Sacred Heart Parish, Lafayette Avenue, Palmerton, is continuing to offer its regular weekend Mass schedule: 5 p.m. Saturday and 9:30 a.m. Sunday, following all Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Allentown Diocesan directives during the current green phase response to COVID-19.

We continue to welcome returning and new worshippers to Mass, however, we ask all who plan to come to a weekend Mass to call the Rectory Office, indicating which Mass and number attending. Seating capacity continues to be limited to 160 worshippers at each Mass. Wearing of a mask and safe distancing is required of all worshippers.

The Sacrament of Confession continues to be by appointment only. To schedule, please call Father Bill at the Rectory: 610-826-2335. All other parish and diocesan news can be found at www.shcpalmerton.org.

This weekend we celebrate the Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time. The Gospel of the day is from Matthew 16:13-20 in which Jesus confers upon Peter the authority to bind and loose, which is the foundation passage for the Church’s Rite of Reconciliation, which is usually ministered individually but can also be celebrated communally and in extreme emergency can be offered generally. No sin is greater than Jesus’ love and mercy offered to every sincere penitent.

The “Because We Are Catholic” diocesan campaign continues with parishioners contributing $14,000 to date to assist with the diocesan mission. Returns have also been coming in for the Labor Day “Good Works Drawing.” Additional tickets are available at the rectory.

St. John Neumann Regional School will open with in classroom sessions on August 31. A Virtual Educational Program is being offered to those families who are uncomfortable at returning at this time. All questions should be directed to Mrs. Mary Comensky, Principal, at the School Office: 610-826-2354.

Any adult interested in learning more on becoming a Catholic are invited to be part of this year’s Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults Program beginning in September. For more information, call Father Campion at the Rectory Office at: 610-826-2335.

Father Bill continues to ask for prayers through the intercession of Father Walter Ciszek, whose cause for canonization is under study in Rome, that God will bless us with a cure for COVID-19 and restore the physical, spiritual, emotional and financial health to our global family.