Further News on the Opening of Churches

Roger EleyNews

Dear Parishioners,
I hope you are all still safe and well as the country continues to open up and as our churches take small steps in re-opening safely.
During the week, St Augustine’s church was inspected and the volunteers told what is involved before and when we open. We discovered that a great deal is asked of the cleaners and the stewards.  We found ourselves on a learning curve!  Things will not go back to normal until there is a vaccine. We are in the new normal, and there are significant restrictions on both the priest and the people by the protocols for Public Health and Safety during the Covid19 pandemic. Every church is an enclosed space – especially St Anne’s which has a low ceiling and has limited ventilation.  People in the congregation are from different households. There lies the potential dangers of infection from the Virus.
We can see already that the availability of the cleaners and stewards (days and times) will determine when and how often the church can be open for services.
We will take small steps carefully and safely, and learn along the way how to live and worship in this new normal. The new normal is not ideal. It is not what we want as priests or as parish communities. But we need to remember that the obligation of attending Sunday Mass is still suspended and will remain so, until we have defeated this Virus.
One thing to consider: it may be better for some parishioners to attend Mass on a weekday, if they can, and make room for others (especially workers) on a Sunday, because of the limited space in church.
Anecdotally, speaking to parish priests there is the impression around the diocese that people are still cautious about coming back into church and the numbers attending Mass are quite small, not reaching the maximum occupancy allowed in some cases.
For Funeral Services the maximum number allowed in church according to the most recent guidance from the diocese is 30 persons, or a smaller number, if the maximum occupancy of the church is below 30. The congregation should be limited to close family.
If you are a St Anne’s parishioner or a St Augustine’s parishioner, I would be glad to hear that you are able to offer your help, either as a cleaner or a steward, so that the burden can be shared out on a Rota.
Please email me, if you can help at pjz48duke@gmail.com
With best wishes and blessings,
Father Paul Zielinski