From Father Tony: Preparing For Resuming Public Masses
May22,2020
Dear Parishioners.
I hope that you are doing well with your family and loved ones – especially during the current health crisis. Most of you may be longing for the time when things will return to normal. We keep praying for that.
For the past month or so we cancelled our public Masses in accordance with instructions from Bishop Calvo of the Diocese of Reno. Hopefully, we will soon be able to open our church for public Masses. However, be aware that, when that time comes, we may have to adjust to “a new normal.” I am looking forward to your understanding and cooperation which is also for the greater good of the community.
Here are the changes we will need to adopt and follow based upon the guidelines from our bishop:
1. Masses will now be celebrated in the church.
2. At the entrance to the hall, someone will check your temperature.
3. You will need to wear your mask inside the hall. It does not need to be an N95 mask.
4. To allow for contact tracing if necessary, you will need to write your name, phone number, and email address on a small piece of paper and drop it into a designated box on each occasion that you attend Mass.
5. You must practice social distancing, that is, keeping a minimum of six (6) feet away from another person at all times. Chairs inside the hall will be arranged according to the specification.
6. There will no longer be collection baskets. Instead, please drop your donations/envelopes in a designated box (separate from the one for contact tracing) inside the hall.
7. Church choirs for now are not recommended but one Cantor is enough.
8. Coffee and/or “after Mass” treats will no longer be available for now.
10. Please do not come to Mass if you are sick. Consult with your physicians – especially in the case of those who may have health issues to make sure that it is OK for you to attend Mass.
Some of the above changes will occur in different phases. But these are the guidelines, in a shortened version, as we begin to open our Masses to the public. We may have different guidelines in subsequent phases of the church’s opening.
We may be in the middle of the storm now. But, hopefully, we will keep focusing our eyes and hearts on Jesus. We can brave this storm. We pray for those who are sick and have lost loved ones, and also for the doctors, nurses, caregivers, volunteers, and all those who make themselves available to help us with our daily needs. Let us also pray for one another. Keep on believing. This storm will eventually pass.
Yours in Christ Jesus,
Father Antonio Quijano, Jr.
May 22, 2020