Pentecost Sunday

Dear Parishioners,

    New COVID-19 guidance has been issued this past week.  What will that guidance mean for our liturgies? The guidance is not crystal clear. 

    The Peoria Diocese has instructed us to move very deliberately in what we are doing. We don’t want people to feel unsafe.

    We are suspending registration for Masses for weekend and at daily Masses today.  We will open all doors so people can enter the church as they like. 

     For the time being the communion ministers will still wear masks when distributing communion. We will not receive from the cup or on the tongue.  Some people may ask why we will not. Mostly it is because people are going to be hesitant to receive the precious blood after another person has drunk from the cup.  People might also be hesitant to receive communion after another person has breathed on the communion minister’s hands or deposited saliva on them.  I don’t know how we can create multiple communion lines so that the minister can distribute communion on the tongue and sterilize their hands after each person. When it is deemed completely safe, we can return to these practices.

     We will slowly reintroduce things like the food pantry collection and greeters, etc.  Please be patient.  It will take time.

Several guidelines I would like to suggest that come from the CDC are:

1. If you are not inoculated, please wear a mask. If you have received the COVID-19 vaccine it would be wise to wear a mask as well, since we are in a confined space at Mass. We will ask everyone to use their own judgement in this regard.  No one will be challenged about why they are or aren’t wearing a mask.

2. We will try to keep six-foot distances between households.  The strings will remain on the pews for the time being.

3. We will continue to limit singing since this is still considered a easy way of passing the virus on.

I thank you for cooperating with our protocols.  I will listen to the latest health department guidance and loosen things when appropriate.

May Our Lady and all the Angels and Saints watch over you.

Fr. Mark