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January 7, 2021Update on Maximum Capacity for Worship and Other Church Gatherings
Worship Events Capacity
After considering input from the Minnesota Catholic Conference and other faith leaders, Governor Walz has indicated in Executive Order 21-01 that starting January 11, 2021, worship services are no longer limited to 250 attendants. Importantly, the number of persons permitted in a church will remain at 50% of maximum occupancy, and congregants must stay 6 feet distant from all others not in the same household. A parish may re-calculate how many persons it can safely accommodate and adjust its capacity accordingly. If Pastors judge it can be safely done, they may now use a few altar servers and more than one lector; even in the sanctuary, however, it is necessary for persons to remain at least 6 feet apart and remain masked when not proclaiming texts. We continue to recommend against congregational singing. Everyone should continue to wear facemasks, use hand sanitizer, and adhere to other now-familiar hygienic protocols. II.
Other Church Gatherings
In Advent, the Archbishop asked parishes to put a “pause” on non-worship events such as Bible studies, youth meetings, and adult faith formation. That pause is now lifted, and the lifting of the 250 cap referenced above applies to those events as well. Parishes may resume these events and return to following the parish preparedness plans that were in place in the fall. All other Archdiocesan guidelines also remain in effect. Any necessary changes to school preparedness plans will be communicated by the Office for the Mission of Catholic Education. The Executive Order, however, continues to impose limits on the number of persons who may gather for social events in church settings, including luncheons following weddings and funerals. Indoor social gatherings are limited to 10 persons from no more than two households; outdoor social gatherings are limited to 15 persons and three households. III.
Online and Outdoor Liturgies
Outdoor gatherings are still safer than indoors, even during Minnesota winters. Consequently, where reasonable, parishes are invited to continue celebrating Mass, 2 Reconciliation, and even weddings and other liturgies outdoors. The obligation to attend Mass Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation remains suspended; please continue to offer liturgy online and via livestream.
November 17, 2020
Over the past few months the parish of St. Joseph the Worker has done a number of things to ensure your safety when you are in the building. We ask everyone who enters the building to wear a mask and to sanitize at the door. In addition we have spaced out the seating so that no group of people are within 6 feet of another group. We do not take off our masks during Mass. We have only the cantor sing a song before we begin and as we depart. We have installed an ionization system that pumps ions into the air. Ions attract small particles until they become large enough particles that they can no longer remain airborne. To do that well we have increased the air flow so we now pump in 25% of fresh air every 15 minutes. In addition, after every Mass we make sure the worship space in sterilized by spraying it down and then wiping it down. I am confident that with these measures our church in now safer than the governor’s office.
Fr. Mike