I wish to thank all our Parish Life Teams for continuing their work throughout this pandemic and working through Zoom meetings and e-mails to help keep things up and running. Our parish staff continues to work to make sure everything happens like clockwork without a hitch. How pleased I am when we seek ministers to serve at live-stream Masses, directing traffic on Mother’s Day, helping with flowers, whatever the need, there is always a willingness to serve. Rob and Gina Russell and Steve Chaplin have not missed one live stream Mass and have volunteered their services throughout this time.
Our continued operation is made possible by the generosity of the many parishioners who have begun on-line giving and many more who have been mailing in and dropping off their weekly offertory. We received some very good news this week. Through the efforts of our Finance Team, especially Rob Callahan and Pam, we received a PPP loan last Thursday. The money will be used for payroll, health insurance and utilities and thus helps fill the gap that the decrease in income has created.
The buildings and grounds team is beginning to move the transformer May 14th, if the weather holds out and we get four more volunteers. Their work is a tremendous savings to the parish.
The Pastoral Planning Team met on Zoom to discuss how we will gradually re-open after receiving the directives from the Diocese who is working in conjunction with Governor Baker’s Office. Re-opening may occur after June 8th (subject to change) a limit of 50 people (until vaccine is developed) masks, 6 feet apart, and more… The document sent to us was eleven pages in length. With that document in hand this is what we have decided:
We will live stream two Masses, Saturday at 4:00 P.M. and Sunday at 8:30 A.M.
Those who are able to live stream are encouraged to continue to do so; then after the live stream are invited to enter the front door of the church, wearing a mask. The floor will be marked every six feet down the center isle to receive communion in the hand only and leave through the glass entry way. Plan on leaving your offertory in the basket available and sanitize your hands in church before receiving communion.
To be among the 50 allowed in the building for Mass each week, you are asked to make a reservation through the parish office on a first come first serve basis.
Daily Mass will begin June 8th (subject to change) and will be held in the church and open to 50 people.
Our three RCIA candidates, 23 families for First Communion, Memorial Masses will all be given priority for the 50 spots as we move forward with planning. Confirmation TBA.
More details on all of this will be forth coming and a mailing will be sent out to every household with this information.