Although this all sounds very complicated, we are hopeful that with your cooperation, everything will run very smoothly and we will soon be back to ‘some kind of normal’ very soon. We are really looking forward to welcoming you back to the church again after this very long absence.
We need your help to reopen
To be able to put the safety procedures in place for the benefit of everyone we desperately need volunteers to help with stewarding and sanitising the Church at masses. If you are between the age of 18 and 60 please consider putting your name forward on our Volunteers page.
- When do you plan to reopen the church?
- As restrictions ease, we hope to be able to return to celebrating Mass in public from Monday 29th June.
- I am not ready to attend mass, is this an issue?
- Please be assured that the obligation to attend Sunday Mass was temporarily lifted by Pope Francis for the duration of the crisis. This still applies, so if you do not feel comfortable coming back to Mass immediately that is fine. Or you might consider attending on a weekday instead of Sunday when the numbers attending will be smaller.
- Will mass continue to be live streamed on the website?
- Absolutely, and we encourage anyone who cannot make it to Church in person to join us spiritually via our website.
- How many people will be allowed in the church?
- A limit of 50 people in the Church has been set by the Government. This figure includes the mass team of the Priest, sacristan, stewards, etc. While no Church wants to turn away their parishioners, it is more important that we do our best to keep you safe and well. We cannot exceed the 50 person capacity and we regret that some of you may be disappointed if the Church is full when you arrive. We will do our very best to advise you on alternative masses which may have capacity, perhaps on a weekday morning. The Lord who sees all will know what is in your heart and your desire to give Him your time.
- Do I need to book a place at mass in advance?
- For the initial opening we will operate on a first come, first serve basis. The stewards on the door will have a counter to keep track to make sure we don’t go over our capacity limit. Once this limit is reached, we cannot allow more people into the Church for the safety of everyone. We will keep track of the demand and may change this policy if we can find a better solution that will work for our parishioners. Any changes will be posted on our website and Facebook page.
- We would request that those accustomed to attending daily Mass might restrict their attendance to one day per week in order to give everyone an opportunity to attend at least once in the week.
- Will I be able to sit together with my family?
- The seating in the Church has been very carefully mapped out to ensure 2 meter social distancing so where possible people will be asked to sit in the marked seats. We do have a very limited number of seats that will allow groups of up to 5 people to sit together which will be prioritised for family groups, especially those with younger children. Once these places are allocated, families will have to be seated in maximum groups of 2. These measures are to ensure your safety as well as those around you.
- Have the mass times changed?
- To allow us enough time to clean the Church thoroughly between masses on Sunday the second mass is being pushed back to 12:15pm instead of 12pm so mass times are now as follows:
- Monday – Friday at 9:15 am
- Saturday at 10am
- Saturday Vigil at 6:30 pm
- Sunday Mass at 10:30 am
- Sunday Mass at 12:15 pm
- To allow us enough time to clean the Church thoroughly between masses on Sunday the second mass is being pushed back to 12:15pm instead of 12pm so mass times are now as follows:
- What safety measures will be put in place?
- Doors will be held open to reduce the need for people to touch surfaces such as door handles.
- The mass team of clergy, sacristan, stewards, Eucharistic ministers will be wearing masks.
- Everyone will have to use the provided hand sanitisers as they enter the Church.
- There will be a one way system and social distancing in operation in the Church, assisted by our stewards.
- All seat assignments will be 2 metres apart.
- During mass the front and back doors will remain open (weather permitting) to allow for better ventilation.
- Surfaces which may have been touched will be sanitised after mass.
- The clergy and Eucharistic ministers will use hand sanitiser both before and after Communion.
- There may also need to be changes to how we approach aspects of the mass such as Communion and this will be explained at the start of mass.
- What do I need to do when attending Mass?
- Do not come to Mass if you have a cough/cold or feel unwell.
- Please arrive in good time for mass to allow time for the new safety procedures that are in place.
- Hand sanitisers will be provided, please use them as you enter.
- You can decide if you want to wear a mask, it will not be enforced.
- Try to make minimal contact with door handles or other surfaces.
- Do not shake hands or hug anyone.
- If attending with children, please do not allow them to run around in the Church as we need to maintain social distancing.
- Please do not congregate to chat after Mass; exit in an orderly fashion, observing social distancing at all times.
- Can I still use the toilet facilities at the Church?
- Unfortunately, due to the risk of infection, there will be no access to the toilets in the Church and they will be locked.
- How are collections going to be done?
- A contact-free option is to make a donation via our website. Alternatively stewards will hold baskets at the end of the mass should you wish to donate to one of the collections. Collection bags will not be passed around during mass.
- How do I enter/exit the Church ?
- For weekends: Entrance will be via the two main doors at the front of the Church and after mass the exits will be the two doors at the back either side of the altar.
- For week days: Entrance will be via the side door by the parish office and the exit will be at the door at the back at the side of the altar.
- Can I choose where I sit in the Church?
- There will be stewards on duty at all Masses initially to allocate seats. It may not be possible for you to sit in your usual or favourite seat for this initial period; please be patient until things have settled down and restrictions can be eased further.
- Will the Church be open for private prayers?
- On week days the Sr. Faustina Chapel will be available for a maximum of 5 people at a time after mass in the morning until 11:30 am to allow time for sanitising afterwards. For now there will be no access to the Church on weekends outside of mass times.
- Will the parish office be open?
- Yes, the parish office will still be open although only 2 people are permitted in the office at one time. For anyone looking to speak to the parish secretary after a week day mass please stay in your seats and you will be called one at a time to avoid congregating in the confined porch space.