Jesus brings life to Our Lady of Victory Church when He says “I am the vine, you are the branches.” Guided by the Holy Spirit in the Roman Catholic tradition, we are called to minister to the spiritual formation as well as the emotional, physical and social needs of our members and the community at large. We imitate Mary whose faith led her to accept God’s mission so that we may live out our mission. As Mary serves as a model of hope for us, we as people of hope remain as life-giving branches on the vine.
PARISH OFFICE CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC
In accordance with updated guidance from the Archdiocese and the State of Maryland, our parish office is now closed to the public until further notice. We are having a mail slot installed in the front door of the parish office for any correspondence that needs our attention.
This is a challenging time for all of us and I ask for your prayers as we endure this together. Ultimately all of these restrictions are intended to protect public health and to stem the spread of disease. We want all of our parishioners to be safe and healthy.
You are all in my prayers. May God bless you and keep you safe.
Fr. Bill
Here’s hoping all of you are staying well, staying home, and keeping appropriate social distances. With all that is going on and the constant adjustment in instructions, I wanted to touch base with another edition of my Business Manager’s Blog. To give you an update of what is happening around here and how we can stay in touch and connected during this trying time.
It’s hard to believe that liquor stores are considered essential but churches are not! I have a different opinion. I don’t recall people praying to Jack Daniels to stop the Great Baltimore Fire, or invoking the intercession of Johnny Walker to bring our troops home safely! Throughout history, mankind has turned to God, to ask for protection from any number of natural and man-made perils. In that tradition, we will continue to keep Our Lady of Victory Church open from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday for private prayer. Please observe proper social distancing. Current bulletins are available on the tables, as well as online. There are rosaries and Stations of the Cross booklets available for your use. A reminder also that we have a wonderful outdoor Stations of the Cross garden just across the footbridge from the parking lot. This garden is open and accessible every day for your private prayer.
As I write this, we have been instructed by the Archbishop to close all parish offices following the latest instructions from Governor Hogan. We are having the staff work from home as much as possible and to maintain a skeleton crew to keep things flowing. We continue to check email, phone messages and receive and process regular snail mail. Feel free to contact us, leave messages, and email we will endeavor to answer all within 24 hours. Fr. Bill is available for the Sacrament of the Sick and anointing.
The parish will be connecting in various ways through the duration via Flocknote, My Parish App and on Facebook and YouTube. If you are not currently connected here is how:
Flocknote- Text olvictory to 84576 and follow the prompts
My Parish App- www.myparishapp.com and select OLV
Facebook- www.facebook.com/olvictorychurch
YouTube- For now access via our Facebook page or click here.
Bulletin- Available online or in the Gathering Space.
As we strive to maintain as much normalcy as possible, we still need to pay our recurring utilities and maintenance bills and to pay the staff for as long as possible. To those of you that are using Online Giving, thank you. This is the easiest way to support your parish in times like these. Online Giving is easy to enroll just go to our website www.olvictory.org/olvc/stewardship-2/online-giving.
You can also drop off your Offertory envelopes, Lucky Numbers tickets and any other correspondence into the Poor Boxes in the church as you are visiting or via the new mail slot in the Rectory front door. To request Lucky Numbers tickets leave a voicemail or email Elizabeth at eaviles@olvictory.org and the tickets will be mailed to your home. As a side note, for those of you that make your contributions once a month either by cash or check please know that we rely on that income too. If at all possible please continue these contributions.
Thank you for your prayers as you all remain in ours. Follow the expert’s guidelines and we will all be here when this threat passes. As always, feel free to call or email 410-242-0131 x 234 jmcdonnell@olvictory.org.
Stay safe,
Jim McDonnell
Our Lady of Victory is now on YouTube!
