Dear Fellow Parishioners, I want to make sure that we as a parish stay open so that all of us can celebrate a healthy and safe Thanksgiving and Christmas. That is going to take the cooperation of all who enter the doors of our church for worship. The pandemic is not abating, it is surging. We are walking through a Covid-19 shadow and so we must be on our guard and walk together, wearing masks and socially distancing. Everyone has been so very cooperative thus far. However, there have been a few questions that I want to address. We are following the rules and regulations posted by the medical experts of our state, and the regulations sent to us by the Office for Worship for the Diocese of Worcester very closely.
We must control the numbers of people entering the church and provide for contract tracing. Thus, we can only have one entrance into the building so that people can sign in and allow the ushers to get an accurate head count. It is state and diocesan regulations that require one entrance and one-way traffic to protect each other during this pandemic. It is not punishment, it is protection.
I am personally trying to stay as healthy as possible. I always wear a mask when I am in public and I stay close to home except to do my grocery shopping and of course working here in the parish. Remember, if I get sick; the parish is closed for at least 2 weeks.
We are being asked to stay in our own households for Thanksgiving, not to gather as we usually have. WE CAN GIVE THANKS WITHOUT HUGH AMOUNTS OF FOOD AND FOOTBALL! It is better to put Thanksgiving off until the pandemic ends; then we will have a huge reason to give thanks. May I suggest that we gather here at church, safely on Thanksgiving Day and come to the 9:00 Mass and raise up our hearts in thanksgiving for the gift of health, life, safety and sanity! Yes, I really mean it when I say I want to make sure that we as a parish stay open so that all of us can celebrate a healthy and safe Thanksgiving and Christmas. Let’s encourage each other to stay faithful to the protections the experts have put in place so that we will be around for many holidays to come.