St. Anne Catholic Church

Dear Parishioners, 

The Obligation to attend Mass continues to be lifted due to the ongoing pandemic throughout July.  Fr. Daniel Firmin Diocesan Administrator will discern when the obligation to attend Mass will be reinstated or delayed further.  Therefore, if you are sick in any way, have a hacking cough, are sneezing, or have a fever PLEASE, PLEASE DO NOT ATTEND MASS FOR THE SAKE OF OTHERS and your sake.  If you have underlying health issues or are age 65 and older with health risks, please know you are released from the obligation to attend Mass, although you are certainly welcomed to attend Mass.  I must reiterate that we can’t guarantee your good health when attending Mass even with our precautions in place.  If someone comes to Mass with an active virus, common sense tells us that it can be spread in the congregation.  Let us pray that our precautions will prevent that.  We are highly recommending that you wear a mask to help dissipate any risks to others and yourself.  If the Diocese mandates the use of a mask or Bryan County officials do for public buildings, the use of a mask will be mandatory in Saint Anne also.  Please, though, maintain six feet physical distancing especially if you are not wearing a mask. 

These are our precautions:
1.  Every other pew is roped off, and thus closed.
2.  Family members can sit together, but others should space six feet apart in the open pews.  Be respectful of others, and if anyone gets uncomfortable politely motion they should move down. 
3.  We will wipe the tops of the pews with a gentle disinfectant after each Sunday Mass, and use a disinfectant aerosol spray for the air.  If you wish to wear plastic gloves, do so, but you can’t receive Holy Communion in the hand with gloves.
4.  Bring your own hand sanitizer as we can’t guarantee that we will have sufficient due to shortages, but we will have dispensers at the entrances of the church.
5.  At Communion time, observe physical distancing in line. The floor has blue tape. You may receive in the hand or on the tongue. Please receive in the hand PROPERLY!!!! Dominant hand under the other hand, and keep hands flat, and still so the Host may be placed without skin touching skin. If you receive on the tongue, tilt your head slightly back, and extend your tongue slightly, and do not move your head.  If the minister touches any part of the hand or tongue, he will dip his fingers in rubbing alcohol next to him, and dry them.   
6.  Ushers, and Greeters will practice good physical distancing, and verbally assist those who need it.
7.  Receptacles for your Sacrificial offering will be at the entrances to the nave of the church.  You may place it in these receptacles either before or after Mass.  The basket will not be passed at collection time. PLEASE SIGN UP FOR ON-LINE GIVING WITH “OUR SUNDAY VISITOR”  by going to our secure Our Sunday Visitor on-line giving and setting up a personal account.
8.  When entering, and departing the church please space yourselves six feet apart unless in family groupings.  Please converse outside with physical distancing, not in the nave of the church.  In other words,  NO talking or visiting in the main part of the nave of the church before or after Mass—let’s return to the pre-Vatican II practice of sacred silence in the presence of the tabernacle so others might pray.   Visit with others outside and not even in the nave for the time being.
9.  We will continue to live-stream our daily Masses, and the 10:30 AM Sunday Mass.  You can still make a  “an Act of Spiritual Communion”, and "The Act of Perfect Contrition", from home until you can get to Confession, and Mass.

Father Allan J. McDonald
Pastor