St. James the Apostle Roman Catholic Church

Dear Parishioners,

     I am grateful to be your Pastor at Saint James the Apostle Catholic Church, and I want us to stay connected in this difficult time.  Although Bishop Parkes has suspended all public Masses in our Diocese to keep you safe from the Coronavirus, this doesn’t mean that you are not remembered daily.  Every day as I celebrate Mass, I think of all of you.  I pray daily for all of you and joyfully await the day that we will gather again at the Lord’s Supper.

      Although the public Mass has been suspend, Deacon Mark and I want you to remain connected with your parish, so we have streamed the Sunday Mass, the Sorrowful Mysteries, and the Stations of the Cross on St. James the Apostle Facebook page for your viewing.  The Parish Chapel is open daily so you may pray before our Lord in a sacred place. 

      I want to thank all our parishioners that have contributed funds to offset the new air condition expenses because your donations were very helpful.  This community is very warm and loving and gives generously every Sunday, so please help us continue to stay open during these difficult times by tithing every Sunday.  Whatever you can give during this pandemic really makes a difference.  Please either send your offertory to the Church by mail, drop it in the Chapel offertory box, bring it to the office or use online giving.  I am grateful as always for your generosity.

      I know God is still in control, and although things have temporarily changed for all of us, yet one thing remains unchanged, God’s love for us.  For God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him (Jn 3:16–17).  God came to save us, so ask God to cure and stop this virus, then ask Him to fill our Churches this Easter, so with grateful hearts we may all come together to celebrate the Resurrection of His Son.

      We are in this together, so I am telling you don’t give up, don’t despair, and don’t forget we are in communion with God.  Jesus tells us: If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you (Jn 15:7).

God bless, Fr. Dominic

Pastor

Palm Sunday is this Sunday, our Mass will be streamed Live on Facebook at 9:00 am. Use the link on this page to access the Mass. You do not have to sign up for Facebook to watch. Palms will be available for pickup in the Chapel after 10:00 am. Please come by to pick up your palms if you want.

Here is the link to our new St James Facebook Page! God bless you all and keep you safe!

Our Chapel is open everyday from 9:00 am until 2:00 pm for personal prayer. Please respect the social distancing rules put in place our government for personal protection. 

DIOCESE OF ST. PETERSBURG

Office of the Bishop

March 18, 2020

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As you are aware, because of the fluid and unprecedented nature of the Coronavirus crisis, our response to the threat posed by the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States has been to closely monitor the guidance of government leaders and public health officials, and to make appropriate and necessary decisions for the overall well-being of the faithful of the Diocese of St. Petersburg.

Now that guidance has been given to further limit gatherings, and out of deep pastoral concern for the most vulnerable among us, after prayer and discernment, effective immediately, I have decided to suspend the public celebration of Masses in the Diocese of St. Petersburg until it can be determined that it is safe to return to normal schedules and public worship. Therefore, the faithful of the Diocese of St. Petersburg and all visitors present in this diocese are dispensed from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass for as long as the suspension of public celebration of the Mass is in effect.

In addition, I have directed our parishes to postpone Confirmations, public penance services, parish and social events, and ministry gatherings (unless they are determined to be essential by the local pastor i.e. charitable ministries to those in need)

Together with your pastors and priests, I encourage the Catholic Faithful to make prudent decisions about Weddings and Funerals during this time, and to limit participation to immediate family members, in keeping with the  guidance on public gatherings. Baptisms are to be celebrated in cases of emergency only.

PO Box 40200, St. Petersburg, FL 33743-0200 I Office: 727-341-6830

I have asked our pastors to keep our churches open for private prayer and devotion, and to make every effort to keep the faith life of our parishes alive by creative means which are adapted to the current circumstances.  I invite you to visit our Diocesan website for updates and for opportunities to view or listen to the celebration of the Mass. Along with our parishes, we will provide other opportunities to remain in spiritual solidarity during this period.

Remember that Christ abides with us, and we can always be united in spirit and in prayer.

As your Bishop, I wish to thank you for your generous support of our parishes, the Diocese and Catholic Charities. I also ask you to continue your generosity, in light of your personal circumstances, so that our Church is able to continue its ministries and to serve the poor during this time of crisis.

During this time, I entrust the faithful of our Diocese to the loving intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, that by the grace of her Son we will be strong and courageous as we face the current challenges together. May God bless you!

Most   Reverend Gregory Parkes Bishop of St. Petersburg

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Our St Vincent de Paul Society is closed until it is safe to return to normal operations.

Confirmation scheduled for March 29th 1:00 PM Mass has been postponed until further notice. 

All Faith Formation classes as well, have been Cancelled until further notice.

The Knights of Columbus have cancelled all meetings for March and the last two fish fry's.

All meetings at St James have been cancelled until further notice!

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Click HERE to view the St James Facebook Page and watch Mass streamed Live from your home parish! 

Introducing Formed a great new product for the entire Family! Just go to Formed.org and then click Sign Up then select I belong to a Parish or Organization. Find and select St James the Apostle Church as your parish either by name or zip code (34668), enter your email and you are in! . You will instantly have access to wonderful Christian based shows, movies, and other educational programs. You can be sure they are Catholic and safe for the family to watch! If you have Roku TV, Apple TV or any type of smart TV there is a formed App so you can watch right on your TV!

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Come & See

Do you seek the face of God? We warmly invite you to visit a Lay Carmelite Community meeting to learn about Carmelite spirituality.

Our Lady Queen of Carmel LCC meets in room 6 at St. Ignatius of Antioch Catholic Church at 715 E. Orange St. in Tarpon Springs on the first Saturday of each month, immediately following the 9 am Mass.  For more information, contact Pat Mermelstein at 727-534-5729.