Updated Worship Safe Guideline Takes Effect Immediately
By Bishop Daniel Miehm
1. Physical distancing of two metres (six feet) remains the requirement for attendance in church and parish facilities, including seating, however, groups of people from the same household may be seated together. 2. Wearing a face mask remains required. Masks should be fitted properly to the face. 3. Cleaning procedures for pews, washrooms, confessionals, reconciliation rooms are relaxed so as to require only regular cleaning in accordance with pre-Covid-19 routines, with the only exception being when someone with suspected or known Covid-19 has attended, in which case the space should be disinfected as per the pandemic manual requirements. 4. Churches should be well ventilated when possible. This will vary according to the space but it should be treated with importance. Ventilation may involve opening windows and utilising fans to exhaust air from the sanctuary. Fan placement is important and will vary upon room configuration. Avoid placing fans in areas where they may impede access or cause contaminated air to flow from one person to another. 5. Missals and prayer books may be replaced in pews. 6. Hymn books will not be replaced as the earlier restrictions on singing continue. 7. Bulletins, envelopes, pamphlets, and newspapers may again be distributed as per pre-COVID-19 practices. 8. Votive light stands may be re-opened, subject to notices requiring appropriate distancing of two metres (six feet). 9. The preference continues that confessions should be heard outside of the Confessional to allow for proper distancing, cleaning and contact tracing (if it becomes necessary). Where Confessionals are used, both priest and confessor will be required to wear masks. Priests should employ double masking or the use of the N95 mask so as to further lower the risk of contamination. 10. Collections may again be taken up using baskets in the traditional fashion. 11. All Ushers involved in taking up collection should ensure that they wear masks while undertaking this task and use a collection basket with a long handle to maintain the two metres (sixfeet) distancing. 12. Hand Sanitizing – It is no longer necessary for all entering a church to use hand sanitizer, though churches are encouraged to provide hand-sanitizers should people wish to use it. The priests and extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion should continue to use hand-sanitizer. 13. Altar servers may be utilized again, as long as they maintain the two metres (six feet) distance between each other and the priest. Altar servers and the priest need to wear face masks when distance cannot be maintained. Altar servers from the same household do not need to maintain physical distancing. Deacons may return to their ministry at the altar while observing all relevant health precaution. 14. Communion procedures are unchanged despite the lessening of restrictions in other areas. Both the person distributing communion and the communicant must be fully masked. Once the communicant receives the host, they are to move two metres (six feet) away, safely remove mask, consume host, replace mask, and then proceed back to the pew. 15. Holy Water fonts at the church doors are not reopened.
By Bishop Daniel Miehm
1. Physical distancing of two metres (six feet) remains the requirement for attendance in church and parish facilities, including seating, however, groups of people from the same household may be seated together. 2. Wearing a face mask remains required. Masks should be fitted properly to the face. 3. Cleaning procedures for pews, washrooms, confessionals, reconciliation rooms are relaxed so as to require only regular cleaning in accordance with pre-Covid-19 routines, with the only exception being when someone with suspected or known Covid-19 has attended, in which case the space should be disinfected as per the pandemic manual requirements. 4. Churches should be well ventilated when possible. This will vary according to the space but it should be treated with importance. Ventilation may involve opening windows and utilising fans to exhaust air from the sanctuary. Fan placement is important and will vary upon room configuration. Avoid placing fans in areas where they may impede access or cause contaminated air to flow from one person to another. 5. Missals and prayer books may be replaced in pews. 6. Hymn books will not be replaced as the earlier restrictions on singing continue. 7. Bulletins, envelopes, pamphlets, and newspapers may again be distributed as per pre-COVID-19 practices. 8. Votive light stands may be re-opened, subject to notices requiring appropriate distancing of two metres (six feet). 9. The preference continues that confessions should be heard outside of the Confessional to allow for proper distancing, cleaning and contact tracing (if it becomes necessary). Where Confessionals are used, both priest and confessor will be required to wear masks. Priests should employ double masking or the use of the N95 mask so as to further lower the risk of contamination. 10. Collections may again be taken up using baskets in the traditional fashion. 11. All Ushers involved in taking up collection should ensure that they wear masks while undertaking this task and use a collection basket with a long handle to maintain the two metres (sixfeet) distancing. 12. Hand Sanitizing – It is no longer necessary for all entering a church to use hand sanitizer, though churches are encouraged to provide hand-sanitizers should people wish to use it. The priests and extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion should continue to use hand-sanitizer. 13. Altar servers may be utilized again, as long as they maintain the two metres (six feet) distance between each other and the priest. Altar servers and the priest need to wear face masks when distance cannot be maintained. Altar servers from the same household do not need to maintain physical distancing. Deacons may return to their ministry at the altar while observing all relevant health precaution. 14. Communion procedures are unchanged despite the lessening of restrictions in other areas. Both the person distributing communion and the communicant must be fully masked. Once the communicant receives the host, they are to move two metres (six feet) away, safely remove mask, consume host, replace mask, and then proceed back to the pew. 15. Holy Water fonts at the church doors are not reopened.
Collections last Sunday August 1, 2021: $1,297 - Regular Sunday Offerings
| CLICK: Bulletin18thSundayOrdinaryTime2021 |
Gospel today: John 6:41-51 ”We continue to read from the “Bread of Life discourse. Jesus says that he was sent by God to do the Father’s will. Jesus promises that those who look upon the Son with faith will find eternal life. Jesus concludes with the central element of our eucharistic theology. We hear Jesus say again, as he did in last week's Gospel, that he is the bread of life. We also hear Jesus add that he is the living bread. Both of these statements help us understand better the gift that Jesus gives us in the Eucharist. We celebrate this gift of Jesus each time we gather for Mass. We believe that receiving Jesus in the Eucharist will lead us to eternal life.”
CLICK: Mass for the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time (2021) Please join in prayer with the livestream of the Sunday Mass from the Cathedral of St. Peter-in-Chains, Peterborough, ON, Canada.
Residential Schools - "Following the discovery of unmarked graves at the sites of former Residential Schools, there has been and continues to be a national conversation on the tragic history of residential schools in Canada. The role of the Catholic Church in the residential school system is part of that discussion and many Catholics are asking questions, seeking more information, and advocating for justice, healing, and reconciliation. The Archdiocese of Toronto has prepared some Background Information about Residential Schools in Canada and with gratitude extended to the Archdiocese, this resource has been tailored for Catholics in the Diocese of Peterborough. Please visit the weblink below to access the webpage on the Diocesan website about Residential Schools: CLICK-https://www.peterboroughdiocese.org/en/about-us/residential-schools.aspx
Please Consider Planned Giving Options
Preauthorized Offering Plan (POP) – (You may request a POP Form to fill up from the parish)
Regular Planned Giving annual increase in offertory based on Consumer Price Index (CPI)
Bequests through your last will and testament
Securities – Stocks, Bonds, Mutual Funds, GICs
Life Insurance
Preauthorized Offering Plan (POP) – (You may request a POP Form to fill up from the parish)
Regular Planned Giving annual increase in offertory based on Consumer Price Index (CPI)
Bequests through your last will and testament
Securities – Stocks, Bonds, Mutual Funds, GICs
Life Insurance
Our Lady of Mercy Parish-Honey Harbour, Ontario
Pope Francis-Bishop Daniel Miehm-Fr. Martin Dalida
