Welcome Home - Where You Belong

                                                                                                                                                                                 
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton is pleased to announce that the Archdiocese of Detroit is permitting the return of public Masses.  At St. Elizabeth Ann Seton we are planning to begin our public Masses the weekend of May 30/31.  For the safety of parishioners, staff and the priest, the conditions listed below apply to all weekend and weekday liturgies and must be followed:  

• Face-covering/masks MUST be worn by all parishioners, age 2 and up, in and around the Church.  It is suggested that as soon as you exit your vehicle, put your mask on.
• Once you enter the Church, you will notice that social distancing seating has been put in place.  We are allowed to accommodate up to 25% of our normal seating capacity, so please plan to arrive 15-20 minutes before Mass. Note:  be aware that your ‘regular’ seat may not be available.  Thank you for understanding.
• It is highly recommended that you thoroughly wash your hands prior to coming to Church and that you carry your own hand sanitizer to use before Holy Communion.
• Distribution of Communion will look different.  Only the Body of Christ will be distributed; we are not allowed to share the cup of Precious Blood. Our Ministers of Welcome will assist the assembly to receive Communion.  Remove any masks and gloves as you approach the Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion.  Receiving in your hands is recommended, receiving on the tongue is permitted.  In this case, people who wish to receive on the tongue may be asked to receive last.
• Music – to help prevent the spread of any germs, no worship aides will be available at Mass (i.e. Gather books) and singing will be limited.
• Those older than 65 years of age (the recommended CDC age) or with compromised health conditions or are caring for the sick in any way are encouraged to remain at home.  The dispensation from the Sunday obligation to attend Mass is granted to all the faithful through Sunday, September 6, 2020.  In consideration of the community, those who are ill, have a temperature, cough, etc., should stay at home.
• St. Elizabeth Ann Seton will continue to offer weekend liturgies online through our website: https://www.saintliz.org/mass-online.

      The Archbishop gave us permission to begin to celebrate public Masses on May 19.  But first we must observe numerous restrictions to guard against spreading the Covid-19.  These regulations change the logistics in the way we celebrate Mass...  The primary concern for the church building must be a thoroughly sanitized environment.  The faithful must wear a cloth mask and use a personal hand sanitizer before receiving Holy Communion.  You must be six feet away from the next person unless they are a member of your household.  One must be 6 feet away from another person in the communion line and the Ministers of Welcome will direct people as to coming forward from the back of the church to receive the Sacrament.  There are numerous logistical issues that must be worked out prior to celebrating a Mass in the church and our liturgical ministers must be trained to carry out their new roles.  There will be only two ministers of Holy Communion and because of our ages, neither the Deacon or myself can distribute Communion. The consecrated host is the only form of communion for the laity.
     To protect the health of the faithful there will be no singing due to the further amount of droplets that are expelled while singing.  A strict sanitary environment must be maintained.  We will not be able to celebrate Mass in the Eucharistic chapel on weekdays due to the six foot rule.  In following the regulations given by the Archdiocese, we can accommodate no more than 136 to 150 persons in the main body of the church at one time.  If you are 65 or older you are urged not to come to church; you are dispensed from attending Mass.  For those who believe that this is too soon to be with others, the Archbishop dispensed you from the obligation of attending Mass until September 6^th.  Other than the celebration of the Mass, there are no other gatherings until further notice from the Archdiocese. 
     In order to follow the procedures required by the Archdiocese and the medical community, as well as civil authorities, we need to train our liturgical ministers for their new role in the Mass which we hope to open to our faithful on the 30^th and the 31^stof May.  We are asking our current liturgical ministers to be trained in their new roles; we cannot open our doors until these necessities have been met.
     You will find further details on our webpage, www.saintliz.org.
    
     Yours in Christ,
    
     Fr. Norm

https://www.facebook.com/ArchofDet/videos/993581387725921/

In an announcement to the faithful on Tuesday, Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron shared updated liturgical guidelines for returning to Mass, taking into account expert advice from the medical community, liturgical experts and public health leaders.

Curious how these guidelines will be put into practice? Watch now.

You can read the Archbishop's letter and learn more about the guidelines here: https://aod.social/may-12-update

• Our first Sunday Mass will be on May 30^th and 31^st.  We need this extra time to prepare the church for the faithful to organize the sanitation of the Church between Masses and also to train the various ministers in their new and safe way of doing their ministry. 
• Remember all Catholics are exempt from attending Mass until the sixth of September.  Nevertheless, all the faithful must keep Sunday as a day of worship—watch Mass online or on television, engage in prayer, tune into EWTN religious programming.
• Daily Mass will not return until after June 12, the new date the governor has set for sheltering in place.  At this time, when we do resume daily Mass, the plan is to celebrate Masses on Monday evening at 6:00 pm and on Wednesday morning at 8:30 am. in the main body of the church.

Dear brothers and sisters,
     The threat of Covid-19 is far from over and we must not act as if it is safe to be around large numbers of people.  This is particularly true for those who are 65 years old and older.  Those older than 65 years old (the recommended CDC age), with a compromised health condition or caring for the sick in any way, should be encouraged to stay home.  They, and indeed all Catholics, are exempt from the obligation to attend Mass until September 6^th of this year.  To repeat, this exemption applies to all Catholics, whatever their age.  Anyone who is ill, has a temperature, cough, etc., should definitely stay home as an act of justice to the whole community.
     Although we would like to see all of our faithful back, it is too soon to be acting in a way that does not protect us from being infected by this nasty virus.  Stay home, watch Mass online or on television on Sunday.  Pray the Holy Rosary, the Divine Mercy Chaplet, the Stations of the Cross, read Sacred Scripture, sit quietly for ten minutes repeating to yourself “Lord Jesus have mercy.”  PRAY FOR A CURE AND A PREEMPTIVE VACINATION.    
     Yours with Holy Affection,
    
     Fr. Norm