“I rejoiced when they said to me, let us go to the house of the Lord”. (Ps 122:1)

Dear Parishioners:

These words of the psalmist from centuries ago may best express our feelings today in response to the decision of Archbishop Wenski, together with the other bishops of Florida, to – as he stated in his letter to the all parishioners about the resumption of public Masses (which is posted on our parish website for everyone to read) – “reopen our churches for the celebration of the Mass and Sacraments with the People of God present and actively participating…” I can tell you that Fr. Gary, Fr. Mike, and I, together with the other parish priests of the Archdiocese, are very happy that once again we will be able to celebrate the Eucharist with many of you “present and actively participating.” At the same time, as members of Christ’s body who support and care for one another, we want to do what we can to minimize the risk of spreading the Coronavirus when we are gathered in church. As the Archbishop also stated in his letter, “until a vaccine is widely available, we will be unable to eliminate completely the risks, but we must prudently try to mitigate those risks wherever and whenever possible.” Therefore, even as we welcome those who can return, we ask that everyone remember and respect the steps that have been taken to “mitigate those risks” as the Archbishop has indicated:

• Social distancing of approximately six feet (except those of the same household) when entering and leaving the church (on the east and west sides only), and in church as well. To help maintain this distance in church, certain rows of pews are blocked off and blue tape markings have been placed on the pews and the floor. Please respect them. Families may wish to occupy the pews in the east and west transepts which are spaced at greater distance (since the rows are smaller) than the pews in the main transept.
• Worshippers are asked to wear a face mask and keep it on during Mass, removing it (or part of it) only to receive communion. While communion in the hand is preferable from a health perspective, communion on the tongue is permitted from the priest in the center aisle. Gloves are not to be worn for the distribution or reception of communion.
• Hymnals, missalettes, and other material will be removed from the pews, holy water fonts will remain empty, hand sanitizers will be readily available by the doors of the church, and the church will be sanitized between Masses
• Avoid physical contact such as hand shaking, holding hands, or embracing.
• The dispensation from the obligation of attending Sunday Mass continues indefinitely, so please keep this mind when deciding whether or not to attend Mass in church or watch it home online. In fact, watching it home online may be the most Christian thing to do for yourself and/or others if you are at high risk of infection, not feeling well, or uncomfortable with the risk that Mass attendance may involve for you.

Even as you may “rejoice” to return “to the house of the Lord,” and we welcome you back home, we do so out of love for the Lord and one another, and so with concern for our own and each other’s safety and well-being. Thank you in advance for expressing that concern by following the safety guidelines in place and encouraging others to do so. And if you are unable to come to church, thank you for the support of your prayers which, as the Archbishop reminds us in his letter, is our “essential service” to one another.

Fr. Steve