Dispensation from Sunday Obligation
At this point, Bishop Boyea has dispensed the faithful from their Sunday obligation to attend the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass until Pentecost on May 23, 2021.
Children at Mass
Bishop Boyea's recommended guidelines discourages families from bringing young children (those who are not able to receive the Blessed Sacrament), but I am not inclined to ask that of families. I think it is important for families to be mindful of their children and to ensure that they are not "roaming free in the vestibule" where they could potentially expose or be exposed, while at Mass. This may be hard for families, but I trust your judgment about how well your child(ren) will manage with these expectations. NB: no one under two is advised to wear a mask, so parents will need to ensure that they are "social distancing."
Special Mass for those "at-risk"
Saturday 5:00pm Mass will be reserved for those 60ish and over and/or for who have underlying health issues. (Please note that those 60ish and over are not required to attend this reserved Mass.) Others can attend this Mass, but they are asked to sit in the choir loft.
Details/Plans for Masses
Arrival: Please plan to come a bit early to Mass so that we don't have a flurry of people arriving at the same time. We will have the two handicap doors open for your use so that you won't need to pull doors open. We will put doorstops at the other doors to keep them open, for the same reason.
Hand Sanitizer and Masks: Please use hand sanitizer on your way in and out (wash-in/wash-out), and please wear masks out of respect and care for others. (NB: Children under two should not wear masks.)
Seating: We will block off some pews to ensure safe "distancing" between pews. Families can obviously sit close to one another, but individuals and families should be separated by at least six feet. We have demarcated pews in the church by orange and green sticky notes. Each day, you will find instructions posted on the church doors as to which pews to sit in for that Mass.
Offertory: Thank you to all those who are giving "online" or are mailing in your checks. For those who prefer to bring envelopes, we will have a "drop-box" available near the northeast door and vestibule for you to drop your envelope. Please do that prior to Mass, if possible.
Communion: We will distribute communion to everyone who attends Mass in the church in the normal way, but beginning with pews on the east side of each section.
Special Note for Typical 9.30am Mass Attendees: The 9:30am Mass is the most-heavily attended, and we won't be able to accommodate all of you. So, if you would normally attend the 9:30am Mass, please consider attending one of the other Masses to help us avoid needing to turn people away. If we cooperate in this, we can avoid requiring people to "sign-up" for Masses.
Departure: When Mass is over please allow the people closest to the exits to depart first. Please use all exits on your way out, to avoid congestion as much as possible.
