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 of COVID-19.

We ask all weekend worshippers to call the Rectory Office indicating Mass time and how many will be attending with you. Daily Mass, Monday through Friday, is offered at noon.

Seating capacity in the green phase is limited to 160 worshippers at each Mass. Wearing a mask and safe distancing continues to be required. Our 9:30 a.m. Sunday Liturgy is live streamed for those who are unable to join us.

Sacrament of confession continues to be offered by appointment only. To schedule, please call the rectory office at 610-826-2335. All other parish (including weekly bulletin) and diocesan news can be found on the parish webpage at www.shcpalmerton.org.

First Friday devotions will be observed Sept. 4, beginning with noon Mass followed by Adoration and closing with midday prayer at 3 p.m.

St. John Neumann Regional School will open with in-classroom instruction on Monday. A virtual classroom option is also available.

This will be the last week to make your returns for the Labor Day “Good Works” Raffle.

Tickets are available at the Rectory Office at: 610-826-2335. Prizes of $1,000, $500 and $250 will be drawn on Labor Day following the 9 a.m. Mass.

For our weekend Liturgy we will celebrate the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time. The Gospel (Matthew 16:21-27) reminds us that following Christ means a willingness to embrace the cross, offering ourselves as sacrifice and not conforming ourselves to the world but to the things of heaven.

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.