Happy Thursday Afternoon St. Matthias Family!
We have made it into week 13 of re-opening our parish. I know the state of Texas has hit the pause button on the re-opening process and we have not received any updated guidelines from the Archdiocese; we will wait to see what the next phases look like for us. The below procedures are for the most part, exactly as they have been in previous weeks, so there should be no big surprises this weekend.
We are now seven weekends into not requesting that you all make seat reservations for the weekend Masses. The entire team agrees that Masses are running smoothly BUT we are finally beginning to see a need to start utilizing the Narthex and possibly the Parish Hall, for overflow for Sunday Masses, so we can ensure we are adhering to the social distancing guidelines. We are prepared for overflow into the Narthex, each weekend, but the Parish Hall will require a bit more preparation. Before we can open the Parish Hall we will need a team of volunteers to "work" this building and also a sanitization crew to clean, at the conclusion of Mass. We are beyond thrilled to see the need to open the Parish Hall, but please remember we cannot do so until we have a team of volunteers to "work" the Mass, in this building. Please consider going to the 5pm Mass on Saturday evening or the Sunday morning Mass at 8am; the Saturday evening Mass has been at 1/2 the recommended capacity, at best, since we opened this Celebration, back in June. If you feel the Mass you have been coming to during the weekend celebration, has been too full for comfort, we invite you to join your fellow parishioners at either of these Masses, there is plenty of room for you and your family.
Please read thru the procedures below so you are clear on the newest, updated procedures and know what to do this weekend. Please remember, to keep a minimum of 6ft between yourself and the family unit in front of you, while in the communion line; it is your responsibility to maintain this distance. Please also remember the ushers will dismiss you once the Mass has ended, row by row, starting with the back of the church. Please stay in your pew until your row has been dismissed, and remember the social distancing guidelines (6ft) are still enforced during this time.
We will again have the 5pm Mass on Saturday, as well as the 8am and 10:30am English Masses on Sunday, followed by a 1:00pm Spanish Mass. We will plan to begin the Rosary 30 minutes prior to the start of each Mass.
Once again, we thank you for your continued patience and compliance, with any new procedures.
CAPACITY
- For now, Masses will be limited to 25% capacity across the Archdiocese.
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 (this will be crucial, since we no longer have a sign-up reservation process. arrive early, so that we can make room and start Mass on-time).
- The main doors of the church will open 45 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) (it is up to you to ensure you are 6ft between your household and the next).
- The center sections will be seated first, followed by the two transepts.
- There will be no seating in the cry room and we will utilize the narthex, as needed.
- The holy water fonts remain empty.
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 and the Deacons 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 be walked around by the ushers, pew by pew, during the offertory portion of the Mass.
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. Please remember to stay 6ft behind from the family unit in front of you.
- Masks should be worn in the communion line.
- 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 and remember to stay 6ft behind the family unit in front of you. Private prayer is not available after weekend Masses, to allow the church to be reset for the next Mass.
- The front doors will be utilized during departure, do not exit the side doors of the sanctuary, unless it's an emergency.
- 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 some of our faithful parish community are not comfortable with participating in the Holy Mass alongside (at 6ft apart) others just yet. For this very reason, Fr will distribute Holy Communion to anyone who would like to come up, once Communion has been distributed to those inside the church. A few things to note, if you fall into this category.
FOR THOSE WHO WISH TO NOT PARTICIPATE IN HOLY MASS OR FOR THOSE 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.
- 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 come into the Narthex and form a line. 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 box.
- 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. Please remember, we all want to stay safe and healthy, so following our parish protocol will help keep us and those around us as safe as possible. I too am beyond frustrated with all that this has caused, but with everyone working together, St. Matthias can be one place in which people can come together to worship without fear overcoming us.