Dear Sisters and Brothers,
It’s been two months since we reopened. Things have gone exceptionally well beyond my imagination. Our social distancing measures have been great, and our Mass has been as beautiful as ever. Special thanks to our Church reopening coordinators, to my brother priests who assist me and to all the volunteers we have.
Observation Regarding 1pm Mass:
After two months we have made some observations regarding Mass times. These observations necessitate a change. St. John Vianney Church is really very warm in the afternoon. It is uncomfortable for those who attend 1pm Mass. I’m hoping that by next year, we will be able to get air-conditioning installed just like we have in St. Ann. The 1pm Mass is also not well attended. We have had an average of 25 people so we will be discontinuing the 1pm Mass. The last 1pm Mass will be on August 2.
New CDC Order:
There has been an exciting development from the B.C. CDC. This is what the CDC said regarding ‘Mass Gatherings’:
In large buildings that have multiple spaces, as long as groups do not mix, a gathering less than 50 people in one space and a gathering less than 50 people in a separate space does not contravene the mass gathering order.
Hall Restructuring:
I’m very happy about the new CDC order. It allows us to have 49 people in the Church and up to about 40 people in St. John Vianney Hall. We used to have an overflow at Christmas Mass. In the same way, beginning August 4 (Feast of St. John Vianney – our parish Feast), we will start using the hall for additional seating capacity. The beautiful thing is that people in the hall can see the altar very well and can hear everything. So, we are very blessed that way. Also, we have separate entrances that will allow us to put the CDC order into practice.
The way forward for 1pm Mass Attendees:
By now, if you were registered for the 1pm Mass, you would have received a phone call asking you of your Mass preference (Saturday 6pm, Sunday 9am or 11am). You have now been registered for your Mass preference. If we missed you, please kindly call the office so we can register you.
The new situation which affects everyone:
Having registered the 1pm attendees for 6pm Saturday night, 9am and 11am Masses on Sunday in St. John Vianney, we will be having more than 50 people at these Masses. 49 people will be accommodated in the Church and the hall will be designated for additional parishioners to join us. Those who are early will have the opportunity to be in the Church. If you arrive later than 10 minutes before Mass begins, chances are you might be in the hall.
Sign in, Entrance and Exit – A change:
Until now, everyone was signed in at the entrance to the hall. Beginning August 4, sign in for Mass in the Church will be in the Church main entrance (foyer). The door closest to the sacristy will be for those parishioners who require a wheelchair or accessible entrance. For those in the Church, exits remain the same. Once we reach our capacity in the Church, all others will be directed to the hall entrance to be registered and seated there.
Hall exit: we invite those in the hall to follow the exit signs that will be clearly posted.
Washroom Access
The one difficulty we have with this new arrangement is the sharing of the washroom located in the Hall with the parishioners attending Mass in the Church. We continue to discourage the use of the washroom unless absolutely necessary. For those seated in the Church that need to use the washroom, we will ask you to exit the Church near the communion table at the back, proceed into the carport area and enter the hall using the doors near the washrooms. These doors will be left open during Mass. We understand that this is not an ideal arrangement, but ask for your understanding as this assists with our efforts to comply with regulations. If access to the washroom is important to you then you may want to consider being seated in the Hall for Mass.
We will assess this new situation as we move forward. Please bear with us as we find the best way to serve you.