A Letter RE: COVID-19 Cancellations

My dear people of St. Luke the Evangelist. On March 17th Bishop Joensen released new guidelines in regard to the COVID-19 outbreak going on.

1. Sunday weekend Masses and daily Masses are NOT to be celebrated in parish churches until further notice. An exception may be made if the parish has the capacity to broadcast the Mass to an electronic audience, and that ONLY the priest and any assisting minister(s) may be present for the Mass. Parish priests will continue to celebrate daily Mass as they are ordinarily enjoined to do, but without a congregation unless performed under the conditions specified in the previous statement.

2. Parish churches may remain open at the discretion of the pastor for visits and individual devotional prayer during the week and on weekends (with the presumption that heightened housekeeping and hygienic practices are observed). A set of recommended means for persons to draw close to God and his Church in prayer and spiritual presence is will be available in a separate document; further spiritual opportunities and resources may be provided by local parish staffs.

3. Funeral Masses may be celebrated with less than 10 persons present. Nuptial Masses already scheduled may be celebrated with the 10 person limit; ideally, these Masses should be rescheduled after government leaders give the “all clear” notice. Any and all other public ceremonies should be rescheduled.

4. Distribution of communion in parishes or health care institutions is strictly subject to the directives and policies of authorities charged with oversight of those institutions, and may well be prohibited. In danger of death, Viaticum may be distributed by a health care professional as well as a member of the clergy or recognized Eucharistic minister—again, if in accord with institutional policies.

5. Other sacraments (Baptism in cases of serious illness or other pastoral need, Confession and Anointing of the Sick) may not be celebrated in common, but only individually at the priest’s discretion with serious pastoral necessity. Standard health norms should be respected (e.g., use of a screen or confessional space where appropriate physical distance of six feet will be observed and with hygienic cleaning after each penitent; other protective clothing measures for anointing of persons who are obviously sick).

6. Parish meetings or events where parishioners physically gather (e.g., fish fry dinners, Feast-day gatherings, confirmation and other religious faith formation) are to be CANCELLED unless an electronic means of engagement is available.

7. The Chrism Mass, originally scheduled for 7 PM on Friday, April 3, 2020, will instead be celebrated in simpler form (e.g., absent a Diocesan Chorale with only ministers and select regional representatives present) on a day and location to be determined. No general public participation will be allowed; the Holy Oils will be distributed to individual parishes sometime following this liturgy.

8. Please stay tuned for guidelines pertaining to Holy Week liturgies, including the Sacred Triduum, and Easter Sunday, as well as celebration of First Communions and Confirmations during the Easter Season. It is highly likely that Triduum liturgies will be restricted only to assisting ministers with the option of broadcasting; Initiation Sacraments for catechumens and candidates will occur, but likely in a different manner. All parish First Communion and Confirmation Masses should be considered postponed until further notice; more information will be forthcoming from Pastoral Center offices in the days and weeks ahead.

I know that it seems drastic to cancel our celebration of the Eucharist, but we are in a similar situation as the flu epidemics in the early 1900’s in which many thousands of people died. As we continue to see this unfold, know that you are all in my prayers each and every day, and I ask each and every one of you to pray for me as well as the leaders of our nation and world. At this point, we will still have the church open from 7-7 every day and the parish office will be open during the day, but I ask for people to call unless it is urgent or something that cannot be handled over the phone or via email. As for the finances of the parish, we are ok for a little while, but I ask for your continued support in these challenging times donations can be made online, mailed, or in the drop boxes just inside the doors of the building. Continue to check in on each other, take this opportunity to spend time with your families, and to spend some time with God and learning about God. There are resources being put together for the students in the school, as well as for the students in our Religious Education program. Keep an eye on the website, Facebook, and parish emails for updates and opportunities for prayer and our new and temporary way of being the people of God together.

God Bless,
Fr Ken Halbur