Coronavirus Update

HOLY WEEK OPPORTUNITIES

• Holy Week Liturgy of the Hours
• Virtual Celebration of The Easter Triduum with Dan Schutte
• A Journey through Holy Week for families
• Devotions, Activities, and Articles from Loyola Press
• Holy Week and Easter Resources for Families

• Stop and Pray Anywhere with Altar Society Members at 1:00 pm daily. Email Mary Vitt at maryvitt0324@yahoo.com if you would like to be added to this prayer chain. 
• 1:00 pm Conference Call Rosary daily with parishioners - Dial 1-605-475-3235, after the message enter Access Number 160829#. Email Deacon Justin at jmcme1528@aol.com with any questions. 
• "Project YM Live" every Sunday evening at 7:00 pm for teens 
• For a daily Mass option, visit www.wordonfire.org/daily-mass where Bishop Robert Barron is offering daily Mass. 
• Another daily Mass option may be found through EWTN
• Light a digital candle and share your prayer intentions from your home
• For children - Catholic Brain is offering free access to all its online materials. Set up an account today!
• Evening Prayer Series through "Open Your Hymnal" 
• Keep Sunday Holy with the Liturgy of the Hours
• "Give Us This Day" offers daily prayer for Catholics. Available here digitally
• Make an Act of Spiritual Communion
• Livestream Perpetual Adoration
• Steve Angrisano leads Divine Mercy Chaplet every week day at 2:00 pm
• Fr. James Martin hosting a daily faith sharing at 2:00 pm daily
• Tony Alonso Evening Prayer Services Sunday evenings at 7:00 pm
• Liturgy Training Publications is offering free virtual conversations, a virtual Way of the Cross, and a Holy Week Virtual Retreat
• Celebrating the Liturgy of the Hours at home

CLICK HERE TO CELEBRATE MASS WITH US ONLINE!

Sept. 21, 2020

See the attachment for Diocesan guidelines (based on the CDC recommendations) on Self-Quarantine and Self-Isolation. The second page did not scan the top very clearly, but it does say "COVID-19 Self Isolation Guide." We just want to send a gentle reminder to all our parishioners and ministers to please follow these guidelines if you have any COVID-19 symptoms or have been exposed to the virus in order to keep everyone safe and healthy. Please respond to this email or call the parish office if you have any questions!



August 27, 2020

Dear parishioners,

We hope you have enjoyed some time to relax and recharge during these summer months! It has been an unusual summer for sure. We miss having our parish family all together, but know that we are together in spirit.

After discussing the results from the Pastoral Survey that was sent out a couple weeks ago, the parish staff has decided to make a couple changes regarding weekend Masses and Thursday morning daily Mass.

We are going back to live-streaming the 4:00 pm Saturday Mass on our Nativity of Mary Parish Facebook page. Whether you have a Facebook account or not, this can be accessed at https://www.facebook.com/nativityofmaryparish/live/. It will also be posted to our website at www.nativityofmary.org/liturgy. The worship aide will be emailed to all parishioners prior to Saturday each week! If you have any trouble with the sound at all, please contact Maria Milazzo at mmilazzo@nativityofmary.org.

We will no longer be requiring parishioners to pre-register their attendance for Mass. We are not seeing the numbers at Mass that we originally thought we would see and there is plenty of room for social distancing. Mass attendance has averaged approximately 50 people. If there were a positive case of the virus in our community, we will inform all registered parishioners. If someone is not a registered member of the parish, we will ask them to sign in at the door so that we can also contact them in the event that someone were to contract the virus, which we pray never happens!

Beginning Thursday, August 27, 2020 the school children will be attending Mass on Thursdays. Due to the number of students and social distancing guidelines, we have a limited capacity for parishioners and school family members. Please read the attached letter for instructions on attending Thursday children's Mass if you wish to do so.

We are also in the midst of planning virtual fall events and prayer opportunities. Much more information to come. Please stay connected through our website www.nativityofmary.org and specifically the Church home page on the website.

