Number 14

Heavenly Father, we acknowledge our dependence upon you. This virus has reminded us of our frailty. We have subdued much of the earth with our innovation and creative acts, but we are reminded in this moment how frail and powerless we really are. So we repent of our self-sufficiency and hubris.

Lord, we lament the fallen nature of our world, which mars the beauty of your created order. COVID-19 comes to steal and destroy, to worm its way through human bodies and spread its vile sickness across communities and nations and the world. We, like your Son, weep and rage at sickness and death. And yet we know that it was Jesus whose death and resurrection defeated this final foe. We long for the day you resurrect our bodies and restore the world.

As we endure this new normal in our lives, we pray earnestly for the heroic medical doctors, nurses, and health care professionals who are putting their lives on the line for their neighbors. May you give them strength and physical immunity during this time, so they can help push back against this ravaging virus.

We pray for the scientists, disease experts, and epidemiologists who are working feverishly on vaccines and testing mechanisms. Lord, we thank you for gifting them with knowledge and wisdom we don’t have. We pray for their endurance, for breakthroughs, and for resources.

Lord, you are the Great Physician, so we pray for healing for the victims of COVID-19. Lord, you are the Creator, with power over the creation, so we pray for COVID-19 to be destroyed. Spirit of God, you are the Comforter, so please comfort our troubled souls.

Dear God, move in the hearts of our public officials. As you have instructed us in your Word, we earnestly beseech you on behalf of our president, congress, governors, mayors, and local officials. We pray you guide them with wisdom and strength and discernment.

We also pray for the people in our nation and the nations of the world to be humbled and turn to you in repentance and faith. We know you are the Prince of peace, Lord of lords, the King of kings. We praise you for your goodness and your mercy. And we ask this all in the name of Jesus, our Lord.

Amen.

Dear Parents/Guardians,

It is unprecedented times we are experiencing these days, and I hope everyone is supporting each other. Please keep in your prayers those families who have been struck with the Coronavirus and pray for a speedy recovery.

I hope that the children are adapting to this new way of learning. It is new grounds for everyone, and I wish to thank my teachers who have had to learn a lot in a very short time about Distance Learning. There are so many pieces to this puzzle of learning, and we are trying to find the right fit for all. That is why we have been adjusting our programs continuously.

With the latest news with Archdiocese Schools returning to school on April 20th that this date could easily change. As we are aware the public schools will be closed through to May 1st. As soon as the Archdiocese notifies schools of any changes, I will contact you straight away as I have been during this time. I believe that with the new Distance Learning Hub (DLH) we have been able to centralize all announcements at that site. As of today, I have stopped the text messages for attendance. By now everyone should be into the routine of things.

I do wish to stress to you all that I need your support to make sure all students attend Zoom classes when they are offered and complete assignments from the teachers. Unfortunately, I was informed today that some junior high students have not been completing work and submitting it. The grade they will receive will be lower. We will not have the time to go back over work when we return back to school. Teachers are administering work, collecting it, and making corrections. The school expectation is that students are to do their share as a lifelong learner and responsible citizen.

Students and Teachers Zoom Meetings

As of Monday, junior high students will be having additional Zoom sessions with their teachers. It is important that the students attend these sessions.

Basketball Awards

Today would have been Basketball Awards Night, but unfortunately it will not be happening. It will be rescheduled later in the trimester.

Cancellation of Activities

The 6th grade Outdoor Ed program has been postponed to the Fall of next year (pending availability) and the 8th grade Washington DC trip has been cancelled. Life has taken a turn that none of us would have expected.

School Campus Hygiene

The building is undergoing a deep clean during this time, so that when the students return they will be in a safe and clean environment.

Tuition

As per the Archdiocese, tuition collection has not changed as we are paying our staff and offering a distance learning mode of instruction.

Easter Celebration and Masses

Holy Week and Easter celebrations will take on a new format this year. Thanks to Fr. Casimir and Fr. Mario, they are live streaming the Sunday Mass and weekday masses. The Sunday Mass is at 10:30am in English and 12 noon in Spanish. The weekday Mass is at 6pm. You can access the live stream from the parish Facebook site, and you do not need to have a Facebook account. You can access the site by clicking here

Thank You

I wish to take this time to thank everyone for your patience and support towards each other and to wish you a blessed Easter.

