St. Alban's Safety Guidelines for Public Mass

In keeping with Bishop Steven Lopes’ charge that we continue to balance our longing and need for the Sacraments with prudential caution in light of the ongoing pandemic and in accordance with New York State’s regulations, please take careful note of the measures and procedures being undertaken as we resume public Masses at St. Alban's Catholic Church while protecting the most vulnerable members and friends of our community:

• The obligation to attend Sunday and Holy Day Masses remains commuted.  You may choose to commute your obligation to attend Mass by meditating on the Liturgy of the Word from this Sunday’s readings and offering a Spiritual Act of Communion; or you may choose to offer a family Rosary.  Our parish will continue to broadcast our Masses and make them available for home worship at our home page (www.stalbanscatholic.com) and YouTube channel (St. Alban’s Catholic Church).  This option should remain a matter of serious consideration for those particularly vulnerable to the virus due to age or underlying health conditions. Please make sure to subscribe to our YouTube and St. Alban’s Flocknotes (stalban.flocknote.com) so you can stay connected.

• No person (nor any household that includes a person) with cold or flu-like symptoms such as fever, cough, body aches, or other indicators should attend public Mass.

• Attendance at each Mass will be limited to 50% of our seating capacity, which in our case will limit the attendance at each Mass to 200 persons, including the priest, altar servers, organist-cantor, etc.

• Everyone is required to provide their own masks and wear them throughout the entire duration of Mass; only lowering them to receive Holy Communion.

• Pews will be roped off to ensure appropriate distancing between families or individuals of different households.

• Public entrances will be propped open and pews, door handles, and bathroom fixtures will be sanitized on multiple occasions before and after every Mass.

• We will provide copies of St. Alban’s Order of Holy Mass Booklet for you to take home.

• At the time for the distribution of Holy Communion, the usher will dismiss you from your pew, family by family or individual by individual.  The usher will have a bottle of hand sanitizer for you to cleanse your hands as we will be using a central prayer desk kneeler (prie-dieu) and you may lower your face mask at this time.

• While proceeding forward to receive Holy Communion, families or individuals should place their tithes/donations in the collection basket. Anyone who has filled out a welcome card can also place it in the collection basket.

• Please take note of the instructions listed in the worship aid for online donations.

• When you come forward to receive Holy Communion, please maintain the social distancing protocol of remaining 6 feet apart.

• As is the custom at St. Alban’s, we will provide Holy Communion under both species by intinction (when the consecrated Host is dipped into the Precious Blood).  We ask that all communicants come down the center aisle to the central prayer desk kneeler (prie-dieu), and either kneel or remain standing to receive the Eucharist on the tongue.  The priest will cleanse and disinfect his hands between distributing to every single communicant.

• If you are not receiving Holy Communion today, please place your arms in an X across your chest and that will indicate that you would like to receive a blessing.

• Once you have received Holy Communion or your blessing, you may return to your pew by the side aisle.

• At the end of Mass, please maintain social distancing as you leave, and avoid crowding at the exits.
  
  Updated July 24, 2020.