Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Our challenge is not the number of Masses we have each Sunday. It is the spread of the English-speaking congregation amongst the 3 Masses we have each weekend. This uneven spread creates safety concerns. The seating capacity of both St James’ and St John’s Halls is about 430. As such, we cannot afford overcrowding because it sets up an evacuation impossibility.
The Mass with the highest number in attendance is on Saturday at 5 pm. Since parents bring their children to be catechised, naturally they will stay after catechism to attend Mass. I canvassed last Saturday after the 5 pm Mass if some parishioners without catechism-age children would be amenable to attending the extra Mass at 9pm, there was practically no taker.
Having consulted the Filipino community, I have decided that from this Sunday on, 14th April, the additional English Mass will be at 12:30 pm. To ease the pressure of over-crowding, this temporary arrangement will be for the duration of the renovation.
Other time slots proposed and considered, particularly 3 pm and 8 pm on Sunday will not work. 3 pm is neither here nor there and 8 pm is already late for those who have to get back to work on Monday.
12:30 pm on Sunday gives those who would like to sleep in on Sunday morning an opportunity to attend a later Mass followed by a relaxing afternoon lunch. For those without catechism-age children who are going to the 5 pm Saturday Mass, please consider attending this Sunday 12:30 pm Mass to help in the alleviation from overcrowding.
I would like to thank the Filipino community for their generosity in bearing the burden of the attendant inconveniences of the renovation project“and let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, NOT GIVING UP MEETING TOGETHER, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Heb 10:24-25).
God bless
Padre
亲爱的主内兄弟姐妹，
我们面临的挑战不是每个主日举行弥撒的数量，而是英语教友在每个周末三台弥撒的分布数量。这种不均衡的分布造成了安全问题。圣雅各伯和圣若望礼堂的座位总数约为430个。因此，我们不能承受过度拥挤的情况，因为会导致在紧急情况发生时无法有效的疏散人群。
参加人数最多的弥撒是星期六下午 5 点。由于家长带着孩子来上要理课，他们自然会在要理课结束后留下来参加弥撒。上个星期六下午 5 点的弥撒结束后，我询问了一些不是带小孩来上教理课的教友，是否愿意参加晚上 9 点的额外弥撒，几乎是没有人愿意。
经征求菲律宾团体的意见后，我决定从 4 月 14 日的主日起，在中午12点30分增加一台英语弥撒。为了缓解人满为患的压力，这一临时安排将持续到圣堂装修结束。
其他建议和考虑的时段，特别是星期日下午 3 点和晚上8点皆行不通。下午3点的时间显得不上不下，而晚上 8 点对于星期一必须回去工作的人来说会太晚了。
星期日中午12点30分的弥撒为那些想在星期日早上睡迟一点的教友是一个好机会，弥撒后又可以享用一顿轻松的午餐。对于那些没有孩子必须来要理课而参加星期六下午5点弥撒的教友，请考虑参加星期日中午12点30分的弥撒，以帮助缓解人满为患的问题。
我要感谢菲律宾团体的慷慨大方，他们承担了整修工程带来的不便。我们"也应该彼此关怀，激发爱德，勉励行善，决不离弃我们的集会，就像一些人所习惯行的；反而应彼此劝勉；你们见那日子越近，就越该如此。 "（希10:24-25）。
天主降福大家
杨光明神父
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