Faith News
Important information for participation in Parish Masses, commencing on 6 & 7 June: All members of Holy Trinity Parish can rejoice, as the New Zealand Catholic Bishops have said, that we are able to take these first steps towards returning to some semblance of normality. The Parish Pastoral Council has carefully considered the advice of the Bishops in establishing protocols and practices that will enable us to safely recommence Sunday worship, through a Vigil Mass and two Sunday morning Masses.
Our start date coincides with the Feast of the Holy Trinity, on 6 & 7 June. Here are the protocols that apply during Alert Level 2 (the Council acknowledges that they may seem severe, but these are the Ministry of Health requirements, as applied by the Bishops and to our Parish circumstances):
- Two Masses at St Patrick's Church, one at Holy Cross Church:
- St Patrick's: Vigil Mass at 5.30 pm and Sunday Mass at 10.30 am
- Holy Cross: Sunday Mass at 8.30 am
- Sadly, the protocols for social distancing mean that St Anthony's is too small (for 100 people) and narrow for ensuring that people remain at least 1 metre apart. As soon as social distancing restrictions are lifted, we will restore Mass at St Anthony's.
- For Vigil and Sunday Masses, the following protocols apply:
- Only those who have registered for Mass attendance will be allowed in. The limitation on numbers and the contact tracing requirements can only be feasibly managed through pre-registration. No exceptions.
- The Church will open 45 minutes before Mass starts, so please come early to allow time for entry protocols.
- On entry, if there is a queue, remain in your bubbles, distanced by at least 1 metre from people not in your bubble.
- Go to the table in the foyer to one of the 2 volunteers who will be marking off names on the Parish contact register - 1 person, or 1 bubble of people, at a time.
- Use the hand sanitizer in the foyer.
- An usher will accompany you and seat you.
- To minimise numbers in the Sanctuary, there will be 1 leader/commentator, 1 reader (both to sit in a front pew), and no Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist.
- Father Ephrem will distribute Holy Communion which is to be only under the form of the Host and is to be received on the hand. Communicants will come forward row by row to ensure social distancing is maintained--no cutting through pews, the aisles need to be used without crossing others' paths.
- To minimise potential spread of the virus, there will be no singing, only Father will process to the altar, no touching/handshake at the Sign of Peace, no offertory procession, and the collection baskets will not be passed around (donations can continue by internet banking, and cash can be dropped in secure collection boxes on entry at the Church foyer).
- At the dismissal, Father or the leader/commentator will invite us to leave, row by row from the back of the Church, to ensure social distancing is maintained. We will need to leave immediately and not gather into groups in the foyer or outside the Church. Remember, we are still at Alert Level 2.
- The cleaning volunteers will then clean all the pews, Lectern, door handles, light switches, and toilets.
- The Sacraments of Baptism and of Reconciliation can be arranged by appointment with Father Ephrem.
- The Bishops are maintaining the dispensation from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass, so if you feel afraid, or if you are vulnerable or may be unwell, please stay home. There are still online Masses available and Mass on Shine TV Freeview channel 25, Sky Channel 201 on Sundays at 2 pm from Auckland Diocese.
Volunteers for our Masses will receive communications from the Parish Pastoral Council in the next few days about training sessions.
If you have not already registered for Mass attendance or to volunteer, please do so now by clicking on this link https://forms.gle/