St. Thomas the Apostle Church to Reopen on Saturday, May 30th

On Monday of this week, Governor Baker began Phase 1 of the reopening of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Included in this phase are all houses of worship. Late Monday night, we were given a very detailed and strict set of criteria that must be in place before we can open and resume the celebration of Mass together, and we must show evidence that all of these things are in place before we receive permission to reopen.
 
While plans have been underway for a while, it has become very clear that it will take a good amount of time to have everything in place and to have volunteers and staff trained in the proper procedures, as well as the process of disinfecting the church between every Mass.
 
While Bishop Rozanski said that we could open this weekend as long as all the procedures are in place, it is very clear that we will not be able to do that here at St. Thomas. Perhaps some smaller parishes with fewer Masses can do it, but we simply need more time.
 
Therefore, we will resume the celebration of Mass here at St. Thomas on Saturday, May 30, at 4:00 PM with the celebration of the Solemnity of Pentecost, the birthday of the Church. We will follow our regular Mass schedule.
 
The regulations we must follow state that we are limited to 40% capacity. For our 4 PM Mass on Saturday and our 8 AM Mass on Sunday, we will have an additional Mass in the school Gymnasium. Unfortunately, if we reach capacity, we will not be able to let anyone else enter.
 
There will be some changes to our worship for the foreseeable future. These restrictions come from the Diocese:
 

• The omission of the Sign of Peace
• No Communion by the Chalice
• Communion in the hand only
• Holy Water fonts to remain empty
• Social distancing (6ft minimum) to be abided by at all times

 
All members of the congregation need to wear masks and they must put them on prior to leaving their vehicle, with a few exceptions:
 

• Children under the age of two should not wear masks.
• Parents should judge for children between the ages of two and five whether they should wear a mask.
• All people who claim an exemption because of health can forego wearing a mask. They do not have to provide documentation.
• The priest and others with him in the sanctuary do not need to wear masks in the sanctuary as long as strict socially distancing is maintained. They do have to wear masks when assisting with the distribution of Holy Communion.
• Please bring your own hand sanitizer if at all possible.

 
Additionally, the restroom will be available for emergencies only.
 
The Sacristy, Sanctuary, Ushers’ Room, and Confessional will be strictly off-limits.
 
As we get closer to reopening, we will give you updates on all the things to expect.
 
In the meantime, let us continue to pray for one another and let us all pray for the patience that the coming weeks are going to require all of us to have.