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August 30, 2020
Dear Parishioners of St. Thomas More,
I have some good news to share with you today. I am happy to inform you that next weekend, September 5-6, we will return to weekend Mass inside the church. As we make this transition, I want to let you know of the steps we have taken to prepare and what to expect.
Before I do that, though, it is important to note that you are under no obligation to come to Mass. Bishop Luis continues to wave the obligation to attend Mass. In fact, you should not come if you are immunocompromised or of advanced age.
Preparatory Measures:- We have installed Nu-Calgon iWave air purifiers in every HVAC system on the Main Campus and South Campus. This technology has proven effective in reducing viruses, included COVID-19, in the airflow
- Cleaning/disinfecting/protecting products: we have been using the BioProtectus line of products. This system is effective in disinfecting and protecting surfaces against microbes and viruses.
Temporary Mass Schedule and Capacity:
Our temporary Mass schedule will be: 5:15PM on Saturday and 10:00AM on Sunday in English. We will celebrate Mass at 1:00PM on Sunday in Spanish. The 10:00AM Mass and 1:00PM Mass will be live-streamed. This is a starting point for us. We need to begin somewhere. If we find that we need another Mass or two after the first weekend, we can add more. However, based on my conversations with other pastors about what their Masses looked like when they went back indoors, I think this will work for us. We will have socially distanced space for 200 people in the church, around 70 people in the Friends and Family Hall and around 25 people in the meeting rooms.
What to Expect:- Everyone is required to wear a mask. There are no exceptions.
- You will be greeted by ushers who will seat you.
- We will be seating people by the number in your party. Various sections of the church have been set aside for parties of one, two, three, four etc.
- Do not expect to be able to choose your own seats.
- We will have reduced singing during Mass.
- There will be a new flow for receiving communion based on which section you are seated.
- You are asked to please receive communion in the hand out of care and concern for those ministers distributing Holy Communion. I know this hard for some, but I really do ask you to do this. If you feel you cannot, then you will be asked to remain in church and the priest or deacon will give you Holy Communion when possible after Mass.
- After Mass, you will be dismissed section by section and ask to go right to your car without congregating.
Take some time to review this helpful video about our return to Mass.
It will take us a few weeks to get used to this new way of how things will work in Mass but we will adapt as we go. I think this pandemic has made all of us more flexible as we have navigated through it.
Holy Communion will be distributed from 11:20AM-12:00PM in the church for those parishioners who, due to health or age, are unable or do not feel comfortable coming to Mass. Upon arriving in the church, the prayer “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and I shall be healed” should be prayed. Receive Holy Communion and then proceed to a pew for a time of personal prayer.
I want to thank all those who have helped over these last three plus months with our outdoor Masses: our ushers; our Music Ministers: Sarah, Barbara and Pavelid; our cantors; Eric, our sound engineer; Sergio, our IT Manager for providing the livestream; Deacon Bob and our sacristans, Evelyn, Jim and Mary; and all of you who have been Lectors or Ministers of Holy Communion.
It is now time for us to Return to Jerusalem, and we will do so safely and give almighty God thanks for seeing us through this time. We will continue to be renewed in our faith and ever committed to our mission to Pray, Serve and Spread the Gospel with Joy.
In His Love,
Very Rev. Scott E. McCue, V.F.
Pastor