Sending continued blessings,
Nativity of Mary Parish Staff

Nativity of Mary Parish Updates   May 18, 2020

We hope you are staying well and healthy. We look forward to worshipping together again very soon. In order to keep us all safe and healthy, the Bishops of Missouri have compiled liturgical guidelines that we are to adhere to. We will need to adhere to local jurisdiction as well. The following guidelines are as of May 18, 2020 and are subject to change as the situation progresses and we hear from local health officials. In the case that any of this changes, please continue to check our website at www.nativityofmary.org and you can find updates on our Church homepage as well as our Coronavirus Updates page under the Church tab. If you have limited access to the internet, you may call our office and our night ringer will be updated with the latest updates. Email communication is the quickest and fastest.
If you have not been receiving parish emails, please contact Sarah Gonterman to be added to our email list. Parish staff emails may be found below. We have been utilizing a new parish database called Gabriel Software since January. If your email is in the database, in the next few weeks, you will be receiving an invitation via email to join Gabriel through a member portal where you will be able to update your information as well as view your parish contributions. This will help us to continue to update our database as we prepare for an upcoming parish directory.

One important part of the guidelines in the next few pages that we would like to bring to your attention is the Sanitation Crew needed available after each Mass. If you would like to be a part of this crew, please contact Maria Milazzo as soon as possible. 

While these guidelines are limiting our capacity for worship, they do not limit our need for authentic prayer! May we pray for an end to this pandemic and a renewal of our hope in the resurrection and our mission as members of the Catholic Church.

Pastor, Fr. Bob Stone - bstone@nativityofmary.org
Business Manager, Melissa Clancy - mclancy@nativityofmary.org
Director of Music & Liturgy, Maria Milazzo - mmilazzo@nativityofmary.org
Sacramental Prep, RCIA, Youth Ministry,
Becky Winbinger - beckywinbinger@nativityofmary.org
Secretary & Admin - Assistant, Sarah Gonterman - sgonterman@nativityofmary.org
Building Supervisor - Brandy Warren - bwarren@nativityofmary.org

Guidelines for Observing Social Distancing and other Health Requirements
for the Celebration of Mass at Nativity of Mary

In observance of City, County, and Diocesan guidelines under the direction of health officials, Nativity of Mary will enforce the following guidelines to keep all the faithful safe and healthy as we re-open Churches on a limited basis. Beginning with daily Mass on Tuesday, May 26, 2020 and the Sunday Mass the weekend of May 30 and 31, 2020 , Nativity of Mary will begin to offer Mass open to the public under the following guidelines:

Important notes
● Bishop Johnston has dispensed the faithful from the obligation to attend Mass on Sunday and from the Easter duty.
● Persons 60 and older or persons with pre-existing conditions are strongly encouraged , for their own health, to stay home. Those who are symptomatic or who have been exposed to another person with COVID-19 within 14 days are not permitted to enter the church.
● The Sunday Mass will continue to be posted on our Facebook and Website. They will no longer be livestreamed, but rather recorded and posted by Saturday evening, made available by Sunday at 8:00 am. Links to these recordings and worship aides will continue to be emailed to parishioners.
● If you or someone you know is sick or homebound and would like to receive communion (after the weekend of May 30/31), please contact the Ministry Center at 816.353.2184. We will have a limited amount of communion ministers who will be able to administer communion to the sick & homebound at this time. Please note that ministers will not be able to come into the home, but will be able to administer communion outside of the home - front porch, deck, etc. The communion minister will be wearing a mask and we kindly ask that the communicant do the same.

