COVID-19 Update for Ryde Gladesville

Hi everyone! Hope you are all keeping well, despite the chill in the air from the onset of winter.                  

  
As I am sure you have heard in the media of late, as of Friday 15th May, 2020, Churches and other places of worship will be permitted to open with a maximum of 10 persons inside at any one time. We have received a pastoral letter last night from Archbishop Anthony Fisher advising of the conditions for opening our Churches and celebrating Masses and liturgies.



A copy of that letter has been included in this blog post. We are copying in verbatim the following three paragraphs by way of introduction in which Archbishop Anthony advises us to remember that:

"COVID-19 remains present in the community and highly infectious, though in small numbers at present. With the relaxation of isolation measures and the approach of winter, an increase in cases is expected. Clergy and faithful are therefore encouraged to download the CovidSafe App and abide by the latest public health advisories.

Permission to reopen churches and to conduct religious gatherings comes with strict conditions; we must take all reasonable precautions to protect the health of everyone involved. This means acting on the assumption that we or anyone we come in contact with might be infected, even if we/they are asymptomatic.

Even as restrictions are eased, general precautions regarding hygiene and distancing must be observed. Special precautions for the Liturgy must also be observed."



One of the conditions for re-opening our Churches to the public is that the Churches need to be monitored at all times by staff and volunteers to ensure compliance with public health and safety regulations. This requires of us that a 'priest or trusted delegate' be always present whilst open to ensure no more than ten people be in the Church at any one time, and that the names, telephone numbers and email addresses of all visitors be recorded as a precaution in the event of a COVID - 19 outbreak involving anyone visiting the Church.



In accordance with these measures, we have decided on the following course of action:

• Live-streamed Masses will continue to be celebrated at St Charles Borromeo Church 'as per COVID - 19 usual' from Tuesday to Friday at 9:20am, Saturday at 9am, along with the Saturday evening weekend Vigil Mass at 5pm (Fr. Daniele), Sunday morning (Fr. Greg) at 10am, with additional Masses in Spanish (Fr. Alfredo) at 12pm & in Italian (Fr. Daniele) at 4pm.

• Our Lady Queen of Peace Church will not be open for public worship as yet due both to continuing maintenance works in the Church and the need for continual surveillance to be kept, once opened to the public. We also do not have live streaming capacity at OLQP. Maintaining one parish Church open for now is sufficient. We will revise this at a future date, once we see how we go. 

• To attend any of the scheduled Masses you will need to make a booking at our Parish Office, either by email, phone or personal visit during office hours. A maximum of 10 parishioners, in addition to those needed for the celebration of each Mass, will be permitted to attend. Judy Raumer, my Executive Assistant, will be responsible for allocating places at each Mass.

• Rosters for essential ministers and staffing for masses will be published on a weekly basis each Friday evening for the following week (i.e. from Tuesday to Sunday week). 

• If you wish to attend Mass please advise your Mass preference i.e. weekday Mass or weekend Mass. Obviously not everyone will be able to attend the Masses due to the severely restricted numbers. Communion, however, will still be on offer to anyone who cannot attend the Masses either at home or at the Parish and can be arranged with the Parish Office. 

• We will advise you which weekday Mass or weekend Mass you will be attending. If you cannot attend for whatever reason please advise the Parish Office with sufficient forward time so that someone else may take your place. 

• Please note that, due to limitations on numbers, a maximum of one or two members of each family only will be permitted to attend the Masses and other liturgies. We regret that for now children and very elderly / frail persons will not be permitted for the time being due to the conditions of live streaming and for health reasons. The rest will be able to participate via our live streaming service. 

Rules for attending Live-stream Masses and liturgies

1. You must be seated 10 minutes before Mass commences. Please remember that these masses are live streamed, so please wait in silence, respond with gusto and try not to distract from the celebrations for the good of all those who do not have the privilege of being there.



2. Church doors will be closed just before Mass commences, and will not be opened again until after the live streaming finishes. Know in advance that we will not answer the door if you knock.



3. If you do not turn up on your allocated day and time, you will lose your booking, and will need to rebook. You are not permitted to leave the Church during Mass or wander around during the live streaming, except for exceptional circumstances.



4. Seats will be allocated within the Church on a first come first served basis on the day, at specific points around the Church, and all social distancing norms and regulations must be adhered to.



5. You must sign in and out each time you enter and leave the Church, as this is a Department of Health requirement. We have to record the name, telephone number and email address of everyone who enters the church in the unlikely event of an outbreak of Covid - 19 traced to any one of the visitors to our Church. This will also help us to keep our Parish records up-to-date with your contact details.



6. Please don't come to Church if you feel unwell at all, as a courtesy for the health and safety of fellow parishioners.



7. Always use hand sanitizer when you arrive at the Church.



8. Don't go into the Sacristy before, during or after Mass, unless absolutely necessary.

Norms for private prayer in SCB Church outside Mass times 

• 10 parishioners maximum are permitted in the church at one time
• Social distancing norms must be adhered for the SCB Church to remain open. You will be required to sit in the allocated areas. 
• Please remember to use hand sanitizer when you enter the church 
• Please do not go into the Sacristy unless you are required to do so. 

The current rostered groups for liturgy support will remain until further notice.


You can find the full letter from the Archbishop here: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1VcR4cKzWkV-Vub3cZXWNxrbi1jhjQHdi


I thank you for your continued financial support in these difficult times. The Parish needs your support and as parishioners we have a moral obligation to contribute to the upkeep of Parish buildings, ministries, pastoral care and of its priests.


I know I can rely on your patience and cooperation in the transition between closed churches and fully functioning ones over the next few months. If you have any further queries or need further clarifications please contact us at the Parish Office.



If you would like a visit from one of our priests or communion ministers, please let us know and we will be happy to oblige.

Your brother in Christ's service, as always,

Fr. Greg.