This Sunday

As was announced last week, it is with great pleasure and anticipation that we will be celebrating our first PUBLIC MASS this Sunday!

However, there is one change. After discussion with the parish re-Opening committee and much reflection, we will celebrate the 9AM Mass as LIVE-STREAM ONLY with outdoor Communion offered after the Mass. The 11:30AM Mass will be celebrated as live stream WITH A CONGREGATION and Communion will be made available both during the Mass and outdoors after the Mass.

Why are we doing this? In making the health and safety of all of us a priority under circumstances that none of us have experienced before, it was decided that we need to have a good understanding and familiarity with the new traffic and people directions as well as sanitizing procedures as we move forward. Trying to do this under the time pressure of preparing the church for a second Mass (while at the same time distributing Communion and exiting one Mass as the congregation for the next Mass was trying to enter) did not accomplish this goal. Therefore, for this Sunday, we elected to use this process so that we can provide safe worship for all this week and approach next weekend with an assurance that what we have in place works.

Also, my discussions with the re-Opening committee made very clear another point: for these enhanced parking, seating, cleaning and sanitizing methods to work, we need more help than we currently have, volunteers who can be properly trained for the new ministries here at Visitation - in other words, we need your help!

9AM - Live stream only, no congregation, outdoor Communion afterwards

11:30AM - Live stream with a congregation, in-church Communion during Mass and outdoor Communion afterwards

To help you in deciding how you will celebrate your worship this weekend while at the same time ensuring that diocesan and state directives for social distancing are met, we have put together a reservation system - TAKE YOUR PLACE AT TABLE. This is a system that allows you to reserve a pew using either on-line or telephone registration. Depending on which way you contact us, we will e-mail or call you with the pew location to be provided to the volunteer - who will direct you to your pew - on Sunday morning. Note that although reservation is not required, it is the way that you can be assured of having a seat at Mass. When the church reaches capacity, no one else will be allowed inside; however, you will still be able to hear both Masses in the parking lot on your radio at 107.7FM and receive Communion after Mass.

Additional details on public Masses will be made available during our Friday posting. Be safe and God bless!