St. Vincent de Paul and 

Our Lady of Czenstochowa

Hello Parishioners and Friends,
 
 As you all know, our Bishop, Thomas J. Tobin, has been hopeful that churches across Rhode Island will reopen by the end of May. It is with great pleasure that he has announced we are permitted to resume public Masses on Saturday, May 30, 2020 Pentecost Sunday, under certain conditions and restrictions.
 
The Bishop has prepared guidelines to assist us in the process of reopening our churches. 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. “The attention and cooperation of all the faithful in this preparation process will bear fruit for the parish and allow us collectively to do our part to avoid a severe second wave of the virus.”
 
Below are a few of the guidelines for us upon opening our churches:
 

Necessary conditions for the resumption of public Masses:

 
Face-coverings/masks are to be worn by the faithful in and around the church (except for those under 2 years old).
 
Physical distancing of at least 6 feet apart, is to be practiced in the church and on the church property at all times.
 
Parish churches are not to exceed 25% of total capacity for the church. Therefor to maintain proper distancing guidelines we will only be allowed to have 60 people in the church for Holy Mass. This limit will allow people to remain at least six feet apart.
 
Our senior citizens, as well as individuals who have existing medical conditions, are among the most vulnerable. Those individuals older than 65 years of age (the recommended CDC age), with a compromised heath condition or caring for the sick in any way, are encouraged to stay home. Anyone who is ill, has a temperature, cough, etc., should definitely stay home as an act of justice to the whole community.
 
Holy Water stoups will be empty. Upon entering the Church, we have been used to approaching the baptismal font or Holy Water stoup, dipping our fingers into the water and blessing ourselves as a remembrance of our Baptism. The current health safety restrictions will not allow us to use the Sacramental of Holy Water in this way; however, it is most appropriate to continue the gesture of making the sign of the Cross when entering the church.
 
We will temporarily halt the use of our hymnals and missalettes to reduce the risk of contamination with reusable products. If you have a smart phone, you may choose to follow the readings online during Mass. Resources online for the readings can be found on website http://usccb.org/bible/readings/051720.cfm (The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops). This type of technology may be used to access on-line worship aids temporarily during this time.
 
During the invitation to exchange the Sign of Peace, parishioners may acknowledge in a physically distant way, ie. a nod of the head, peace sign with the hand, or just a simple smile towards others.
 
The procession of the gifts will not be available at this time. The gifts will be at the Altar.
 
To reduce the risk of contamination and to keep the required 6’ distance, Ministers of the Holy Communion and Altar Servers will not be required until further notice.
 
For the distribution of Holy Communion, new patterns of approaching the altar might need to be configured to better allow for proper distancing. As of now, we will continue to approach the Altar by way of the main isle only and return to the pew by means of the side isles. Holy Communion may not be distributed with gloves, nor may it be received in the hand if someone is wearing a glove. Instead, proper, and diligent hand hygiene should be observed before and after receiving Holy Communion. Receiving of the Host will be in the hand only.
 
To the extent possible, those in line for Holy Communion should maintain a 6’ distance between each other.
 
Seating for the assembly:
Mindful of the imposed allowed limitations and the physical layout of our churches, we have clearly designated where seating is permitted (such as seating available in every other pew and any closed-off section). Those living in the same household may sit together without distancing.
 
All regularly scheduled Massed will be held unless otherwise noted.
 
Parish Office
To serve our parish community, the parish office has remained open for business for phone calls, mail, and email only through the pandemic. To continue to limit the spread of infection and contamination, we will continue to have the office open for phone calls, mail, and email only until further notice.
 
Collection Envelopes/Donations
Collection baskets will not be passed in the pews. A collection basket will be provided at the back of the church for parishioners. You may also continue to make your offerings via the mail, electronically through your banks bill pay system or dropping through the rectory mail slot located near the front door of the rectory.
 
Music
Music is certainly important to our liturgical celebrations as it helps to lift the soul and express our faith. Because the faithful will be wearing masks, singing on the part of the assembly might prove challenging. At this time, our choir will not be singing during Mass. We will have our organist and a Cantor only, when available. Our cantor will not be wearing a mask.
 
Cleaning and Disinfecting
To help stop the spread of the virus, effective cleaning and disinfecting is essential. Hand sanitizer will be provided near the entrance of the church for the faithful. The faithful are invited to bring their own supply of hand sanitizer to use before Holy Communion.
 
Before and after every mass, all commonly used surfaces in the church and hall will be thoroughly sanitized.
 
Dismissal and Recessional
To avoid large numbers leaving at the same time, we will dismiss parishioners one pew/ section at a time.
 
Confession
The Sacrament of Penance will be offered on Saturdays at 3:00pm to 3:45pm prior to the 4:00pm Mass. Individual sessions are to be kept to a maximum of five minutes to allow as many as possible to participate in the Sacrament of Penance as well as to observe social distancing and health protocols.
 

Dispensation from the Sunday Obligation

All the faithful in the Diocese of Providence have been dispensed from their Sunday obligation to attend Mass since March 2020 and this dispensation will continue to remain in effect until further notice. This is meant to ensure the well-being and safety of all, not only the elderly and those who are at risk for illness, but anyone of any age who is making a prudent decision about their own wellbeing as well as that of others.
Although the faithful are dispensed from their Sunday obligation to attend Mass, we will be offering our regularly schedule Masses. Those that can attend, should attend if they are able within the set forth guidelines. If you are unable to physically attend Mass at church, parishioners must observe the Lord’s Day and are encouraged to spend time in prayer on Sunday, meditating on the Lord’s passion, death, and resurrection or participating in a spiritual or corporal act of mercy. An excellent way to do this is through participating in a broadcast of the Sunday Mass. Although we will not be broadcasting Mass from our parishes, there are still many resources online and on TV. As we enter this new phase, keep in mind that although our church attendance compacity may make it challenging for everyone to attend Mass on Saturday and Sunday, we will continue to offer Mass during the week Monday through Friday at 8:30am. Please consider attending Mass during the week.
 
The Bishop said he realizes “the Church in the Diocese of Providence will not be exactly the same after the crisis as it was before.” We should continue to support one another through prayer. “You have been patient, prudent, prayerful and supportive. Stay close to God and remember that you are not alone.”
 
“Dear friends, as we move into the future we know that Jesus will accompany us every step of the way, and we know that with the intercession of our dear Blessed Mother, Our Lady of Providence, God will bless the Church in the Diocese of Providence with a renewed spirit, with renewed faith, hope and love as we accept, embrace and seek to follow his Divine Will in all that we do”.