God Bless

Vincent Riener

Principal

Dear Parishioners,

At the beginning of Lent, we heard how Jesus was tested in the desert for 40 days. Also, for us this year Lent is a peculiar time of testing. It is an exam of our behavior as humans, citizens and Christians.

The deadly coronavirus is out there ready to attack anyone. Thousands of people died already around the world just because people did not take it seriously enough. The health authorities of our area and the whole country, wiser by the experience of failure in other countries, ordered everyone to stay at home as this is at the moment as the only way to combat the pandemic.

Hence also our Archbishop took some drastic measures like Masses without parishioners and cancelling all gatherings. Weddings, baptisms and even funerals should be postponed if possible. Everyone can and should pray at home together with the whole family since we have more time than usual, and if you really feel necessary to visit the church, it stays open during the day, but please do not gather together. Individual prayer rather is encouraged. Also, the stations of the cross should be prayed individually, not in a group.

Please do not pretend to be wiser than the doctors and scientists. Stay at home and protect your family. Every time you go out you risk to bring back with you the virus and endanger your children and especially the elders in your family.

We pray to God to deliver us from this trial, but first of all we should be careful and we ourselves do everything possible to avoid being infected.

It is indeed a test for us because it depends on every one of us how much longer the virus will havoc our communities. It depends also on you and me how many more people will die.

May God bless and protect you.

Fr. Casimir

Dear All Souls Families,

As of Wednesday, November 6 you can pay and add credit to your child/children's cafeteria account through SchoolSpeak! Your payment will be processed through PayPal with a 3% convenience fee for all transactions.

Please sign into your SchoolSpeak account and select "Lunch Order" in the quick links menu on the left. The "Pay" tab will direct you to your payment options. You may pay the cafeteria balance through your existing PayPal account or as a guest using your credit or debit card. You may also add credit into your child/children's cafeteria account. If you wish, you may still make cash or check payments to the school office.

Please note, for the families that have a credit card on file I will no longer will be charging your credit card for lunch payments. You are now responsible for paying and adding credit to your cafeteria account.

Feel free to contact me with any questions.

Regards,

Ms. Escobar

26 -Basketball Awards - 6:30pm - Church Hall Cancelled

30 -WCEA Mtg. - Faculty and Staff - Zoom Meeting

31 -Cesar Chavez Day

9 - Holy Thursday

10 - Good Friday

12 -Easter Sunday

13-17 -Easter Vacation

20 -School Resumes

20 -Staff Dev. Mtg. - 12:20 Dismissal

21 -School Board Mtg. - 6:30pm - Annex Meeting Room

22 -Fun Run - To be rescheduled

23 -Agape - 2pm - To be rescheduled

25 -First Holy Eucharist - To be rescheduled

If you have signed up for the spring session of Chess Wizards, the company will be in contact with you regarding online classes. If you have any questions please contact the Chess Wizards directly.

Dear Families,

Below please find the free and reduced lunch application for the 2019-2020 school year.

Box Tops for Education was started by General Mills in California back in 1996, after the company decided they wanted to create a program to help support education and benefit America’s schools. All Souls has benefitted from this program over the years, receiving sports equipment, microscopes, and a variety of other educational items.

You can help by clipping the Box Tops off approved products you already have in your pantry. You don't need to clip the actual product UPC — just the Box Tops logo will do. From frozen foods to produce and household cleaning products, there are literally hundreds of opportunities to help, and each Box Top is worth 10 cents. Doesn't sound like a lot, but it adds up fast.

There are so many participating companies! Participating companies and product lines include General Mills, Green Giant, Totino's, Pillsbury, Old El Paso, Ziploc, Hefty, Juicy Juice, Betty Crocker and many more. For a full list of eligible items check the Box Tops for Education website at https://www.boxtops4education.com/earn .

Please see the flyer below for more details about new additions to the Box Tops program.