Fr. Pete’s Re-Opening the Church Message

Saint eugene church

Forward with Christ

A Path to Renewing Catholic Life

Here at our parish we are preparing to come together as a parish family to celebrate Mass soon!! We are planning on opening our doors wide open on Pentecost Weekend (Saturday, May 30th at 5:00 p.m. and Sunday, May 31st at 9:00 a.m. & 11:00 a.m.) WEEKDAY MASS WILL NOT BEGIN UNTIL MONDAY, JUNE 1ST AT 11:00 A.M. Father Pete, Pat Ruby, Diana Hudock, Linda Teare, Michael Buehler & Gary Ferrise are working very hard to get our church safely ready for your return. With that said, we have very special guidelines that the Diocese has sent to us. Please know that we have your health and safety in mind. As we start to open up…we must keep in mind that we all have special circumstances (medically high risk individuals, etc.), so we must all play our part in gathering back together in larger crowds. The following are guidelines that we MUST adhere to as we return to our “new normal.” Thank you for your understanding as we follow new protocols, but also being prayerful at the same time. If you have any questions or concerns about anything you read, please do not hesitate to contact us at the parish office. REMEMBER TO WEAR RED!!!

UPON ARRIVAL TO MASS

  • The faithful must wear a mask (or other face covering) upon entering the church and during the celebration of Mass, except for the brief moment of receiving Holy Communion. Disposable masks will be available at the entrance of the church for those who do not already have a mask. USHERS WILL HELP YOU IF YOU NEED A MASK.
  • All parishioners are encouraged to take their temperatures prior to coming to Mass. Any parishioner with a temperature of 100.4 degrees or more should stay at home. Anyone not feeling well are encouraged to stay at home.
  • Please observe all signage as to the “ENTRANCE DOOR” & “EXIT DOOR”. USHERS WILL BE STATIONED AT THE DOORS TO ASSIST YOU.
  • All pews and surfaces will be disinfected before and after Mass for your safety.
  • Hand sanitizer will be available at the doors.
  • Please observe Social Distancing. We will have signs posted and spacing will be clearly marked.
  • PLEASE NOTE: ATTENDANCE WILL BE LIMITED TO A MAXIMUM OF 50 % OF OUR CHURCH’S TOTAL CAPACITY IN ORDER TO ASSURE COMPLIANCE WITH SOCIAL DISTANCING REQUIREMENTS. NO MORE THAN 300 WILL BE ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE AT ANY GIVEN MASS. USHERS WILL BE MONITORING THE DOORS.

        ☺Staff and Ushers will be happy to assist with directing people to pews specifically marked.

  • Families may sit together but are to maintain six feet of distance between their family and other families or individuals throughout the celebration of Mass.
  • Worship aids will NOT be available. You are encouraged to bring your own missals or hymnals for use during the celebration of Mass and you must take them home with you.
  • The CRY ROOM will not be available. The NORTH WING, SOUTH WING AND SOCIAL HALL WILL BE CLOSED OFF AT THIS TIME.
  • We will have a COLLECTION BASKET AVAILABLE AT THE ENTRANCE OF THE CHURCH, you may deposit your donation into the basket as you enter into the church or as you exit. USHERS WILL BE CLOSELY MONITORING THE COLLECTION BASKET.

CELEBRATING LITURGY

  • There will not be a procession at the beginning or end of mass. The Priest Sacristy and Server Sacristy doors will not be open to parishioners. Before Mass officially begins, Father Pete will extend his greeting to the faithful and walk us through a new way of liturgy. Please be respectful of Social Distancing with Father Pete ☺
  • The “Sign of Peace” will be omitted for the time being.
  • For the “Distribution of Communion”: Ushers who are masked and gloved will ensure six-foot distancing in the communion line. Floor markings will be placed 6 feet apart in the aisles as the congregation approaches the sanctuary for communion in a single file line (one-way traffic patterns should be observed.) Please be respectful of proper distancing. We will have 3 Communion Ministers available.
  • For the faithful who cannot approach the sanctuary in line, we will designate for your convenience the side pews on the South Wing and North Wing sides of church for you. Communion Ministers will come to you first.  Communion Ministers will not be walking throughout the church as we have done in the past. Thank you for your understanding ☺
  • For the health and safety of all, reception of Holy Communion will only be administered in the hand.
  • When approaching the Communion minister, the communicant is to pull their mask below the chin and present one hand resting on the palm of the other. After responding, “Amen,” the communicant reverently places the Eucharist in his/her mouth and immediately replaces their mask.

AFTER MASS

  • After Mass, Father Pete will not be processing out. He will immediately exit to the Priest Sacristy. Please do not approach the Sacristy as it will be locked. Thank you for your understanding at this time ☺
  • Family units should depart the church in an organized manner wearing masks and observing six feet of distance between other households. USHERS WILL BE AVAILABLE TO DIRECT YOU.
  • Bulletins will not be available at the door, HOWEVER you may view it online through our website link or if you would like one mailed to you please contact the parish office and we will be happy to mail one.
  • THE DISPENSATION FROM THE OBLIGATION TO ATTEND SUNDAY MASS REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE CATHOLIC FAITHFUL WHO RESIDE IN THE DIOCESE OF CLEVELAND AND ALL OTHER CATHOLICS IN THE DIOCESE UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.
  • We will be recording the 5:00 p.m. Mass each week if you are staying at home during this time. We will have it available to view each Sunday through our website at www.sainteugene.org (click on the video gallery), or  YouTube as well as on our St. Eugene Facebook page.

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Please note: We will not have Children’s Liturgy of Word during Mass for the foreseeable future, HOWEVER…We are working on recording weekly Children’s Liturgy of the Word from our parishioner’s homes with their children. We will have a link for you to watch on YouTube, our website video gallery and our Facebook coming soon!

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me.” John 14:1

Thank you for your understanding with these guidelines. I know it seems very overwhelming and none of us are used to this new way of life. Most importantly though, we are excited for your healthy and joyous return to our parish family gathering and celebration of the Feast of Pentecost! (remember to wear red.) I will be preparing a newsletter to be mailed to all households before we return on the weekend of May 30th/31stwith these guidelines as well as links and other important information. Do not hesitate to contact us if you need us for anything!We love to hear from you, and we miss you! I personally am looking forward to seeing some interesting masks! Be looking for Diana’s alpaca mask ☺. Remember…if you are in need of a mask, let us know and we will make sure you get one. Thank you to Gayle Ferrise, Rose Winiecki and Jane Miesle for creating so many masks already!

                                                 Love,

                                                   Fr.Pete, Diana Hudock, Pat Ruby & Linda Teare