New procedures for resuming public Mass (Updated 6/21/20)
On May 22, 2020 Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez, Archbishop of Philadelphia, granted permission to begin the resuming of public Masses on June 6th. However, there is no obligation to attend Mass in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Our Live Stream will remain available at the 10:30 AM Sunday Mass.
Starting next weekend, June 27th and 28th, we will return to our “regular” Mass schedule: Saturday 5:00 PM, Sunday, 7:30 AM, 9:00 AM, 10:30 AM, 12:00 Noon. Since the attendance at Mass has been below our capacity, we will no longer require families to register for Mass. We know that we can safely seat 170 people in Church, with the proper social distancing that is required. When Mass attendance starts to come closer to 170 people attending each Mass, we will once again ask that families register.
One of my main priorities since the outbreak began is to keep the parish family safe while bringing you back to the table of the Lord. While the green phase is expected for our area next week, it does not really impact our procedures for Church. We will need to continue to wear masks, use hand sanitizer, have social distancing in the pews and having ushers bring you to your seat. All of this will be done to keep each of us safe. Until the obligation to attend Mass has been lifted by the Archbishop, the 10:30 AM Mass will continue to be live-streamed.
Please watch this video for a detailed explanation of how we will welcome everyone to resume public Mass as a family of faith.
Before You Arrive for Mass
- Wash your hands.
- For those 5 and up, face coverings are required on our campus and during Mass.
- The cry room is closed.
- Bring your own hand sanitizer that can be used before receiving Holy Communion.
- Do Not bring items that contain bleach into the sanctuary as this will damage the pews.
Mass Arrival Procedures
- Masks (for ages 5+) should be worn as soon as you exit your vehicle.
- Arrive 15-20 minutes before Mass begins to be checked in and brought to your seat.
- There will be two (2) entrances for you to check in: the main church doors on Channing Ave and the door off the parking lot, closest to Channing Ave. A greeter will check you in and you will be ushered to your seat.
- The doors of the church will open 15 minutes prior to the start of Mass. We will use the side doors in the parking lot as entrance doors and the main door and the door under the choir loft as exits.
- The church will be seated to fill the open pews from front to back.
- Every other pew will be closed and marked by rope on the end of the pews.
- You may be sharing a pew with another household, but social distance is required between the households (6ft).
- There will be no seating in the choir loft, narthex, or cry room.
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. There will be one lector and one cantor per Mass. Music will be offered at the 5:00 PM, 9:00 AM and 10:30 AM Masses and will be limited.
- For now, Holy Communion will be distributed by clergy only.
- Parish staff and volunteers will serve as ushers until further notice.
- 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.
- Baskets will not be passed during the offertory. You will be able to place your weekly gift in a basket as you enter or exit the church, but we strongly encourage online giving through OneCause or Electronic Funds Transfer.
Communion Procedures
- Use of personal hand sanitizer before communion is strongly encouraged.
- There will be a single communion line in the center of the main aisle, as well as the wings. Parish staff and volunteers will assist in ushering. There will also be arrows and markings on the floor to show you where and how to proceed.
- The distribution of Holy Communion will begin from the back pews of the Church moving forward.
- During this time, we ask that all receive Holy Communion in the hand.
- Masks should be worn in the communion line. After the priest offers you communion please step to the side, remove your mask, consume the Eucharist, and the re-mask as you head back to your pew.
Mass Departures Procedures
- After the final blessing, parishioners are asked to remain in their pew.
- Pews will be dismissed in an orderly fashion starting in the rear of the church and then moving forward. This will be similar to how you exit an airplane.
- You must exit your pew when prompted. Private prayer is not available after Saturday and Sunday Masses to allow the church to be reset for the next Mass.
- We will exit the church using the church doors next to the Chapel into the parking lot and the side doors under the choir loft and along the back wall, into the driveway.
- All traffic will exit via Channing Avenue and not down the driveway as there will be people exiting Church.
- Clergy will not shake hands as you depart. They will wave as you exit.
- Please do not congregate outside but head directly to your vehicle to allow the next Mass to start on time.
Church Cleaning Procedures
- 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 on Sunday at the 10:30 AM Mass.
- We will continue to implement cleanliness and sanitization practices, including cleaning pews, door handles and any other high touch areas in between every Mass.
- Disinfecting bathrooms, door handles, and other frequently touched surfaces occur throughout the day, during the week.
- Parish staff will be required to wear face masks, wash hands, and will be screened for COVID-19 symptoms.