Regarding Capacity and Admittance
● We are limited to 25% capacity for each liturgy, meaning 100 people in total will be able to attend a service at one time.
● The faithful attending these Masses MUST register to attend prior to arriving at church. We will be using the online platform Eventbrite as our way of admitting a limited number of people into Church for each service. Each week, an Eventbrite event will be made for each Mass. The link will be emailed to parishioners in our database as well as posted on our website and Facebook page the Tuesday prior to the weekend. Parishioners can then click on the link and sign up for a “ticket” for Mass. *Please note that each person in your family will need a separate “ticket.”*
We will be able to see who has signed up for each Mass in order to check you off at the door.
● We understand many of our parishioners may have limited access to the internet. Beginning at 9:00 am on Tuesdays prior to each weekend, parishioners may call the Ministry Center at 816.353.2184 to be signed up for a particular Mass. Phones will be monitored from 9:00 am to Noon Tuesday through Friday beginning Tuesday, May 26th. The link will not be emailed until 9:00 am on Tuesday mornings so to give everyone a fair chance of signing up for Mass. If you have any questions or trouble with this please contact Maria Milazzo or Sarah Gonterman.
● Daily Mass will be offered Tuesday-Friday at 8:30 am (beginning Tuesday, May 26, 2020) and will be on a first come-first serve basis. We typically do not have large crowds for daily Mass, but if we were to reach our 100 person capacity, we will be unable to admit more people into the church. Communion services will continue to be offered on Monday. Please note that there will be no required pre-sign up for daily Mass. First come-first serve only. But attendees will need to sign in once he or she arrives at church.
● If a member of the faithful tests positive for COVID-19, he or she has an obligation to let the pastor know so that the parish can follow the contact-tracing procedure and communicate with all those who were in the church at that same service. Confidentiality of the person’s name will be kept, but this is important to keep all of our faith community safe and healthy.

Before Mass
● All attendees are asked to check their temperature at home before coming to church.
● The faithful are obliged to wear a mask upon entering and exiting the church and it is strongly suggested during the celebration of Mass as well. Children over the age of 2 are also required to wear masks per CDC guidelines. Masks may be pulled down for the brief moment of receiving Holy Communion and then must be put back on properly. Masks will not be provided for you. Please make sure to bring your own. We have many parishioners who have been sewing masks. Please contact Maria Milazzo to connect with one of these people.
● If wearing a mask the entirety of Mass is not possible for one due to claustrophobia, breathing problems, or other concerns, please make sure you only take it off when in the pew and 6 feet away from anyone else in the church. Please refrain from singing without a mask on.
● Ministers of Hospitality will kindly usher you to designated pews in the church once you arrive. Please note you may not be able to sit in the area that you usually sit in in church in order to maintain the 6 ft distance needed between households. We will stagger seating in every other pew.
● All hymnals will be removed from the pews and stored for the duration of the pandemic. We will be providing disposable worship aides for each liturgy.
● Before and after each Mass, we will have a designated sanitation crew to help wipe down pews, restroom facilities, door handles, push plates, knobs, and any other surfaces that may have been touched with disinfectant. We are in need of ministers for this crew. Please contact Maria Milazzo if you would like to help serve our community in this capacity. Sanitation crew members will be provided with disposable gloves and sanitation materials while cleaning.
● Doors will be propped open before and after Masses to prevent people from touching the doors.
● Hand sanitizer will be provided in various locations of the church but if you have your own, please bring it with you.
● Please refrain from greeting others with handshakes or embraces.

During Mass
● The Holy Water fonts will remain empty until further notice.
● Offertory baskets will be placed in the narthex of church for the faithful to leave parish contributions. Ministers of Hospitality will not be coming through the aisles for the offertory but will monitor these baskets before, during, and after Mass.
● The procession of gifts are suspended at this time. A server or sacristan will bring the gifts directly from the credence table to the altar.
● Every other pew in church will be marked off. Ministers of Hospitality will usher you to your seats once they mark you off at the door. This is all in order to maintain six-foot distancing between your family and other families or individuals throughout your time in Church.
● The sign of peace is optional. If it is offered, there is to be no physical contact. A simple gesture, such as a nod of the head, is recommended.
● When approaching the Communion minister, the communicant is to pull their mask below their chin in order to receive Communion. The communicant immediately replaces their mask after consuming the Host.
● Distribution of Holy Communion from the chalice is prohibited to the assembly at this time.
● During this time, Holy Communion will be distributed in the hand in keeping with the advice of state health officials and thereby to avoid the Communion minister’s fingers coming into contact with saliva or airborne contagion.
● Non-communicants, or those who do not plan on receiving Communion, we ask that you remain in your pew and wait for the blessing all receive at the end of Mass.
● The communion line will look a bit differently. There will only be one communion minister in addition to Father Bob and ministers of hospitality will assist in the process.
● Due to concerns that congregational singing requires increased volumes of projected air and particulates, congregational singing will be limited. The choir will not be leading music for a while, but we will have a cantor and pianist lead music at each Mass. Sung music will be limited, but singing is only allowed if congregants are wearing a mask.

