be sent forth. In the meantime, let us pray for one another and for those who are leading us toward renewed health and wholeness, as we do our part to support them in their efforts for the well-being of us all.

For your information, I will be presiding at Mass from Holy Redeemer this Palm Sunday morning at 9 o’clock on Eastlink, Channel 10 or 610.

Peace be with you,
Fr. Keith

Dear People of St. Dunstan’s,

I hope this finds you adjusting to the way things now are without too much struggle. I say that well-knowing that most of us are not accustomed to having our moving-about curtailed. Though what the political and health officials are prescribing is for our personal benefit and the common good, it’s still a challenge. That these measures will help reduce the spread of infection and help us come out of our present situation as soon as is possible is a strong motivator for our sacrifice and support.

Our lives are often filled with distractions. When our activities are limited, those distractions are harder to come by. We may find our hearts and minds filled with feelings and thoughts unfamiliar to us, even troubling. In the midst of that, we might hear, “Be still, and know that I am God.” It could be an opportunity to let God lead us more deeply into our own hearts—that place within all of us where God abides. It can be a challenging place sometimes, but eventually we’ll find the risen Christ there, with the gift of the Spirit, like living water welling up inside of us, with healing and courage and wisdom and hope and peace.

The Gospel for this Fifth Sunday of Lent tells us the story of Lazarus, the friend of Jesus, the brother of Mary and Martha. We know how it goes. He gets sick, and before Jesus can get to him, Lazarus dies. His sisters and their friends and neighbours lead Jesus to the tomb, where Jesus, “greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved,” weeps for his friend and over the grieving of those who love him.

Then, he does something important for us to notice. He directs those around him to “take away the stone,” blocking the tomb’s entrance. “With a loud voice,” filled with the power of God, he cries, “Lazarus, come out!” Then, we’re told, Lazarus came out. The Gospel writer adds this significant detail, “…his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth.” Finally, also noteworthy, Jesus said to those gathered around, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

At his direction, the bystanders had helped prepare for Jesus’ action by removing the stone, and were called upon to help Lazarus begin to live the new life he had been given by untying the shackles of death that continued to stifle him.

Something for us to consider, friends, in this present moment, and in all the situations of our lives: In the mystery of what it is to live in a graced, but imperfect, world, all kinds of things happen that figuratively put us where Lazarus was. COVID-19 is one of them. Faith tells us that in the midst of it, Jesus is present, “greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved” by our concerns and fears, his weeping accompanying our tears. He helps us. In doing that, he calls upon us, the story of Lazarus teaches, both to prepare the way for his saving action, and to help each other to receive and to live what he gives. Depending on what’s going on within and around us, we are sometimes Lazarus—in need of being freed from whatever binds us and weighs us down—or a member of the community—helping another to live in the freedom that is God’s gift, in Christ, to his children.

This coming week, when someone reaches out to us, or we, to another, let’s remember the raising and unbinding of Lazarus, and how Jesus called people like you and me to participate in his life-restoring act.

As I mentioned last week, if you or anyone you know would like to be in contact with me, please call 902-894-3486. You may leave a message if I’m not here when you call, or email me: frkeithstdunstans@gmail.com The Knights of Columbus continue to extend their offer to be of service if anyone needs an errand run or some such thing. For this, please contact Don Chevarie 902-566-4337. Others have offered to be in telephone contact, if anyone would like someone from the parish to check in with them for a chat. For this, please contact me as above, and I’ll hand on the message.
Additionally, for those who would like to avail themselves of professional services, Community Mental Health is offering “call-in” clinics: Richmond Centre, 902-368-4430 Tuesday and Thursday, 10 am to 6 pm. McGill Centre, 902-368-4911, Monday, Saturday, and Sunday, 1 pm to 5 pm. The “Island Help Line” may be reached at 1-800-218-2885. Kid’s Help Phone is available at 1-800-668-6868.

To update you: our Soup Kitchen Meal went ahead, though not as we had planned. Because of the current situation, we took the food to them, with the poster the catechetics classes had signed. They prepared the meal and served it. Thanks to all who supplied food. We hope to do it again.

The church remains open for individual prayer during the day. Confessions are available downstairs at the regular times. A reminder of the Eastlink Channel 10 Mass Sunday’s at 9 am.

We look to the day when we will gather again for the worship of God. In the meantime, may we feel God’s presence ever-near, and walk in the light of faith, praying for each other, for all who are directly affected by the virus, and holding up in prayerful gratitude our health-care workers and the many others who continue to provide us with essential services.

I hope to continue posting these messages weekly on the parish website until the present situation is resolved. I pray for you every day, many times calling to mind names and faces from where you usually sit in church.

