Church Reopening Update
Please take some time to read over the following guidelines which have been carefully prepared to ensure a safe and clean environment in which we may gather and worship together.
● All services will continue to be live-streamed as they have in the past few months.
● Those who have pre-existing health conditions and those who are over 65 are advised not to attend services.
• If you do not have a mask, please obtain one. This will be necessary for you to wear when inside the church. If you arrive without one, the parish will provide one. Masks are not required for children 2 years and younger.
● Parishioners will sign-in upon arriving.
● Touchless hand sanitizing stations will be available in the Narthex and throughout the church.
● If you want to light a votive candle, an usher will assist you.
● Social distancing (6’ from others) will apply at all times.
● There will be specific directions and floor markings for safely entering and exiting the church to maintain social distancing.
● An usher will help direct parishioners to their seat in the church.
● Seating in church pews will be clearly marked.
● Parishioners need not social distance from their immediate household (people living in the same dwelling and who arrived in the same vehicle) while inside the church.
● For those who wish to receive Holy Communion, please remove your face mask once you’ve reached the chalice. Tilt your head back with mouth wide open and the priest will distribute the Holy Communion from the spoon without touching the face or mouth.
● Once the service has concluded, ushers will help parishioners exit the church through multiple exit points.
● After each service, the church will be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized.
Of course, anyone who may decide not to return to church for the time being should not feel any pressure or reservation, but confident that despite the distance, we are all together in Christ Jesus.
This too shall pass and in the meantime, please continue to reach out to one another to simply connect or assist with food or supply deliveries. Please continue to pray for one another, our medical personnel and first-responders, and all those who have been afflicted with this virus. As our Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco beautifully reminds us, “The transition back to a fully-opened parish will take time, and there may be challenges along the way, but we must persevere with faith, knowing that ‘with God, all things are possible’ (Matthew 19:26).”