It has been over 2 months now since we started having public Masses in the parish. Things have gone pretty well, with people respectfully and “care-fully” observing the protocols in place to try to assure our health and safety as much as possible. Thanks to all of you for being patient and understanding—observing these protocols is not always a natural thing for us to do, social creatures that we are with deeply-ingrained habits of interaction that need to be set aside for now. To date, there have been no positive Covid-19 cases among those who have come to Mass here, thanks be to God. This does not mean we should relax our attentiveness to being cautious and careful, especially in light of the increase in positive cases in our county, state and nation. Just a few key reminders with regard to coming to STM for Mass:
* The dispensation from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass remains in place until further notice. This means that although Sunday Mass is available once again, the dispensation remains for all Catholics throughout the diocese. If you do not attend Sunday Mass, it is not a sin.
* This week’s liturgies:
Confessions: Saturday, 8-9 am, in the PACC.
Sunday Mass:
Saturday, 4:30 pm
Sunday: 7:30, 9:00 and 11:00 am
* Daily Masses at 7:30 am; please do not arrive before 7:15 am.
* Adoration: Monday-Friday, 8 am- 1 pm.
* We have planned on taping the Saturday, 4:30 pm Mass and having it available for viewing by Sunday morning, for those who choose to not come to church for Mass. We’ve been having “technical difficulties” and not gotten this done the past 2 Sundays. Hopefully we’ll get this figured out; see the parish website (thomasmorespokane.org), or check your email or texts for a Flocknote with the link for this video.
** Thanks for your on-going financial donations to the parish! Please consider giving on-line (see the parish website) if you are not already doing so.
* Summer Office Hours: The Parish Office will be open Mondays and Thursdays only, 8 am-12 noon.
*Clarity is being sought in terms of what activities will be allowed in the parish in the fall, and the prudence of such activities in light of our particular parish situation. As of now, we are prepared to have in-person school beginning in September, following closely diocesan and state guidelines for doing so. We will also be prepared to have Religious Education and Sacramental Preparation classes (including RCIA), since these fall into the “religious formation” category that, along with “spiritual services,” e.g. Mass and Confession, are currently allowed. We continue to seek out the status of activities like meetings of the Knights of Columbus, Altar Society, etc. As of now, it seems those would not be allowed, but the chancery staff is looking into this.
*Do you know of anybody who has expressed an interest in becoming Catholic? Please contact the parish office with any names (466-3811). The RCIA process, to assist these people in their discernment will begin in September!
• The dispensation from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass remains in place until further notice. This means that although Sunday Mass is available once again, the dispensation remains for all Catholics throughout the diocese. If you do not attend Sunday Mass, it is not a sin.
• Vulnerable, at risk, or otherwise concerned persons are encouraged to remain at home.
• Anyone who has even the slightest symptoms or feelings of sickness must remain at home.
* This week’s liturgies:
Confessions: Saturday, 8-9 am, in the PACC.
Sunday Mass:
Saturday, 4:30 pm
Sunday: 7:30, 9:00 and 11:00 am
* Daily Masses at 7:30 am; please do not arrive before 7:15 am.
* Adoration: Monday-Friday, 8 am- 1 pm.
N.B. We are allowed to have a congregation of up to 25% of building capacity for Mass, or about 100 people, here at STM. This increased alloweance for congregation-size is not a license to set aside our commitment to one another’s health and well-being by becoming lackadaisical in our observance of protocols: we still are required to wear facemasks at Mass, and to maintain 6 feet of social distance between households. Thank you for your patience and understanding with this good but less-than-ideal situation; these are small sacrifices to make that seem to help limit the spread of the coronavirus, showing our care for one another.
* FYI: the 11 am Mass has been filling to capacity (about 100 people). If you are going to begin coming to Mass, you might consider coming to one of the other Masses. As often as we are able, we will offer a simultaneous Mass in the PACC at each Mass time if there is “overflow.” If there is only 1 priest available and there is a need to seat people in the PACC, the Mass in the church will be shown on “closed circuit,” projected on the screen, and Communion will be brought to those in the PACC.
* We are taping the Saturday, 4:30 pm Mass. It will be available for viewing by Sunday morning, for those who choose to not come to church for Mass; see the parish website (thomasmorespokane.org), or check your email or texts for a Flocknote with the link for this video.
** Thanks for your on-going financial donations to the parish! Please consider giving on-line (see the parish website) if you are not already doing so.
Summer Office Hours: The Parish Office will be open Mondays and Thursdays only, 8 am-12 noon.
