Blessed Sacrament

We are excited to announce that our one-of-a-kind statue, created by renowned sculptor, Timothy P. Schmalz, was installed on the west side of the church.   Thanks to the many contributors and to P.J. Staab and the Staab family for the pedestal and installation of the statue.

Click HERE to read the article in the State Journal-Register and click HERE to learn more about the background of the statue. 

Our blessing and dedication have been postponed, but you are welcome to stop by for a visit and a time of reflection in our prayer garden.

Father Paul Chetcuti - who led our parish mission last spring - sent us a special video and prayer to celebrate our statue.  Watch his video message

Earlier this month we started the celebration of public Masses in the parish.  Our attendance is limited to 25% of the church’s seating capacity.  This is roughly 140 people.  With four Masses, we are only able to accommodate 560 people. Therefore, not everyone who may want to come to Mass will be able to do so.  Parishioners will still have a dispensation from the obligation to attend.  If you are in a risk category (or someone in your immediate family is), it might be wise to not attend at this time. 

We will continue to live stream the Masses at the regular times and will also provide communion services to those unable to go to Mass.  The new times for communion services will be on Sunday morning after 8:30 Mass (9:45 am to 10:15 am) and after 10:30 Mass (11:45 am until about 12:15 pm.)  They will continue to be held at the main entrance to school off the south parking lot. 

Sign Up.  Those who attend Mass will need to sign up.  Click on the box that says “Make Mass reservations” and follow instructions.  If you are uncomfortable or unable to do that, you may call the parish office on Mon-Fri from 8am to 4pm and someone will be available to sign you up.  You will only be able to sign up for the upcoming weekend.  If it is full, you will be given priority for the following weekend.    

Going to Mass.  You will need to arrive at church at least 10 minutes before Mass.  Masks are required if you wish to enter church.  Hand sanitizers will be available in the vestibule.  The ushers will direct you to your seat.  Every other row of pews will be taped off and tape marks will be placed on the pews for social distancing.  Families living in the same house may sit together, but otherwise you are asked to observe the markings.  The missalettes, bulletins, etc. have been removed from the pews. You may bring your own missal or Mass aide but please take them with you when you leave.  The collection basket will be placed near the entrance of church for your donation.  The ushers, however, will not take up the collection.  

Communion. We will continue to distribute communion at the end of Mass in order to make dismissal more orderly.  Communicates are asked to come up the side aisle, observing social distance and wearing a mask.  After you receive communion, you may leave either by the center aisle or the exits off the far side aisles.  You will not need to return to your pews. 

I ask you to please observe these guidelines.  They may seem nerve-wracking or bothersome, but according to the medical experts on communicative diseases, they do help, especially with a virus that is most easily spread by saliva and/or the moisture from our breath. (That is the reason for the masks and social distancing.)  Eucharist is important for our spiritual life as a Christian. Yet, as Christians we must remember we have a responsibility to guard and care for the safety of others. As we re-open for public Mass I trust you to be mindful of that duty.  We welcome you this weekend and pray that as the situation improves we will soon be back to normality.  A special thanks to all who are watching Mass on line; supporting our parish; and praying for the sick and those out of work, etc.  You are in my prayers as well.  Keep happy!  Keep healthy!  And above all, keep holy!

• Communion will be distributed on Sunday morning from 9:45 to 10:15 AM and again from 11:45 AM to 12:15 PM at the front entrance to the school.
• Vehicles should enter the parking lot from the Walnut St. entrance closest to the rectory. Park your car and wait (Glenwood entrance will be closed)
• The sidewalk along the north side of the lot will be marked in 6 foot increments. This is the communion line.  You may wait as a family or an individual, but remember, this is not a time for visiting.  It is a time to prepare yourself to receive the Lord. We ask that you pray the Our Father as you approach the school.
• You need to wear a mask as you approach the entrance.
• When you reach the front of the school, there will be a hand sanitizer station for you to clean your hands - please use it.
• Two communion ministers will be stationed at the doors to the school. When it is your turn and the person in front of you has departed, you may approach and receive communion and then exit on the other side.  Be sure to offer a prayer thanking Jesus for allowing you to receive Him today.
• Return to your car and leave the parking lot via the south exit on Walnut.  
• If you are unable to get out of you car because of health reasons, let the attendant know and they will direct your car to a place where communion will be brought to you.

 Click HERE to read recent messages from Father Jeff

The Parish Office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.  You may drop off your contribution envelope or mail it to Blessed Sacrament.  You may choose to make an online payment here or call the parish office at 528-7521  to set up an ongoing monthly or weekly contribution.  View our Parish Giving information under Stewardship by clicking here.

Here is what Blessed Sacrament is doing to allow you to practice your faith as fully as possible during this crisis.

• Public Mass resumed the weekend of June 6-7. Everyone has a dispensation from the weekly obligation to attend Mass.  Weekend Mass at Blessed Sacrament can be viewed online - there is a link here on the website.   If you are going to attend weekend Mass, you must make a reservation. The reservation form is located on this page - just click "Sign Up".
  
  You can continue to make a spiritual communion. You can also call the parish for all other spiritual and sacramental needs.
  
  Daily Mass resumed on Monday, June 8 at 8:00 AM.  No reservations are required.
  
  The church is open each day until 5:00 PM. However we ask that you come in through the hallway next to the Adoration Chapel or the handicapped entrance in the front. There may be times that the maintenance crew is cleaning in the church and it may not be as quiet as you like. We apologize for the inconvenience.

• The parish is not closed - questions can be directed to the parish office at 217-528-7521. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 4 PM.  

• Adoration Chapel continues to be open from 5 AM to 10 PM. If there are more than four people in the chapel, you may go into the main church to pray. The chapel is wiped down every morning and wipes are available for you to use for your chair.  We ask that you not pray out loud or in a way that distracts another person trying to pray privately and please do not speak on your cellphone. Please respect other people in the chapel by social distancing (six feet) from them.  If you not feeling well, please be considerate of others.

• Holy water is available in the dispenser in the chapel.  Please bring your own container to take it home. If you are taking large amounts, please see one of the priests to have them bless your water.

• Starting July 1, confessions will be heard Monday through Friday from 7:30 AM to 8:00 AM. The area is sanitized daily.

• Visit the parish website at www.bsps.org. This is the best way to know what is going on in the parish. You can also sign up to receive electronic messages at the right hand side of this page.

• The parish depends on your stewardship and generosity in order to bring sacraments and spiritual services to you.  With everything severely curtailed, our finances have suffered. Please remember to mail in your contribution or donate online through the secure link on our stewardship/parish giving page.  This will help us meet our obligations. Call the parish office to sign up for ACH (automatic contributions). Many parishioners are also suffering financially from this crisis.

• A donation to H.O.P.E. (Helping Our People in Emergencies), formerly known as St. Vincent de Paul, will let our parish reach out to them.

• Scrip gift cards will be handled through the parish office while the school is closed.