Monsignor Trevizo provided us a reflection for today, Holy Thursday 2020, the day of the Mass of the Lord's Supper. Watch the video on our YouTube channel:

We are going through a global and local crisis with the pandemic of the coronavirus that is causing anxiety and concern in our families and uncertainty about the future. Who will be next to catch it and will I be responsible for taking care of myself and others?

Governments listening to the scientific and medical community have given us the necessary measures to practice keeping ourselves physically healthy.

But in the midst of this, where is God and his Church? Has God left us alone to deal with this crisis? Churches have been closed and masses canceled. So without spiritual food, what role do we as Catholic Christians have in this crisis, which has no historical precedence?

Our ancestors, grandparents, great-grandparents, and great-great-grandparents historically suffered similarly during long periods of persecution during which churches were closed and there was a shortage of priests. What did they do? They kept faith alive through catechesis, family prayer and the kind act of charity with others. They did not give up, they were brave, relying on faith, prayer and charity.

Are we little less than our ancestors whose blood we have inherited and left us the legacy of their faith; a proven faith in worse circumstances than ours?

God is with us, with churches open or closed. Christ offered himself for us on the Holy Cross, the only sacrifice of Salvation. Our Lady of Guadalupe came on our lands, and as a sign of the power of the True God, healed San Juan Diego’s uncle, Juan Bernardino, from the horrible plague that devastated millions of people.

Let's not back down. Let fear not lead us to selfishness and greed. The world lacks our faith and its testimony. Let us all be in prayer and spiritual communion even without the Eucharist and distanced from each other. It is the same Eucharist, that Sunday after Sunday without any sacrifice, was at our disposal and reminds us that the graces poured out on prior Sundays is not reduced to that single moment. We can neither limit nor prevent that grace from continuing much later to spread to us and to others.

The Catholic Church continues in fullness through the Holy Spirit. Father Roberto and I continue to celebrate Holy Mass for you, each and every day.

Last week, we baptized 30 children, visited the sick, and our school and catechism programs continue to serve children at home. Our parish office is still open and the church is open for your visits. The church is alive in you and me. So I beg you, the church needs you more than ever. In favor of our faith, continue to keep your offerings to this church for when God takes us to overcome this crisis, united all around the Eucharist as his sons and daughters, we praise him and give thanks in his holy temple.

To send us your offering, you can deposit it in the candle box in the church, by mail, electronic fund transfer, or in the parish office mail box or in person at the parish office.

Msgr. Raul Trevizo
Pastor, St. John the Evangelist Parish

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

As we all continue to work through the Covid-19 pandemic, our Holy Father, Pope Francis, invites us to join him in special prayer. He will be leading the prayer in St. Peter’s Square on Friday, March 27.  

To watch the Holy Father and to join in this prayer, visit www.vaticannews.va at 10 a.m. Arizona time this Friday.  Also, the Holy Father will grant to all participants a Plenary Indulgence before imparting the Urbi et Orbi Blessing, a papal address, and his  Apostolic Blessing given to the City of Rome and to the entire world on this specific occasion.

May God bless you abundantly,

+Edward J. Weisenburger
Bishop of Tucson

St. John the Evangelist Church will be open for adoration from 9:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. from Monday to Friday for the next three weeks.

There will be Holy Hour at 9:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., also Monday through Friday.

On Sundays there will be Holy Hour at 8:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.

​Confessions will be on Saturdays at 4:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. (for appointments for confessions at other times, please call the parish office 520-624-7409.)

Message from Msgr. Raul Trevizo

On Monday, March 16th, Fr. Gonzalez and I, accompanied by members of the parish prayer groups as well as several young altar servers, gathered together to pray the Holy Rosary before the Blessed Sacrament.  Scripture was proclaimed that inspired those present to trust in God’s Providence during this difficult time.  Songs were sung to lift up our hearts and minds.  Then, at the conclusion of the recitation of the rosary, the Blessed Sacrament was solemnly carried in procession within the church, as well as outside around the perimeter of the church; asking for the mercy of our Lord for conversion of heart and spiritual purification. We asked for the intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe that the spread of the COVID-19 virus be stopped and for a cure.  It was a powerful experience of prayer for those present.

Both Fr. Gonzalez and I, your priests, strongly believe that as a parish community, we are called to pray intensely during this time so that the spread of the virus stops and that a cure be found.  For God, all things are possible as we pray in the Creed.

Although the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass will not be celebrated during this time, there is merit in offering our spiritual communions for protection and personal sanctification.  The suspension of the Sunday Mass obligation does not remove Sunday from being a day of prayer.  Therefore, all of us under the pain of sin must make some time for God on those days. One should also abstain from unnecessary work.  For prayer on Sunday, one can recite the rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet, for example; or perhaps read a passage of the Bible and meditate over it.  Aside from Sunday, 15 minutes of daily prayer would be of great benefit to us as we ask God to intervene with his mercy to stop the spread of this virus and also that he grants a cure.

​Our primary concern is to continue to serve – and minister to – our parishioners while also supporting the broader community’s efforts to halt the spread of the COVID-19 virus. In keeping with the directives released by Bishop Weisenburger on Monday, March 16, and consistent with the recommendations of the federal government, St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Parish will be taking the following actions:

• Masses - All regularly scheduled Parish Masses have been suspended until Monday, April 6
• Parish Office - Our parish office will remain open for regular business hours to serve our parishioners by phone and electronic communications, or in person if necessary
• Adoration – One parishioner at a time may come to the parish office to request access to the adoration chapel. Adoration time will be limited to 15 minutes to ensure others also have an opportunity to spend time with the Blessed Sacrament. Adoration time is limited to parish office hours, which are 9am – 4pm, Monday through Thursday and 9am - 12:30pm on Friday.
• Anointing of the Sick – Priests will continue to administer this sacrament by appointment. Please call the parish office with as much advance notice as possible. Any sick or injured person may receive this sacrament at any stage of their injury or illness.
• Reconciliation – Saturday reconciliation times will still take place at 4pm and 7:30pm. Priests will offer open-air confessions and will be visible from your vehicle. We ask that you remain in your vehicle until you see that a priest is available to hear confession. Confessions may also be scheduled by appointment by calling the parish office.
• Scheduled Baptisms, Quinceañeras, etc. – Someone from our parish office will be contacting each of these families to provide details of how we plan to meet your families’ sacramental and spiritual needs with regard to these masses that were scheduled during the next three weeks.
• All other sacraments – Please contact the parish office if you have specific questions about baptisms, weddings, and/or any other topic not covered above. 
• All other gatherings – All Parish gatherings and ministry groups are suspended until April 6.
• Casa San Juan

1. Food boxes will be distributed on Tuesdays and Thursdays only during Casa San Juan’s regular hours from 9:30am – noon. 
2. Sack lunches for the hungry will be distributed through the rectory from 9:30 am until noon, Tuesday through Friday. 
3. School families - Casa San Juan and St. John’s school have identified and arranged to provide a food box to our neediest school families this week.

We are striving to be here for you, the people of the church, as best we can within the limitations with which we are being asked to comply to fight this pandemic. Please feel free to call us at 520-624-7409 or email stjohnsoffice@netzero.com if you have any questions.

In Christ,
Msgr. Raul P. Trevizo