After Mass
● We ask congregants to please either take the worship aide with them or discard them by the doors on the way out.
● Ministers of Hospitality will not be handing out bulletins or other materials. Bulletins will be available at the doors for people to take and bring home.
● There are to be no receptions or social gatherings (e.g., coffee and doughnuts) following Mass.
● Family units should depart the church in an organized manner wearing masks and observing 6-feet of distance between other households.
● Pews and other high traffic areas of the church will be wiped down before the next service by our sanitation crew.

Liturgical Ministers
● Ministers will begin to be scheduled via Ministry Scheduler Pro again; however, it will be on a weekly sign-up basis as opposed to being scheduled automatically as in the past. This link will be emailed out separately to ministers each week. If you sign up for a Mass as a minister, you do not have to sign up for a “free ticket” via Eventbrite . If you are coming with other family members, those family members will need to sign up for a “free ticket” via Eventbrite.
● If you are a Eucharistic Minister that is under the age of 60 and would feel comfortable bringing communion to the sick & homebound (in front of their home wearing a mask and following CDC guidelines), please contact Maria Milazzo.
● Maria has specific instructions for each ministry and is setting up Zoom meetings with each ministry to discuss these guidelines. Please see below for your ministry’s date/time meeting and a link will be sent prior to these dates to those ministers to join. Ministries with no set meeting time will be emailed brief instructions. We will be limiting the number of ministers for each Mass, so please look for more communication from Maria about that.
○ Ministers of Hospitality & Sanitation Crew - Wednesday, May 27th at 6:00 pm
○ Eucharistic Ministers - Wednesday, May 27th at 7:30 pm
○ Music Ministers - Thursday, May 28th at 6:30 pm


 

The Bishops of Missouri establish the following common practices in the celebration of Mass to fulfill the requirements of social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic, with other directives to be determined by the individual Diocesan Bishops.

Before Mass

1. All four Diocesan Bishops have dispensed the faithful from the obligation to attend Mass on Sunday and from the Easter Duty. Therefore,
   1. Those who are symptomatic or who have been exposed to another with the virus within 14 days are not permitted to enter the church, in accordance with national, state and local health directives. All attendees are asked to check their temperature at home before coming to church.
   2. Those who are at risk because of an underlying health issue or who are 60 or older are strongly encouraged, for their own health, to avoid the risk of attending public celebrations of the Mass.
   3. We highly encourage parishes to live stream Mass, even on a daily basis, so that those unable to attend in person may maintain a spiritual connection with their local church.
2. Appropriate cleaning of high use areas within the church is to be done before and after each service.
   1. The pews utilized by the assembly shall be wiped down with disinfectant.
   2. All hymnals and missalettes are to be removed from the pews and stored for the duration of the pandemic. No other materials may be left in the pews. The faithful are encouraged to bring their own missals or hymnals or smartphones for use during the celebration of Mass.
   3. Restroom facilities and door handles, push plates, and knobs are to be sanitized after each service.
3. Holy water fonts are to remain empty until further notice.
4. Hand sanitizer is to be made available throughout the church, whenever possible.
5. The faithful are obliged to wear a mask upon entering the church and during the celebration of Mass, except when remaining in the pew and for the brief moment of receiving Holy Communion. Ushers and other volunteers are to wear masks and gloves (when gloves are not available, frequent handwashing will be necessary) throughout the celebration of Mass. Pastors are to see to it that these obligations are enforced without exception. Those at the altar are to wear a mask if distributing Holy Communion.
6. Clergy and other ministers are to maintain six-foot distancing and should not greet parishioners as they enter the church.

