COVID-19 Response

Mass Arrival Procedures - Weekend

• Masks for all should be worn as soon as you exit your vehicle.
• Arrive 20 minutes before Mass begins to stand in line observing proper social distancing at the main door of the church.
• Please be prepared to give the greeter the name under which you made your reservation.
• Entrance will only be through the main doors of the church which will open 15 minutes prior to the start of Mass.
• Parish volunteers will seat your household like boarding an airplane. You may not choose where to sit. Please sit as a household in the space designated by the tape on the pew. The church will be seated to fill the open pews from front to back. Alternating pews will be closed and marked by red tape.  You may be sharing a pew with another household, but social distance is required between the households.
• The holy water fonts remain empty.
• Don’t be late as your seats will be given away!

Mass Arrival Procedures - Daily

• Masks for all should be worn as soon as you exit your vehicle.
• The church will open 5 minutes prior to the celebration of Mass. Please stand in line observing proper social distancing at the main door of the church.
• Entrance will only be through the main doors of the church. Please fill pews from front to rear in designated spaces.
• Once the limit of parishioners has been reached, no more access will be given. Daily Mass will continue to be live streamed.

Mass Procedures

• Masses will be conducted as you have seen on the live stream with reduced volunteer lay ministers. There will be no altar servers, choirs, or lay sacristans.
• Please keep your face mask on for the duration of Mass.
• There is to be no physical contact between households at the Sign of Peace or hand holding during the Lord’s Prayer.
• You will be able to place your weekly donation in a basket as you enter or exit the church or during the Offertory, but we strongly encourage online giving through ParishGiving.

Communion Procedures

• Bishop O’Connell strongly recommends that communion not be offered on the tongue for the time being for the safety and health of both the ministers distributing and others receiving. 
• The Precious Blood will not be offered to the congregation.
• Use of personal hand sanitizer before communion is strongly encouraged.
• You will remain in your pew for communion with your mask on.  As the minister approaches, please stand, extend your hands, after the minister places the host in your hands, remove your mask, consume the host and replace your mask. You may be seated after reception of communion.

Mass Departure Procedures

• After the final blessing and recessional song, parishioners must remain in their pew.
• Pews will be dismissed in an orderly fashion starting in the front of the church and exiting from the front side doors using the side aisles. If mobility issues prevent you from walking down the steps, you may use the side aisle and exit through the far-right main door.
• You must exit your pew when prompted. Private prayer is not available after Sunday Masses to allow the church to be reset for the next Mass.
• You can drop your weekly offertory as you depart. 
• Please do not congregate outside the church on parish ground or in the parking lot but head directly to your vehicle and depart enabling the next Mass to start on time.

You are reminded to follow CDC recommendations regarding your own health. If you fall into an “at risk” category, please stay home and join us by live stream. We have been waiting for this moment for a long time. I thank you for your kind patience and your prayerful support. The Church will be open for private prayer Monday through Friday following daily Mass until 8:00 pm. I ask you play close attention to the protocols listed. If we all do this well, we will be able to fully open our church in the future. I look forward to seeing you.

Church Open for Private Prayer