Deacon Jeff Prickette, with the Prince of Peace Catholic Community, said he's living his life in fear as the COVID-19 pandemic consumes all aspects of politics and the media. 

"I am beginning to live my life in fear. Not in fear of the virus but in fear that as someone God and Bishop Ricken has called to serve the wonderful people of Prince of Peace, that more needs to be done," Prickette said in the church's bulletin. "At this point, everyone focuses on the numbers: The rising of numbers of COVID positive tests, the number of lives that have been lost due to the virus and the number of any other things happening currently: Schools going virtual, events cancelled and so forth."

Prickette said he's also looking at numbers, but the numbers of those attending Mass declining due to the pandemic. He said it has declined to just over 300, which is down 65% from pre-pandemic levels. 

"We need to spread the Gospel of Christ: of His love, sacrifice and willingness to always be here with and for us," he wrote in the bulletin. "It is imperative to communicate the importance of the Eucharist, that what we receive here at Mass is not a 'wafer' as some call it, but rather the actual Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus. If people understood what we have here at every Mass, we would need to turn people away every time due to inadequate social distancing."

Prickette doesn't watch television news because he believes it feeds people's fears. But he said he reads headlines to know what is being said and happening. 

"I have tracked the COVID numbers in Brown County every day since the end of June and I know exactly from that standpoint what is going on here," he said in the bulletin. "Yes, we had a record number of positive cases the week of Sept. 27. But does anyone know the numbers dropped by 20% last week?"

Prickette said he is trying to make the point that we need to trust God now more than ever before. Trusting in God now will help us to defend against Satan and the best way to trust in God is through prayer. 

"We are praying the Rosary before every Mass this month and I can tell you beyond any doubt it is the very best weapon we have. If you haven’t prayed the Rosary, it can sound boring and repetitious. But if you allow yourself to reflect on the mysteries of the Rosary and the concerns in your life, you will feel the healing of God through the intercession of our Mother Mary. I guarantee it," he said in the bulletin.