During Mass

1. Entry and exit doors are to be adequately designated and monitored. Entry doors are to be propped or held open before Mass, and exit doors are to be propped or held open at the end of Mass to prevent people from touching the door handles, knobs or push plates.
2. Staff, ushers or other volunteers should assist with directing people to pews specifically marked. Attendance may be limited to assure compliance with social distancing requirements.
3. Families are to maintain six-foot distancing between their family and other families or individuals throughout the celebration of Mass.
   1. Seating is to be arranged such that six feet of distance can be maintained between members of one household and members of another.
   2. One or two pews are to be left vacant in between congregants such that six feet of distance can be maintained in all directions.
   3. Music ministers are to maintain six-foot social distancing.
4. Procession of the Gifts are suspended. Collection baskets (or any other materials) are not to be passed from one family to another, nor shall ushers take up the collection from the congregation. Stationary baskets are to be used for donations from the assembly and are to be monitored by the ushers until the donations are collected and handled according to the proper protocols in place for handling the collection.
5. The sign of peace is optional. If it is offered, there is to be no physical contact. A simple gesture, such as a nod of the head, is recommended.
6. All concelebrating clergy are to receive Holy Communion by intinction, utilizing a separate chalice from the main celebrant and with the last priest communicant consuming all that remains in the Chalice.
7. Priests or deacons who are in at risk groups are permitted to refrain from distributing Holy Communion and are able to delegate distribution to other Communion ministers.
8. For the distribution of communion, ushers or other volunteers who are masked and gloved will ensure six-foot distancing in the communion line. Floor markings shall be placed six feet apart in the aisles in which the congregation approaches the sanctuary for communion to facilitate proper social distancing.
9. Communion ministers must be masked, sanitize their hands immediately before and after distributing Communion, and when at all possible, to utilize a disinfectant wipe or purificator dipped in a sanitizing solution (at least 60% ethanol or 70% isopropyl alcohol) to sanitize their fingers when incidental contact is made with the communicant.
10. Distribution of Holy Communion from the chalice is prohibited to the assembly and vested deacons. For those who are gluten intolerant, special arrangements are to be made with the pastor.
11. Maintaining a single-file is necessary for the distribution of Holy Communion for each Communion minister and communicant to maintain social distancing. Multiple Communion ministers may be used as long as one-way traffic patterns are observed.
12. During this time, Holy Communion will be distributed in the hand in keeping with the advice of state health officials and thereby to avoid the Communion minister’s fingers coming into contact with saliva or airborne contagion. This might be a good occasion to review proper reception with parishioners: “When receiving in the hand, the communicant should be guided by the words of St. Cyril of Jerusalem: ‘When you approach, take care not to do so with your hand stretched out and your fingers open or apart, but rather place your left hand as a throne beneath your right, as befits one who is about to receive the King. Then receive him, take care that nothing is lost.’” (Norms for the Distribution and Reception of Communion Under Both Kinds in the Dioceses of the United States of America, no. 41)
13. Those who refrain from receiving communion still unite themselves with the sacrifice of Christ. Non-communicants are kindly asked to remain in their places rather than process to request a blessing—a blessing all receive at the end of Mass.
14. When approaching the Communion minister, the communicant is to pull their mask below their chin in order to receive Communion. The communicant immediately replaces their mask after consuming the Host.

After Mass

1. Family units should depart the church in an organized manner wearing masks and observing six feet of distance between other households. Ushers or clergy may need to direct this process.
2. Ushers are not to hand out bulletins or other materials.
3. Clergy and other ministers are not to greet parishioners as they exit the church.
4. There are to be no receptions or social gatherings (e.g., coffee and doughnuts) following Mass.
5. Pews and other high traffic areas of the church are to be wiped down before the next service, with the removal of trash and other items from the pews.

Response to COVID-19 - 4/17/20 Updates

At the direction of the Bishop:

• Suspension of Public Masses is hereby extended from the previously announced date of April 24 to May 15, 2020, unless retracted, for Kansas City, North Kansas City, and Jackson County. The charitable and loving value remains to keep as many persons home as possible to continue to flatten the curve and keep everyone healthy and safe.

