Dear People of God at St. Paul’s by-the-Lake,
It is with joy that I am announcing that we will finally resume having public services in our Church building, beginning this Sunday, June 28. This may seem a bit sudden, but it is in line with both state and diocesan guidelines, to which the Vestry and others have worked hard to conform and apply to our parish.
The timing is actually quite appropriate, as this Sunday we will celebrate the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, which is our 138th patronal feast. We will celebrate Mass at our normal times of 8:00 am and 10:30 am, though Coffee Hour and other events are still suspended at this time.
However, as I have said before, we should not see this as a simple “return to normal.” There is a lot that will be very different from how we are accustomed to meeting for worship. This will be a difficult, even painful, adjustment for all of us, but one that we all share as a parish community.
The most important thing to note is that our current guidelines will only allow for gatherings of no more than 50 people(this includes priest, server, organist, etc.), which in reality will mean around 40 congregants per Mass. Unfortunately, this means that we will have to turn away from the building anyone who comes after we reach 50 people at either service. We understand that this might be frustrating but thank you in advance for your understanding.
We are looking into the feasibility of adding a third Sunday Mass to accommodate this limit as more worshippers return. But in the meantime, I would encourage some of the 10:30a people to consider attending at 8:00a Mass, as it is usually well under that limit.
I also wish to stress to please feel free to not come to Mass if you are not yet comfortahle or able to do so. The transition back to full normalcy will take time, and your health and safety are of the utmost importance for us. For this reason, we will continue to live-stream the 10:30 Mass for the foreseeable future.
Please read carefully the information contained below, as it will lay out expectations and procedures for resuming our common worship together for this next phase. It will seem like a lot, but I ask for your patience and grace as we all figure this out together. I look forward to seeing you in person, whether in the near or distant future.
Faithfully,
Fr. Kemp+
The most important thing is please do not feel like you have to come back to church just because you can! These are still extraordinary times, and it may be wiser for you to remain at home.
Here are some of the key things that will be different and enforced for this next phase:
We will be limited to a maximum of 50 persons per Mass, and will have to turn away those that come after we reach that limit. Only the main Estes entrance will be open.
Face coverings must be worn at all times while in the building
All must maintain social distancing practices, and we have added floor and pew markings to help maintain appropriate distance
Rigorous, intense cleaning will be done before, between and after each Mass.
Communion will be administered only in one part (the Host), and will be distributed by the priest standing rather than at the altar rail. There will be no passing of the peace.
Finally, we strongly encourage those that are in high risk groups and/or not comfortable quite yet to please continue joining us virtually online for our Live Streams
While the above summarizes some of the main differences you will see, here are answers and additional details to some of the key questions you might have:
Should I come?
Who should stay home?
VID-19, until cleared by your medical provider.
Anyone who has had close contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19, until 14 days after that contact.
Anyone displaying potential symptoms of COVID-19 (e.g. fever over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, loss of smell or taste).
Anyone who is otherwise sick, as an extra precaution for yourself and others.
People who are particularly at risk, based on age, compromised immunity, or other medical conditions.
Who may stay home?
What can I expect when I come to church?
New Policies and Procedures have been developed to meet both governmental and diocesan guidelines, including the following:
Entry into the Church
Entrance into the church building will be restricted to the main entrance on Estes Avenue.
Worshippers will self-screen prior to entering the Narthex; a sign will be posted on the doors of the main entrance for worshippers to review before entering the building.
Maximum attendance will be limited to 50 people. This will include those actively participating in the service, i.e. ushers, altar servers, etc. The parish will strictly enforce this.
Face coverings will be required in order to enter the church building. A box of masks will be available for parishioners if needed.
To prevent congregating and to maintain social distancing while this screening is taking place, markers will be placed to ensure a distance of 6 feet will be kept.
After worshippers complete the self-screening process, they may receive a bulletin (handed to them from an Usher) and also be offered some hand sanitizer prior to entering the Nave. The Ushers will wear gloves when offering hand sanitizer and distributing bulletins.
Inside the church
Seating will be arranged so that social distancing can be maintained. Families and those who live in the same household will be allowed to sit together.
Face coverings will be worn and worn correctly at all times while in the church building.
Pews will be marked off to ensure social distancing.
Hand sanitizer will be available at all pews and worshippers will be encouraged to use it while in the church building.
There will not be an offertory collection. Rather, a collection plate will be available for worshippers to place their offerings when they go up for Communion.
Except for the restrooms, all other areas of the building will be off limits.
The drinking fountains will be covered to prevent use at this time.
Exiting the Church
Ushers will dismiss worshippers from the pews to maintain social distancing and prevent congregating.
Worshippers will not leave or return their bulletins after the Mass is over. Instead, they may take them home or dispose of them in a trash receptacle at the main entrance.
Worshippers may not congregate in the Narthex after the Mass. If they wish to greet the priest(s), they must observe social distancing.
There will be no Coffee Hour
We will have a team of folks that will immediately start cleaning and disinfecting after the Mass has concluded, so appreciate you moving towards the exit as soon as possible
Will the Mass be different?
Yes, we will implement the following practices:
The Book of Common Prayer and The Hymnal will not be available for use, per orders of the Diocese. There will be no live singing during the Mass per Diocesan guidelines. The organ can still be used, as well as pre-recorded music.
The exchange of the Peace will be suspended at this time.
Communion
Worshippers will be required to remain in their pews until dismissed by an Usher to approach the altar.
Communion will be distributed in only one form, the Host.
Communicants receive the Host in their hands while standing in front of the priest, instead of kneeling at the altar rail.
Social distancing will need to be maintained after receiving and returning to the pews.
