CONTINUING YOUR RETURN

(Updated for Lent 2021)

Last Pentecost weekend (May 30/31) we resumed public celebration of the Sacraments.  Appropriate as Pentecost is also the birthday of the Church! 

While encouraging your return to in-person celebration, the Bishop continues the dispensation of the obligation to attend Sunday Mass allowing for personal discretion. Seniors and those most vulnerable are still encouraged to avoid gatherings, including Mass until you are comfortable doing so.  Of course those exhibiting any symptoms of any type of illness (cough, sneezing, etc.) should also refrain from participating at public Masses for their own sake and comfort of their fellow parishioners. If you're anxious, uncomfortable, or hesitant, continue to join us virtually, online via our website.

Procedures will remain in place to ensure, the best we can, the health and safety of our worshiping community, always subject to change based on Diocesan and health official’s guidelines.

Here is our program to date:.

• All attending Masses will wear appropriate face-covering (masks) unless medically prohibited from doing so.  It's not about your personal, objection, political, social, medical understanding.  It's a State mandate and it's not a prohibition of your free practice of anything.  If its just about the comfort of others  then we do it for them!
• Our normal Mass schedule for the weekends has resumed. Sacramental reconciliation will be offered Saturday at 4 PM, followed by Mass at 5 PM. Sunday morning Masses will be at 8 AM and 10:30 AM.  
• Weekday Masses also resumed on a limited schedule to allow for cleaning after Masses: Celebrated 8:00AM on Mondays, Wednesday's, and Fridays. 
• Restrooms use remains limited so please plan accordingly
• Ministers at the Mass have been contacted with additional directions.
• Everyone is encouraged to wash their hands or use sanitizers just prior to entering the church
• Additional hand sanitizing stations have been added inside the church
• We enter the church only through the four doors facing the main parking area. These doors will be propped-open before Mass so no need to use the door handles and to facilitate circulation of fresh air. 
• There will not be Holy Water in the door fonts but you still are encouraged to make the sign of the cross upon entering, as a sign of our baptism
• There will be pews blocked off between occupied rows.  Cohabitating families, of course, will sit together, all else should leave at least 6 feet between parties.
• There are no song books or missalettes in the pew.  Mass parts and song lyrics will be on a large video screen. Also, previously unused missalettes will be distributed at the door which you will take it home with you after Mass to bring with you each week if you choose. You are welcome to bring your smart phones or tablets to follow along with the daily readings--> usccb.org/bible/readings/index.cfm
• We will not be having a procession with the gifts of bread and wine during the offertory.
• Baskets will not be passed for the offering collection but will be placed on tables as we do for Holy Days.
• As has been our practice, an exchange of a sign of peace will not include physical contact beyond family members.  A Christ’s peace-filled gesture with open hands, or bow with the verbal greeting will continue.
• If you choose to wear gloves, to church, please remove them for Holy Communion.
• Holy Communion will be distributed at your seats, while kneeling.  Ministers will come to you, eliminating the need to stand in line or congregate in the isles. 
• All will be asked to receive the Eucharist in their hand during this period.
• After the final blessing and dismissal, you are encouraged exit the door nearest to your isle.  Please do not congregate in the church.  If you wish to greet fellow parishioners, please do so outside, keeping safe social distances

For Liturgical Ministers:

After reading the following, if you would like to be added to the schedule to serve upcoming Masses, please email or call Tammy Primmer as soon as possible with your availability.  Substitutions will NOT be possible as it will be important to know who is and is not serving.  If you choose to serve a particular scheduled Mass it will be very important that you are able to do just that.  Please do not commit to a Mass if you may not show up.  Please do not call others to substitute for you as we need to know and record who has and is serving at any particular time. If you have a scheduling conflict contact Tammy Primmer

Altar Servers:

• Altar Servers will serve in sibling-groups only. If a server does not have a sibling who is also a server, he/she will have to be able and willing to serve by themselves and with the ability to maintain appropriate maturity and hygienic measures.  Younger, less experienced servers, unfortunately may not be able to serve for a while. 

• Who is able to serve will ultimate be my decision which I realize may disappoint some.  I thank moms and dads for your understating and your help explaining this situation compassionately to your children-servers

• In order not to share albs, servers will bring their albs home with them after the first weekend they serve when we return. Obviously, they should bring them back to the next Mass they serve.  

• We will not be using the colored scapulars over the albs for the time being.

• They may wear a face-mask before and after Mass but will be asked to remove it during Mass.

• They will receive other instructions when they come to serve relative to protective measures in place. 

• Ministers may wear a face mask during Mass, they will obviously remove it for their own reception of Holy Communion and will WEAR A MASK During the distribution of Holy Communion

• Mask will be a simple hospital type mask or a plain material fabric face covering.  Masks will not have any decorations, emblems, logos, etc., that may be distracting to the recipient.

• Additional Ministers’ procedures will be in place when you are asked to serve.  You will be provided this instruction before the Mass at which you agree to serve.

• We will not be able to allow substitutions for Masses for the time being so if you agree to serve a particular Mass it is important that you are able to do just that.  Please do not call on another for fill-ins as you have been doing so.

• The congregation will receive the Holy Communion at their seats and the misters will walk between isles to them. As such, ministers will need to be able to do just that.

 
Lectors:
 
Lectors at Mass should to be significantly affected by our procedures.  You are welcomed to wear a face-mask to and after the service but will be ask to remove it when performing your ministry
 
 
VOLUNTEERS
 
In addition to our Ministers, we will need the assistance of teams of who are willing to sanitize the church before or after Mass.  This will include, in part, wiping down of commonly touched surfaces (i.e.: backs of pews, door handles)
 
Please let us know if you are willing to be one of these volunteers.  Of course all supplies needed will be provided by St. Brendan’s.