• Please continue to see our Church Home Page each weekend for a recording of Sunday Mass at www.nativityofmary.org/liturgy. Live-streams of the Mass will occur at the Parish Facebook page at facebook.com/nativityofmaryparish/live/ at 4:00 pm on Saturdays. Recordings of the Mass will be available afterwards on both the Facebook page and the website so they can be accessed at any time.

• The Capital Campaign is being put on hold until the Fall. Please see the newsletter that arrived in your mailboxes with more information.

• There will be no Office hours for now, but our staff members will be working from home. Please call the office at 816.353.2184 and leave a message and we will be checking these from home. This holds true for anyone seeking information, assistance, an anointing, etc. Email is also an efficient way of communication during these times.
  • Pastor, Fr. Bob Stone - bstone@nativityofmary.org
  • Business Manager, Melissa Clancy - mclancy@nativityofmary.org
  • Director of Music & Liturgy, Maria Milazzo - mmilazzo@nativityofmary.org
  • Sacramental Prep, RCIA, & Youth Ministry, Becky Winbinger - beckywinbinger@nativityofmary.org
  • Secretary, Mary Jo Nafus - mnafus@nativityofmary.org

• Offertory contributions may still be given online at www.nativityofmary.org. Find the Church tab and click on "Vanco - Donations/Tithes." Contributions may also be mailed to the Parish Office at 10017 E 36th Terrace, Independence, MO. 64052

• Full liturgical protocols are posted on the Diocesan website at https://kcsjcatholic.org/

We encourage everyone to please continue prayer, if not increase prayer, during these difficult times. Let's pray for each other and show signs of kindness and care. Show your love of the Body of Christ in your neighbors and friends who may need your help. God did not say to go to church, He said to BE the Church. Now is the time to limit social contact, but continue our prayer for all. Unite yourself with Christ and all those suffering.

Fr. Bob Stone
Maria Milazzo

At the direction of the Bishop:

As community transmission of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) has been declared in our area, public celebrations of the liturgy will cease. Various Parish Events and Celebrations have also been cancelled or postponed. Please see below:

All Masses (daily & weekend) open to the public are cancelled through April 3, 2020. Fr. Bob and Maria will be recording Sunday Mass and uploading it to our website and Parish Facebook page.  CLICK HERE TO CELEBRATE MASS WITH US ONLINE!

• March 19th Capital Campaign Home Event
• March 21st Capital Campaign Poker Tournament
• March 22nd Cinnamon Buns
• March 22 - 24 Lenten Mission *Will be rescheduled for a later date*
• Reconciliation Services scheduled for March 26th and 29th 
• Confessions on Saturday afternoons - please contact Fr. Bob to schedule a Confession
• Grandma Rosie's Rolls - *Money will be refunded* 
• Stations of the Cross
• Music Ministry Rehearsals are cancelled. Maria will communicate recordings and ways to practice at home. 
• RCIA meetings are cancelled. Please see further communication from Becky.
• Eucharistic Adoration will still be offered:Wednesday, April 1, 2020 6:00 - 8:00 pm and Friday, April 3, 2020 - 9:00 am - Noon
• Church will be available for personal prayer, but please call the office at 816.353.2184 first to make sure someone is available to open church. Parish Office hours will be reduced and we ask you call before visiting.
• Offertory contributions may still be given online at VANCO. Contributions may also be mailed to the Parish Office at 10017 E 36th Terrace, Independence, MO. 64052.
• We encourage everyone to please continue prayer, if not increase prayer, during these difficult times. Let's pray for each other and show signs of kindness and care. Show your love of the Body of Christ in your neighbors and friends who may need your help. God did not say to go to church, He said to BE the Church. Now is the time to limit social contact, but continue our prayer for all. Unite yourself with Christ and all those suffering. 
• Daily Masses are offered online from EWTN.com
• At our Diocesan update link https://kcsjcatholic.org/coronavirus-updates/, you will find resources to continue prayer together as a household such as making a Spiritual Communion, praying a rosary, Chaplet of Divine Mercy, and particularly our recommended Prayer to Mary, Health of the Sick.

