Diocesan Updates - May 11

 
 
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Dear Msgr./Father,

These are challenging times for our world and for our Church. We are all affected by the limited access of the faithful to the celebration of Mass. I am grateful for your leadership and patience during these times as you continue to find new ways to reach your flock and minister to them.

Many of you are eager to receive direction in order to navigate the next steps towards the public celebration of Mass. We renew Bishop Tobin’s hope that public Masses will recommence on Pentecost Sunday. With the valuable assistance of Dr. Timothy Flanigan, we have prepared guidelines which will assist you in this process. We are also working with the Office of the Governor and the RI Department of Health. These guidelines closely align with the directives of the USCCB in order to protect the health and safety of our community. If all goes according to plan, these guidelines will be provided to you next week. To assist you in remote preparation, I would like to highlight the following points:

  • Attendance at Mass will be limited depending upon a percentage of the stated fire code capacity of the church. We are waiting on this metric. There may be a maximum limit for large churches.

  • Parishioners must maintain six feet distance during the celebration of the Mass. Therefore, parishes will have to section off seating in the pews.

  • Before and after every celebration of the Mass, all commonly used surfaces in the church must be thoroughly sanitized. Given supply chain difficulties, it will be especially challenging to purchase these items expeditiously.

  • The reception of Holy Communion will undoubtedly present challenges. No procedures will prevent all risk of infection. Nevertheless, we have adopted a measured approach in line with the recommendations of the USCCB. Some of these can be found under “Guidelines for Re-starting Public Mass” on the website of the Thomistic Institute.

We will be in contact as soon as we receive word from the Office of the Governor and the Department of Health. If you need further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely Yours In Christ,
Rev. Msgr. Albert Kenney
Vicar General/Moderator of the Curia

 
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