Update on Public Mass

June 6, 2020


Update on Public Mass: We are ready to make the announcement regarding the continuation of public Mass.
On the weekend of June 13-14, Mass will be for our First Communicants. Originally scheduled for the last weekend of April, Mass was suspended till a later date. Honoring our First Communicants on the weekend of Corpus Christi (June 13-14) is where we will begin. Mass that weekend will be by invitation only. It will not be open to the public.

 

 

 

 

We will begin public Masses on the weekend of June 20-21. Mass schedule will be:

  • Saturday – 8:00 pm
  • Sunday – 8:00 am
  • Sunday – 11:00 am

Weekday Mass will begin with a phased in approach (no weekday Mass if there is a funeral at the church).

  • Week of June 21 – 8:30 am on Tuesday and Thursday
  • Week of June 28 – 8:30 am on Monday, Wednesday and Friday
  • Week of July 5 – 8:30 am on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
  • Week of July 12 and beyond Mass will remain Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

After each Mass, people will be asked to leave the church structure for the purpose of cleaning the church, gathering space, bathrooms, and doors. Church doors will be locked. This means:
On Sunday, in preparation for the 11:00 am Mass, the doors will not reopen until 10:30 am.
During the week, the doors will not reopen until 10:30 am.

Things To Know Once We Reopen (Some Changes Have Been Made):

  • The Church will continue to be open from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm (exception being Saturday with 8:00 pm Mass). However, whenever we have weekday Mass, the church will be locked from 9:00 am till 10:30 am for cleaning and sanitizing.
  • During the summer months, office hours will be 9:00 am till 4:00 pm. Walk-in traffic will only be allowed from 10:30 am – 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm – 3:30 pm.
  • Facemasks are strongly encouraged to be worn during Mass.
  • Entrance and exit to the church and office will only take place via the main entrance (south doors). The east doors, and all other entrance points, will remain closed.
  • Seating will not be done by reservation. When seats are filled, with social distancing in mind, the doors will be locked. Should we continue to have to turn people away over the course of several weeks for a Mass, seating by reservation will be considered.
  • Households will be allowed to sit together.
  • The family room/cry room will not be available for seating and all single seat chairs in the back of the church will be removed.
  • The Saturday 8:00 pm Mass will be recorded and placed on the website/Facebook.
  • Beginning the week of June 14 and moving forward, confessions will be held from 6:30-7:30 pm on Saturday evening. Confessions will remain in the Adoration chapel.
  • Should you come into the church and notice pews roped off, this is being done to keep sanitizing to a minimum and prepare for social distancing. Please remain out of these pews.
  • Due to set up for funerals and having to sanitize after each Mass, we have decided that should a funeral fall during the week, the daily Mass will be cancelled. We will notify people to the best of our ability when this occurs.
  • Homebound Communion will not occur immediately. This will eventually be phased back in.
  • Hymnals will not be in the pews. For those who would like to follow along with the readings, St. Joseph Missals are available in the Gathering Space. Should you choose this option, they must be taken home? Anything left in pews after Mass will be discarded.
  • People (this includes greeters) will be asked not to greet people by touch.
  • Collection baskets will not be passed from person to person during the offertory. A collection basket will be available in the front of the church, a drop box will be placed in the Gathering Space, or envelopes can be placed in the drop box by the Parish Office.
  • To help with the flow of moving people out of the church and gathering space to begin the cleaning process, the distribution of Holy Communion will take place after Mass. The priest will be located in the Gathering Space and distribute as people leave the building. Conversation is not to take place in the church or gathering space. Social distancing must be respected in the parking lot.
  • People are encouraged to receive Communion in the hand. Should someone desire to receive on the tongue, the sanitization of the hands by the priest will take place after each communicant.
  • To help with seating, which must adhere to social distancing, we encourage people to come to church early. (Keep in mind that for the 11:00 am Sunday Mass the church will reopen at 10:30 am).
Categories: Fr. Schuster's Blog