Please subscribe at www.youtube.com/channel/UClfGSRAAcOXIXGcEUUWGFWA
Just a reminder…
- All masses have been cancelled
- All Parish and School activities are cancelled
- RCIA is cancelled
- Religious Ed, First Eucharist, Confirmation classes all
cancelled - All Youth Ministry meetings are cancelled
- All Sport Activities (Basketball & Soccer) and youth based
activities (AHG & TL) are cancelled - Soup & Bread & Stations of the Cross are cancelled
- Adoration is cancelled
- Confessions will still be held Tuesdays 4:30 – 6pm (Except
March 24th) and Saturdays from 3 – 3:50pm - Food Pantry is still open Saturdays from 9-10am
- Parish Office is closed to the public
𝑶𝒖𝒓 𝒉𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒉 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒍-𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒇 𝑨𝑳𝑳 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒔. These measures are all based on recommendations published by the CDC, MD Dept of Health, Archdiocese of Baltimore, and other health agencies.
𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐕𝐈𝐃-𝟏𝟗
We will continue to pray for you, your family & friends during this time. We join Pope Francis in asking for the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary for a halt to the spread of the virus.
𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐆𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠: http://www.olvictory.org/olvc/stewardship-2/online-giving/
𝐑𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬: www.archbalt.org/online-mass/
Stay Connected to OLV
Our Food Pantry is STILL open Saturdays from 9-10am. We serve people in our community with non-perishable food and goods. Our pantry is completely run by volunteers and it only exists because of YOUR donations. Thank you so much for helping us! This week we are in need of:
Boxed/Canned Juice
Boxed/Canned Milk
Boxed/Canned Potatoes
Canned Beef (Beef Stew/Corned Beef/Ham)
Canned Chicken
Canned Fruit
Canned Mushrooms
Coffee
Coffee Creamer
Cooking Oil
Crackers
Dish Soap
Flour
Jelly/Jam/Fruit Preserves/Marmalade
Laundry Detergent
Mayo
Nuts
Pancake Syrup
Paper Towels
Raisins
Salt
Spam
Spices (pepper,garlic,basil,parsley, etc)
Sugar
Toilet Paper
You may drop your donations in the carts at the Gathering Space in Church which is open from 8am – 5pm Monday – Fridays.
Again, thank you for your generosity! God Bless!
Youth Ministry Gatherings: Sundays, 7:00 – 8:30 pm, in the Campus Ministry Center
All Activities Have Been Cancelled Until Further Notice
Join OLV and our friends at St. Agnes & St. William of York for SummerStretch! SummerStretch is a service camp for middle schoolers, taking place this year from July 27 to 31. All rising 6th graders through rising 9th graders can participate! Contact Mary Conney (mconney@olvictory.org) to make sure you’re on our email list when SummerStretch registration opens later this spring!
We are in need of substitute catechists for our GIFT program. Interested? Contact Becky Needham (bneedham@olvictory.org), Mary Conney (mconney@olvictory.org) or Cassandra Palmer (cpalmer@olvictory.org) for more information. You can also call the Parish Office at 410.242.0131 ext 235
Music Ministry
If you are interested in being part of our Contemporary Music Ministry or one of our choirs please contact Mary Kurek at mkurek@olvictory.org.
SPIRITUAL ADOPTION
Everyone loves the beauty and innocence of a baby. As an expression of that love, OLV announces a spiritual adoption program for young and old alike.
Over the next nine months, which began the weekend of September 7-8, the members of our parish family will have the opportunity to spiritually adopt a child who is newly conceived .
You may “adopt” a child individually or as a family. You will be asked to name the child for whom you will be praying, thereby giving the baby the humanity he or she deserves. As we all know the power of prayer is great.
You will receive monthly reports through a parish display describing your baby’s development. Each month we will print the prayer for the unborn in the bulletin. Please keep this prayer and commit to praying it every day. Our babies will be born in June.
There are millions of unborn babies desperately in need of your prayers. Please spiritually adopt and share the love that God has given you. This is a beautiful way to teach young children to respect all life.