Happy Wednesday St. Matthias Family! We have made it into week 3 of what we are calling Phase 1, in re-opening our parish. I know the state of Texas has moved into Phase 2, of the re-opening process, we however, have not received any updated guidelines from the Archdiocese; we remain in Phase 1 and will wait to see what Phase 2 looks like for us. The below procedures are for the most part, exactly as they have been in previous weeks, with the exception of the Communion Line, for those who don’t get a reserved seat for the Mass but still want to receive Holy Communion. Please read thru the procedures below so you are clear on the newest, updated procedures and know what to do on Sunday.
We will again have the 10:30am English Mass followed by a 1:00pm Spanish Mass. We will plan to start the Rosary at 9:45am in English and 12:15 in Spanish. Those wishing to pray the Rosary should show up at 9:30am and 12:00pm respectively, to be checked-in, seated and ready to go, so the live-stream team has no interruptions, for those watching from home. Those coming to take part in only the Mass, please arrive no later than 10:15am for the English Mass and 12:45pm for the Spanish Mass.
Once again, we thank you for your continued patience and compliance, with the many new procedures.
CAPACITY & SEAT RESERVATION
- For now, Masses will be limited to 25% capacity across the Archdiocese.
- Because it is impossible to accommodate all our parishioners for Sunday Masses, we are asking parishioners to reserve their seat online before each weekend.
- Those who show-up without a seat reservation, will be placed in a standby line and will be seated only if capacity is not met due to “no-shows.”
- Seat reservation will only apply to Sunday Masses.
- Sign-Up reservations for each weekend will open the prior Wednesday at 10AM; we will send out a Flocknote with the link and it will also be on the website. Sign-ups will only be administered thru the Sign-Up Genius website. (Please note: there have been seats remaining on Sunday morning for each Mass, please come forward and wait in the "stand-by line" to get a seat, if you did not sign-up for a reserved seat; chances are we will get you inside. We would love for you to join us inside the church.)
- Seat reservations for May 24th are now open.
BEFORE YOU ARRIVE
- Shower and Wash your hands.
- Face coverings are required (must cover nose and mouth) on our campus and during Mass.
- The cry room is closed.
- Bring your own hand sanitizer that can be used as you enter the church and before receiving Holy Communion.
- Do Not bring items that contain bleach into the sanctuary as this will damage the pews.
MASS ARRIVAL PROCEDURES
- All parking lots will now be open, feel free to park in any of the lots. Please do not park in one of the “Reserved” parking spots, unless your name is listed on that spot (all doors on campus will remain locked, if you park in the back lot, you will still need to walk all the way around the CCE bldg. and the Parish Hall, to the front entrance of the church).
- Face coverings should be worn as soon as you exit your vehicle.
- Arrive 15-20 minutes before Mass begins to stand in line.
- The main doors of the church will open 15 minutes prior to the start of Mass.
- We will seat your household.
- The church will be seated to fill the open pews from front to back.
- Every other pew will be closed and marked by red tape on the floor.
- You may be sharing a pew with another household, but social distance is required between the households (6ft).
- The center sections will be seated first, followed by the two transepts.
- There will be no seating in the narthex or cry room.
- The holy water fonts remain empty.
- If someone arrives without having a reserved seat – they will be asked to stand in a “standby line.” If there is extra seating after the start of Mass they will be granted entrance and a reserved seat will be forfeited.
- Don’t be late as your seats will be given away!
MASS PROCEDURES
- Masses will be conducted as you have seen on the live-stream, with reduced volunteer lay ministers.
- Communion will be distributed by Fr only.
- Please keep your face mask on for the duration of Mass.
- There is to be no physical contact between households at the sign of Peace or hand-holding during the Lord’s Prayer.
- Baskets will not be passed during the offertory. You will be able to place your weekly gift in the box as you come up for Communion or as you enter/leave the church.
COMMUNION PROCEDURES
- Cardinal DiNardo has mandated that communion not be offered on the tongue, under any circumstance, for the time being.
- The precious blood will not be offered to the congregation.
- Use of personal hand sanitizer before communion is strongly encouraged.
- There will be a single communion line in the center of each main aisle. You will be prompted when to exit your pew.
- Masks should be worn in the communion line.
- You may offer your love and support to our church by placing your offering into the collection box as you come down the aisle for Communion.
- After the priest offers you communion, please step to the side, remove your mask, consume the Eucharist, and then re-mask as you head back to your pew.
MASS DEPARTURE PROCEDURES
- After the final blessing, parishioners must remain in their pew.
- Pews will be dismissed in an orderly fashion, starting in the rear of the church and then moving forward.
- You must exit your pew when prompted. Private prayer is not available after Sunday Masses, to allow the church to be reset for the next Mass.
- The front doors will be utilized during departure.
- Clergy will not shake hands afterwards. They will wave as you exit.
- Please do not congregate outside but head directly to your vehicle, to allow the next Mass to start on time.
CHURCH CLEANING PROCEDURES
- We will continue to implement cleanliness and sanitization practices, including cleaning pews in between every Mass.
- Disinfecting bathrooms, door handles, and other frequently touched surfaces throughout the day.
We do realize there will be some parishioners who were unable to get a seat inside the Church, to attend Mass. For this reason, Fr will distribute Holy Communion to anyone who would like to come up, once Communion has been distributed to those inside the church (this procedure has been tweaked, since the last Mass, Sunday, May 17th). A few things to note, if you fall into this category.
FOR THOS WHO DIDN'T GET A SEAT FOR MASS, INSIDE THE CHURCH, BUT WOULD LIKE TO RECEIVE HOLY COMMUNION
- Please park where you find an available parking spot, as long as it is not marked as "Reserved." All parking lots will now be open, but all campus doors remain locked, with the exception of the sanctuary.
- You are more than welcome to live-stream the Mass inside your car, via your cell service and come up for Communion, during Communion*. (*this is a change from prior weeks, do not wait until Mass has ended to come forward to receive Holy Communion!)
- As the Communion portion of Mass approaches, please make your way to the front of the church, wearing your masks (all bldgs will be locked, do not cut thru the bldg, you MUST walk around the bldgs). You will form a line, beginning at the cross, in front of the double doors. Please social distance (6ft) between the family units.
- Once Fr has distributed Holy Communion to those inside the church, he will move to the Narthex and will begin to distribute to those waiting in line.
- Please follow the COMMUNION PROCEDURES above when receiving Holy Communion.
- You can drop your weekly offertory as you depart, inside the basket.
- Please do not congregate outside, but head directly to your vehicle, after receiving Holy Communion.
You are reminded to follow CDC recommendations regarding your own health. If you fall into an “at risk” category, please stay home and join us by Live Stream.