Dear Parishioners:

The next few weeks are going to be a real challenge for our nation, and for us as Catholics. Our lives as we know it is changing due to the spread of a virus. Attending Mass with our families and communities has been temporarily suspended and we have to find new ways to worship in the next few weeks. We are working on filming the weekend mass and placing it on our website and social media for a different way to worship together. We are trying to take the lemons we have been given, and make lemonade.

We will continue to do our best to meet the spiritual needs of our parish, but to do so in a way that decreases exposure. I appreciate your cooperation and understanding during this difficult time. We will get information out to everyone as soon as we have it.

Even though it seems like the world is coming to a stop. I am sure that our bills will not. We will also be paying our employees during this time. It is vital that we continue to receive income to keep up with all of this. Please consider continuing your giving by making contributions to the Parish online at www.nativityofmary.org. You may go to the Parish tab and find “Vanco – Donations/Tithes.” You may also mail in your contributions. Thank you for your consideration during these difficult times and continue your prayer as our world right now needs it the most. 

Yours in Christ,

Fr. Bob Stone

March 22, 2020 

1. March 25, 6 am praying of Our Father

2. URBI et ORBI Blessing:  Friday, March 27, 12 Noon; plenary indulgence

2. Sacrament of Reconciliation/Penance:

1. “Where the individual faithful find themselves in the painful impossibility of receiving sacramental absolution, it should be remembered that perfect contrition, coming from the love of God, beloved above all things, expressed by a sincere request for forgiveness (that which the penitent is at present able to express) and accompanied by votum confessionis, that is, by the firm resolution to have recourse, as soon as possible, to sacramental confession, obtains forgiveness of sins, even mortal ones (cf. CCC, no. 1452).”

2. “The gift of special Indulgences is granted to the faithful suffering from COVID-19 disease, commonly known as Coronavirus, as well as to health care workers, family members and all those who in any capacity, including through prayer, care for them.”

• A plenary indulgence removes all the temporal punishment due to sin (CCC, 1471).

3. Emergency/Danger of Death Anointings of the Sick and Viaticum (as possible)

1. For the celebration of the “Last Rites”, however, Viaticum may be given along with the Anointing of the Sick with the observance of the special protocols (e.g., use of fresh oil, cotton balls/Q-tips, and medical gloves and masks). 
2. To prevent the contamination of the Blessed Sacrament, the priest should only bring the amount of Holy Communion necessary for Viaticum. 
3. Hospital chaplains are to be especially attentive to the directions of their medical institution and use prudence in moving from room to room in pastoral visits.
4. All priests are reminded to offer the Apostolic Pardon (found, for example, #265, small green book Pastoral Care of the Sick) with or without a celebration of Anointing of the Sick.
5. Helpful for our own edification and catechesis of the faithful is number 12 of the Manual of Indulgences:  At The Point Of Death: 
6. 1 a priest who administers the sacraments to someone in danger of death should not fail to impart the apostolic blessing (pardon) to which a plenary indulgence is attached.
7. 2 If a priest is unavailable, Holy Mother Church benevolently grants to the Christian faithful, who are duly disposed, a plenary indulgence to be acquired at the point of death, provided they have been in the habit of reciting some prayers during their lifetime; in such a case, the Church supplies for the three conditions ordinarily required for a plenary indulgence.

4. Suspension of Public Masses is also hereby extended from the previously announced date of April 3 now through April 24, 2020, unless retracted.

5. Weddings: All weddings are to be postponed or rescheduled until at least April 24, 2020; outside of danger of death situations.

6. Funeral Masses:  Where civic restrictions do not forbid funerals, a priest may celebrate a funeral Mass with up to four asymptomatic adults on a Lenten weekday through April 4, 2020. Where civic restrictions do not forbid it, he may celebrate a funeral without Mass with up to four asymptomatic adults on April 9, 10 and 11. Alternatively, the priest may celebrate a Mass for the Dead on a Lenten weekday up to April 8, or on weekdays from April 13-24, and he may then celebrate a funeral Mass for the same deceased person after April 24, pending both governmental directives and permission from the Office of the Bishop.

