Advent seems to have flown by – I guess it always does. As we prepare for the celebration of Christmas this week (Friday, as if anyone needs reminding) there are a few important reminders and appeals from our end.
Christmas Masses – we are on target for simultaneous Masses on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. If you are coming as a single or a couple, or perhaps you aren’t quite comfortable with a “crowd” then the Mass in the school Gym is your best bet. We can maintain clear social distancing there and will be able to move people in and out quickly. Masses will be celebrated on Christmas Eve at 2, 4, 6, and 8:00 p.m.; Mass at Midnight; Christmas Day at 9 and 11:00 a.m. We will also be livestreaming the Masses from the church. We want to provide opportunities for you to attend, and we hope that you do. Even if you haven't been here since March – or even last Christmas – we want you to feel comfortable coming to Mass for Christmas. At the same time, if you are at risk, or uncomfortable, or not feeling well, please join us through the on-line Masses.
The turn around time is going to be quick – we need time for the cleaning of the church and to set up for the next Mass. It is the cleaning of the church that will be the most important for us as we all need to feel safe in church.
To that end, and I didn’t intend to do this now, but opportunities present when they do – I am looking into the purchase of Air Purification Systems that has proven to neutralize all viruses – including the SARS-CoV-2 novel coronavirus on surfaces. The units (40 in total) would be installed throughout the church and the school. This will reduce the cleaning time and requirements – and on-going costs – significantly. The beauty of such a system is that it goes beyond the current pandemic and will protect our students, faculty, staff, as well as daily and weekend Mass attendees from the flu, colds, and other viruses into the future. Once the current pandemic ends and cleaning protocols go back to normal, then the same old problems will recur. With an air purification system, the protection will continue into the future. The cost, about $45,000. If you can help or would be interested in getting involved, please let me know. I know it’s a rough time of the year to ask, and we will likely not be able to accomplish this immediately, I want to be prepared. I am sure that going forward all of us will be more diligent about cleaning and being conscious about bacterial and viral exposure.
We are happy to have made it this far with the parish and school still functioning “normally.” We have had our challenges, but it is going well.
Father JM and I have been perhaps more vigilant than some others. We have not brought back altar servers, Ministers of Holy Communion, Lectors, or even the choirs. Several parishes in our diocese have experienced outbreaks of the virus spreading through those very ministers, especially through Holy Communion. Although we all wait for the day when the veil can be lifted and these ministries return, we are in no rush here to make this happen. While I wish it could be sooner, when I speak with other priests who brought things back too quickly, I am happy that we didn’t.
The Fourth Week of Advent is always exciting. I don’t know what kind of plans you have to celebrate Christmas Eve and Christmas Day – I am sure that many of those plans are fluid, as are mine. If you are traveling – be safe and be careful.
Let us all enjoy this Holy Day and Holiday Season, making the most of the opportunities we have been given, as we celebrate the birth of the Savior, Jesus Christ.