Peace be with you and yours,
Fr. Keith

Dear People of St. Dunstan’s,

I am writing this to let you know that I am thinking of you and praying for you every day. We’re living in a most unfamiliar situation. It’s easy to be afraid. The disruption the current state of affairs has brought to our daily routine highlights the situation all the more.

On Tuesday of this week, we received word that, until further notice, we would not be celebrating Mass together. This followed the concern and advice of public health officials that, in an attempt to slow the spread of the corona virus, we avoid gatherings. A number of other dioceses in our country had made that necessary decision several days prior to Bishop Richard’s letter.

Though the decision was essential, its consequences cause us pain. The Eucharist is the “source and summit” of our life together in the Body of Christ. The Mass brings us comfort and peace. We meet each other there, and realize we are brothers and sisters in Christ. The Eucharistic Real Presence of the Lord is truly our Bread of Life. The Lord’s Day sets the rhythm for the six days that follow.

Our current situation reminds me of a period in the life of the Jewish people some 550 years before the time of Jesus. They were living as exiles in a foreign land. Their deepest pain was the fear that God was not with them. Because the Temple and its familiar prayers and rituals were far away, they lamented that God, too, was gone. Into their anguish stepped the prophet, Ezekiel. God had given him a vision of the Jerusalem Temple. Suddenly, the doors of that grand and stately place opened, and toward the land of their exile flowed a trickle that became a river of life-giving water. The message to those long-ago and destitute people of God: “If you can’t go to where you’re accustomed to meeting God, God will come to you.”

Today, God meets us where we are. The present circumstances keep us from the familiar prayers and rituals that bring about and speak of his nearness and care. Be not afraid. Think of Ezekiel’s vision. Feel the great river of God’s grace flowing toward us, enfolding us, filling us with life, with hope, with peace.

I am writing this on March 19, the Solemnity of St. Joseph. In the Divine Office this morning, we prayed this intercession: You chose Joseph the righteous to care for your Son in childhood and youth—teach us to care for Christ’s body by caring for our brothers and sisters.

That simple petition reminded me of the link between the Eucharist and love of neighbour. We are complying with the directives of the health officials as an act of love for others. Parishioners are fasting from the Eucharist—a kind of Lenten desert experience. At the same time, we’re helping combat a virus that thrives and spreads when people are in close physical proximity. Both of these realities are lived in anticipation of the day when we will be together once again in our beautiful Basilica.

In the meantime, if you or anyone you know would like me to be in contact, please call me at 902-894-3486 or send me an email frkeithstdunstans@gmail.com The Knights of Columbus have generously offered to be of service if anyone is in need of having an errand run or any such thing. They may also be contacted through the means provided above.

Please be reminded of the Mass, arranged by the Diocese, to be televised from Holy Redeemer Sunday mornings at 9 on Eastlink, Channel 10.

Let us pray for one another; be especially mindful of the most vulnerable around us, and reach out as we can; respect and follow the guidelines the health and government authorities issue in the service of the greater good. Take the situation seriously, but don’t panic. May we hold up in prayerful gratitude our officials at all levels, health care workers and support staff in our hospitals and community, and those scientists who work tirelessly toward the development of treatments and a vaccine. With God’s help, in the care of one another, we shall see this through.

I’ll keep in touch. Peace be with you, Fr. Keith

With 2 cases of Covid-19 been reported in Prince Edward Island, authorities are now referring to the spread of the virus as a pandemic so people are becoming anxious; Parishioners are wondering what precautions should be taken during our Liturgies. I therefore ask you to consider implementing the following until further notice.

Hygiene and Sunday Obligation: Anyone with flu like symptoms and other serious symptoms of ill health are excused from Sunday obligation.

Sign of Peace: A simple head bow or similar non-contact gesture may be used. A handshake or other physical contact is not advisable.

Reception of Holy Communion: Each communicant is encouraged to:

1) Receive communion on the hand and immediately consume the host

2) Refrain from communion on the tongue to prevent the spreading of saliva to other communicants

3) Refrain from communion from the cup if such is the practice in your parish.

Ministers of Communion:

1) People with symptoms of cold or flu should avoid distributing communion.

2) All ministers should use a hand sanitizer before distributing communion. This gesture is not liturgical and therefore should be done discreetly.

3) People preparing sacred vessels before Mass for bread and wine should handwash before and after handling the sacred vessels, bread and wine.

Holy Water: Please empty the holy water fonts at the Church entrance until further notice.

With appreciation for your cooperation in this important health matter, Sincerely yours in Christ,
+Bishop Richard Grecco