Looking back at the weekly messages of Father Paul Counce, first published in The Carpenter, our weekly Parish Bulletin
Published: September 27, 2020
Almost two weeks ago Governor John Bel Edwards eased the state into “Phase III” of coping with the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic. Many small business owners – especially of bars – and school staffs and parents are still not particularly happy with the restrictions which are still in place. And no one loves to wear a mask! But here at the Cathedral the ongoing limits are not particularly onerous. And Bishop Duca also shared his directives with the priests of the diocese, implementing these government regulations as they apply to us. So it’s probably a good idea for us go over what is now in effect, and what we might expect.
First of all, while many businesses now can operate at 75% of capacity, and as far as the governor is concerned so can churches, that really doesn’t affect us here at the Cathedral that much. As Bishop Duca pointed out, while this increased total capacity is a nice thing in theory, since “social distancing” still has to be practiced by everyone, it’s highly unlikely that any worship space is going to be able to hit that 75% maximum! Here at the Cathedral, for example, our rated maximum is 650 people. This means that 160 is our 25% capacity, 325 persons is our 50% capacity, and 485 would be our 75% capacity. With every other pew “roped off” in order to maintain six feet of separation with people sitting in front or behind, in reality we still are able to accommodate less than 50% of our rated capacity.
Is that good news or bad news? Since attendance at the Cathedral even in the best of times has not come close to approaching 325 persons at weekend Masses, I can invite all of our parishioners back to church with confidence! So should you come? I hope you do, but I realize that many of you who used to come regularly are compromised at least a little bit due to age or some other medical condition. So by all means remember: while you are invited, you are not required to come to Mass! (No one is ever obligated put oneself in danger by coming to Mass, and Bishop Duca has kindly dispensed from the usual canon law requiring even healthy people to worship at Mass for the time being.) By all means, also, you may invite your friends – especially those who may have difficulty finding space in their own parish church – to come with you to the Cathedral!
Whenever you attend, however, please wear your mask, of course. And let me offer a quick reminder since a number of people seem to be forgetting: do NOT take your mask off BEFORE receiving communion in the hand! Step several feet to the side AFTER receiving holy Communion, and ONLY THEN slide your mask down and place the sacred host in your mouth. We want to minimize your breathing toward the hosts that other people will receiving and toward the fingers or face of the one distributing the Eucharist. Remember, if you catch the Covid virus you won’t know it for at least two or three days, and maybe ever – but you’ll be able to infect people nonetheless!
Bishop Duca has agreed that we should do our best to begin returning to “more normal practices and ceremonies” as best we can. For this reason we will re-start our regular communal administration of the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick immediately after the 10:30 AM mass on the last Sunday of each month, beginning October 25. Meetings in our Parish Hall are resuming, with “social distancing” requirements remaining. These include our Food Pantry on the first and third Tuesdays of each month, but not – for the moment – our Sunday Nursery. The bishop is allowing us to serve refreshments at meetings if these are individually wrapped, bottled/canned and served-and-consumed in careful, sanitary ways. And as I mentioned at Mass a few weeks ago, we are definitely going to offer coffee and doughnuts on Sundays again, perhaps even outside during our expected cooler October weather! Watch for it!
While a full choir at Mass remains impossible right now, Bishop Duca has explicitly said that small groups of singers who remain properly at safe distances can be allowed. Mr. David Summers, our Director of Music and organist, began that last weekend! We both look forward to being able to return our hymnals to their racks in the church soon, also. It seems that it’s increasingly clear that the real danger of infection comes from respiratory droplets and not the surfaces of books and other similar things for people who are wearing masks, sanitizing their hands frequently, and trying not to touch their face!
Bishop Duca is willing to start allowing children to serve Mass again – with their parents’ permission, of course! And while we will continue to restrict the distribution of holy Communion at Mass to the clergy, I think I’m going to start scheduling two readers for each Sunday Eucharist, since they can stay safely distanced during their service. It will probably be some time, however, before we start taking up collections in the old-fashioned way again, or organizing a procession with the offertory gifts.
There, that pretty much covers everything. Thanks for letting me “get away” last weekend for a few days of (mostly) worry-free rest.
In Christ,
Fr. Paul
