By ROB HERBST The Catholic Week In an effort to bring the family of God closer together at St. Mary and St. Joan of Arc parishes in Mobile, Pastor Fr. Stephen Vrazel announced revised Sunday Mass schedules for the two parishes.
Two of the combined seven Masses currently celebrated at the parishes will be eliminated, effective Jan. 1, 2022. Times for the parishes’ Sunday midmorning Masses are also being adjusted to 8:30 a.m. at St. Joan of Arc and 9:30 a.m. at St. Mary. Both currently have a 9 a.m. Mass, making it impossible for the parishes’ two priests, Fr. Vrazel and Parochial Vicar Fr. Cecil Spotswood, to celebrate both Masses if the need arises.
Fr. Vrazel said several Sunday Masses celebrated at the parishes don’t exceed 10 percent capacity in the churches. Having fewer Masses with fuller pews will help provide a better experience of worship.
“The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is our communal worship, the Sacrament of unity,” Fr. Vrazel said in a letter to parishioners of both parishes. “While it will take some getting used to, we must consolidate our Mass schedule so that our parish families will be less fractured. Sunday Mass is not meant to be celebrated in an empty church.”
Of particular note, St. Mary Parish will no longer have a 5 p.m. Saturday Vigil Mass. St. Joan of Arc will continue to have a 4 p.m. Saturday Vigil Mass. St. Mary will also no longer have a 6 p.m. Sunday Mass.
Fr. Vrazel said St. Mary will now be more available for Saturday evening weddings. He added nearby Little Flower Parish in Mobile also has a 5:30 p.m. Sunday Mass for those needing an evening Mass.
“Let us consider the larger problem of Mass schedules among all the parishes in the city of Mobile,” Fr. Vrazel said. “For a given Sunday, there are 33 options for Sunday Mass in midtown and downtown combined (including Saturday evening Mass). While the parishes in our part of town are beautiful and historic, it is poor stewardship of our resources to provide such a glut of Masses."
With that in mind, St. Mary will continue to have a 6 a.m. Sunday Mass.
Fr. Vrazel added he wished the congregations were big enough and there were enough priests to justify seven Sunday Masses.
“I realize that for some of you, I am taking away the Mass time that you have attended for decades,” he said. I wish it were not necessary to do so … Hopefully this consolidation will bring us closer together both within and between our two parishes.”