On Ascension Thursday Cardinal Dolan held a press conference outlining plans for resuming Church ceremonies, specifically Mass and other sacraments. This followed Governor Cuomo’s directive, allowing religious services for up to ten people in houses of worship.
UnfortunatelyIt is not as simple as, “When are we going to have Mass in our church?” The question is: How do we get to the point when that is safe? will take some time, several weeks or even months. But we want to do this safely for all concerned and to avoid what has happened in other churches in other parts of our country when safety procedures have not been followed.
The Cardinal mentioned that there are several phases that will be followed in the forthcoming weeks and months. These phases are
Phase I – Churches Open for Private Prayer and Confessions
Phase II - Celebration of Baptisms and Marriages (limited to 10 attendees)
Phase III - Celebration of the Rite of Distributing Holy Communion Outside of Mass
Phase IV – Celebration of Daily and Funeral Masses with Limited Attendance
Phase V – Celebration of Sunday Mass with Supervised Attendance
Resumption of Full Parish Mass Schedules and Sacramental Activities
These phases will take some time to accomplish, perhaps weeks or even months. We will continue to post a video of weekly Sunday Mass, We are in phase I now - The church will continue to be open for prayer 7 days a week – from 9:00am to 5:00pm. The pews are regularly wiped down with disinfectant. We will hear confessions (in the Sacristy) Saturdays 4:30pm to 5:00pm
When the different phases happen is up to the Cardinal. When the Cardinal gives us the direction, we will then—and only then-- proceed to the other stages, mindful of the Governor’s directive that presently only ten people at this time are allowed for a religious service.
When we do proceed to Phases II through V, particularly when we get to the final phase allowing public Sunday Mass, we will follow safety procedures following the Cardinal’s directives:
· It will be necessary for all persons to wear face masks when coming to church. No one will be able to attend Mass without wearing a protective mask.
· We will observe proper social distancing for seating in church. We will mark the church pews indicating specifically indicating places where families, couples and individuals can sit. We will have ushers (or greeters) to assist finding seats and exiting the church.
· Because of the social distancing requirement, we will only be able to seat a certain number of people in the church itself. After we have reached the maximum number, we will direct down to Taylor Hall where there will be an additional Mass.
· Every two pews will be cordoned off for safety reasons.
· Hand sanitizer will be available at each church entrance.
· We will not be able to leave missalettes in the church benches. On the first Sunday when Mass is permitted, we will make new missalettes available to you for you to take home with you and for you to use each Sunday when you come to Mass.
· We will have to observe certain procedures regarding the reception of Holy Communion and these will be outlined as we get closer to the celebration of public Sunday Mass.
There will be no access to public bathrooms in the church or rectory.
The Cardinal has asked us to remind our parishioners that, under the present circumstances, they are excused from Sunday Mass. Even when we are allowed to have Mass with limited seating, those who are in danger of contracting the virus because of sickness or old age will be excused from Mass. Also attending Mass via TV or internet if valid.
We thank all of you for your continued support. It is only through your financial donations that we can keep our parish alive and functioning. You can donate through We Share (
blessedsacramentnyc.churchgiving.com) or mail your check directly to Blessed Sacrament, 152 W. 71 Street, NY, NY 10023.