Clarity is being sought in terms of what activities will be allowed in the parish in the fall, and the prudence of such activities in light of our particular parish situation. As of now, we are prepared to have in-person school beginning in September, following closely diocesan and state guidelines for doing so. We will also be prepared to have Religious Education and Sacramental Preparation classes (including RCIA), since these fall into the “religious formation” category that, along with “spiritual services,” e.g. Mass and Confession, are currently allowed. We continue to seek out the status of activities like meetings of the Knights of Columbus, Altar Society, etc. As of now, it seems those would not be allowed, but the chancery staff is looking into this.
Golfers: Mark your calendar for the tournament sponsored by the Knights of Columbus planned for Saturday, August 29, 7:30 am (Shotgun start). Registration information will be forthcoming.
• The dispensation from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass remains in place until further notice. This means that although Sunday Mass is available once again, the dispensation remains for all Catholics throughout the diocese. If you do not attend Sunday Mass, it is not a sin.
• Vulnerable, at risk, or otherwise concerned persons are encouraged to remain at home.
• Anyone who has even the slightest symptoms or feelings of sickness must remain at home.
We have now had public Masses for 5 weekends. If you have not yet chosen to attend, here’s a little summary of what the experience is like coming to Mass now:
*Arriving at St. Thomas More, people notice that the grounds are beautiful, as always. It looks like the “pre-Covid” world! They also notice that the lower parking lot is closed; entrance for Mass is restricted to the main doors of the church building.
*As you approach the church, you notice that these are not normal times. Everyone is wearing a face mask, during the entire time they are here, as required by the state and the bishop. Exceptions are the priest and the lector, who remove masks for public speaking, while keeping much distance between him/herself and the congregation. People who don’t have a face mask can pick one up at the door, to make their own. The only exception is for the brief moment at Communion when people approach the priest or deacon, receive the Body of Christ in their hands, step aside, use 1 hand to remove their face mask, consume the consecrated host, and replace their face mask.
*People are entering through a designated door. All doors in the building are open; there are no books or anything else in the pew racks. The desire is that the only thing a person touch during their time at Mass is the Body of Christ. People are touching the pews, however- to aid in standing up or kneeling, for instance. After Mass, all the pews are sanitized by a group of generous people.
*People are picking up a worship aid as they enter, and are directed by an usher to a place to sit that is at least 6 feet from other individuals/households. If their name was not taken as they entered, they fill out an “Attendance Card,” which is securely stored for 1 month and then destroyed (the batch from the first weekend have been destroyed). Ushers take these cards and the pens from people- the pens are sanitized before re-use. This list of names is just in case a positive Covid-19 test surfaces from someone who attended a Mass here, so others who were at that Mass could be notified.
*People notice that there is blue tape everywhere—blocking off access to every other pew and marking the floors in 6-foot increments to help with distancing, and also marking the location for the reception of the Body of Christ.
*There is a directive that the Mass be shorter than usual, to limit our time gathered together to reduce the risk of passing on Covid-19. So there is minimal singing, a shorter homily (funny, no one has complained about this yet!), no Sign of Peace and no distribution of the Precious Blood.
*People leave after Mass being attentive to maintaining the “6-foot” rule as they make their way out of the church and back to their vehicles.
* This week’s liturgies:
Confessions: Saturday, 8-9 am, in the PACC.
Sunday Mass:
Saturday, 4:30 pm
Sunday: 7:30, 9:00 and 11:00 am
* FYI: the 11 am Mass has been filling to capacity (about 120 people). If you are going to begin coming to Mass, you might consider coming to one of the other Masses. As often as we are able, we will offer a simultaneous Mass in the PACC at each Mass time if there is “overflow.” If there is only 1 priest available and there is a need to seat people in the PACC, the Mass in the church will be shown on “closed circuit,” projected on the screen, and Communion will be brought to those in the PACC.
* Daily Masses at 7:30 am; please do not arrive before 7:15 am.
* Adoration: Monday-Friday, 8 am- 1 pm.
N.B. We are now allowed to have a congregation of up to 25% of building capacity for Mass, or about 100 people, here at STM. This is good news for us! This increased permissiveness for congregation-size is not a license to set aside our commitment to one another’s health and well-being by becoming lackadaisical in our observance of protocols: we still are required to wear facemasks at Mass, and to maintain 6 feet of social distance between households. Thank you for your patience and understanding with this good but less-than-ideal situation.
** Thanks for your on-going financial donations to the parish! Please consider giving on-line (see the parish website) if you are not already doing so.
Summer Office Hours: The Parish Office will be open Mondays and Thursdays only, 8 am-12 noon.
Summer Faith Camp has been cancelled this year. Look forward to returning next summer!