Welcome back



Now that Pentecost is finally here and we are permitted to joyfully celebrate Holy Mass again, I wanted to issue just a few more updates.

A deacon or I will be reading some announcements before Mass regarding the new procedures we are required to follow due to the current pandemic.  They are reproduced below.

I also wanted to try to clear up some confusion regarding Sunday Mass reservations (for our Saturday evening and Sunday morning Masses).  Until further notice, you will have to sign up each time  (once for each weekend).  This is to insure that all of those who want to go to Mass have a chance to do so in the case that there are more who want to go than available seats, as the number of seats is significantly reduced due to social distancing requirements.

If you are signed up for this weekend (Pentecost) your reservation is assured.  But please note that if you have signed up for a Sunday Mass for a date after this weekend, by our online registration website, then there is a possibility that we will have to "bump" your reservation if someone who has not had a chance to go to Sunday Mass wishes to do so.  If we have to do this, we will try to give you as much advance notice as possible.  We are sorry for the inconvenience this may cause, but want to be fair to everyone. Unfortunately, our website is not very sophisticated and is not able to keep track of who has already been to Mass when making assignments.

The best thing to do is to sign up early in the week for the upcoming Sunday Mass.

As always, please contact the parish office if you have any questions about this.

========

Here are the pre-Mass announcements

Announcements for Covid-19 Masses – Pentecost Sunday  

·       Welcome.  Thanks for coming to join with us in this great and joyful feast of Pentecost.

·       We appreciate your coming out to worship with us even though there is currently no obligation to attend Mass.

·       We do have several announcements regarding the special procedures we have to follow due to Covid-19, according to the regulations of the Archdiocese and the State of Ohio:

·       We do ask all adults to wear masks while in the church building and to have your children wear them teenage and up.  If you received a disposable paper mask from the ushers, please discard it as you leave.  If you received a cloth one, please do not put it back on the table, but take it home with you instead.

·       We ask you to observe 6 feet distance from all those who are not immediate family members at all times, including the Communion line and dismissal.

·       We ask you to follow the direction of ushers, who might be behind you, for communion and dismissal.

·       Please remain seated after Mass begins.  After the prayer of thanksgiving, the ushers will be dismissing you back to front.

·       We have had to make some adjustments to the Mass

o   There will be no sign of peace.

o   There will be no congregational singing.  At Masses with music, one musician will sing on our behalf.

o   We ask you not to hold hands with anyone outside your immediate family

o   The Precious Blood will not be distributed

o   We will continue to distribute low-gluten hosts as needed.  Please make sure that you specify this need every time you sign up for a Mass reservation.

o   We ask you to continue to sign up for Mass reservation for all weekend Masses until further notice.  It will probably not be necessary to sign up for daily Masses, but is still recommended until further notice.

* If you wish to leave your church envelope or donation, please leave it in the basket near the entrance on your way in or out.  (by front door at St. Peter's; behind the baptismal font at St. Mary's)

·       Regarding receiving Holy Communion:

o   You are not obliged to go to Communion if you don’t wish to do so.  If you choose not to go, please step out of your seat so that people don’t have to come close to you as they pass you..

o   The ushers will have one section come to Communion at a time to preserve social distancing (not side by side)

o   When the usher has indicated you may go to Communion, please remove your mask before approaching the priest.

o   Please put it back on after receiving Communion.

o   If you receive Holy Communion in the hand, please make sure your hands are flat and level and parallel to the floor, with your writing hand placed securely underneath the other.  Please do not move your hands at all until the priest has completely withdrawn his hand.  Temporarily, you do not have to respond, Amen.

o   Archbishop has temporarily only during this pandemic discouraged the faithful from receiving Communion on the tongue.  However, you are still free to do so since it is your right.  The ushers will be placing a kneeler in the center in front of the altar.  Please use the kneeler, tilt your head back slightly, extend your tongue slightly, and make sure not to move at all until the priest has completely withdrawn his hand.

o   In lieu of extended hymns before and after Mass, we will be saying prayers instead.

o   You are welcome as you leave to take several things: the parish bulletin, available in limited supply, devotional prayer books, and whatever else is on the table for you.  Please note that if we run out of bulletins, they are available on our parish website, ccc.city, under

o   Please do not put anything back on the tables (such as handouts).  Either discard them or take them home with you.

o   Finally, thanks for cooperation with all these new procedures.  We know it is a confusing time and that there will be many inconveniences, but we hope to focus on the joy of being in the presence of Christ together again as sharing in His holy sacrifice.



Popular posts from this blog

Suspension of Masses until May

Image
It is with a heavy heart that I announce that the Ohio bishops have decided to continue to suspend the celebration of all public Masses at least through Sunday, May 3rd, inclusive. Here is their letter . We will continue to keep you updated on the best ways to adapt to this long-term absence of Eucharistic Communion.
Read more

Thanks for your generosity

Image
 UPDATED: 22 January  I'm a little belated in posting this, but just wanted to thank all of our parishioners who have been so generous with their time and financial resources to engage in the works of mercy -- such as feeding the hungry.  In partnership with St. Vincent de Paul and New Richmond Area Ministries (NRAM), we have been continuing our ongoing efforts to feed the hungry through our food pantries, stationary and mobile, on an ongoing basis.  Each year, we also try to remember our families in need for the year-end holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas. For instance, on the St. Mary side, last November 24th we provided 20 Thanksgiving dinner baskets to needy families in the Bethel area.   On December 22nd, we provided 20 Christmas Dinner baskets to needy families as well. On the St. Peter side, together with the NRAM, o n November 20th, 90 boxes of food for a Thanksgiving Dinner were assembled at St. Peter's and then passed out the next day to the needy ...
Read more

Ordinations to the priesthood this weekend

Image
  UPDATED: May 21st With great joy, the Archdiocese of Cincinnati ordained seven men to the priesthood today  at the Cathedral Basilica downtown.  .   Their biographical sketches are available from the Catholic Telegraph .  If you are curious what an ordination ceremony looks like, you can view it here on YouTube.  Their first assignments are also posted. Last month we also ordained  seven seminarians to the diaconate , including the South Clermont region's own Deacon Patrick Blenman.  Every seminarian is ordained a deacon about a year before he is ordained to the priesthood and at that time promises to lay down his life in celibacy to love the Church in a completely dedicated and undivided way, as well as promising to pray the Church's breviary prayer cycle every day of his life on behalf of the Church and her needs.  At the same time, 14 men were ordained to the permanent diaconate as well, to serve as deacons in the parishes to assi...
Read more