7. Suspension of the Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil:

1. Since there will be no initiation sacraments at the Easter Vigil this year in the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, please plan for either of these options: a) tentatively, if pandemic restrictions are lifted, the bishop grants permission to celebrate the initiation of the elect by Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist at a Pentecost Vigil Mass on May 30, 2020; or b) the priest may celebrate the initiation rites on the first available (hopefully) Sunday in Easter Time when both the local/state/federal government have lifted restrictions and the Office of the Bishop permits. 
2. Likewise, in accordance with Church law, priests may celebrate the Rite of Reception of Baptized Christians into the Full Communion of the Catholic Church at any time for those adults and children of catechetical age who have a valid baptism in another Christian denomination. Priests may schedule receptions at the earliest opportunity AFTER civic restrictions on gatherings have been lifted and the Office of the Bishop confirms that civic lifting for the state/county where the Rite of Reception is to be celebrated.

8. HOLY WEEK

1. Palm Sunday of the Passion of Our Lord
   5. The pastor or another priest should celebrate Mass for the intentions of the people privately with up to four asymptomatic adults to assist the celebration of the liturgy
   5. Palms are to be blessed using the second form of the Commemoration of the Lord’s Entrance into Jerusalem, but NOT distributed in any manner to the faithful until the Office of the Bishop directs and grants permission.
2. Holy Thursday, Mass of the Lord’s Supper
   5. The Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments has granted the exceptional faculty to each priest to celebrate Mass, without the people present, on this day in 2020.  As above, the priest may celebrate privately or have up to four additional asymptomatic adults assisting in the vital ministries.
   5. The foot washing option must be omitted.
   5. At the end of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, the procession with the Blessed Sacrament to the place of repose is to be omitted and the Blessed Sacrament is to be kept in the tabernacle.
   5. Priests who are unable to celebrate Mass should instead pray Vespers/Evening Prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours.
3. Good Friday, Passion of the Lord
   5. As above, the priest may celebrate privately or have up to four additional asymptomatic adults assisting in the vital ministries.
   5. In the Universal Prayer, there is to be added EITHER of the options attached.  The first is from the USCCB and the second is provided by our KCSJ Office of Divine Worship.
   5. During the Adoration of the Holy Cross, there should be no kissing or touching of the cross.  A genuflection or profound bow would be an appropriate sign of reverence.
4. Easter Vigil
   5. As above, the priest may celebrate privately or have up to four additional asymptomatic adults assisting in the vital ministries.
   5. At “The Solemn Beginning of the Vigil or Lucenarium,” the preparation and lighting of the fire is omitted.
   5. The Paschal Candle is lit; the procession is omitted.
   5. The Easter Proclamation (Exsultet) follows.
   6. The Liturgy of the Word takes place according to the rubrics.
   5. For the “Baptismal Liturgy,” the “Renewal of Baptismal Promises” alone is necessary (cf. Missale Romanum, pg 371, n. 55). 
   5. The Liturgy of the Eucharist then follows.
   5. All priests and religious who have absolutely no possibility of uniting themselves to the Paschal Vigil celebrated in a church should pray the Office of Readings for Easter Sunday in the Liturgy of the Hours.  Others are likewise invited to pray the Office of Readings in union with Church universal.
5. Easter Sunday
   5. As above, the priest may celebrate privately or have up to four additional asymptomatic adults assisting in the vital ministries.

 
These guidelines do not address nor anticipate every possible situation.  Further advice might be needed in those situations.


March 16, 2020
Liturgical Protocols as Community Transmission of Covid-19 Begins in Missouri
 
As at least one community transmission of COVID-19 (the Coronavirus) has been declared in our area (i.e., widespread infection), public celebrations of the liturgy will cease.
 
Churches will remain open for personal and household prayer, devotions, and confessions. If the parish has the practice of Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament, this practice may continue, be restricted, or be suspended altogether according to the judgment of the pastor. Under no circumstances is the exposed Blessed Sacrament to be left unattended. If necessary, the Blessed Sacrament may be reposed in the tabernacle and adorers should be encouraged to maintain their prayer schedules as much as possible. 
 
As COVID-19 begins to spread in Missouri because of community transmission, the following additional measures will take immediate effect for the Diocese of Kansas City – St. Joseph until April 3:

1. The suspension of all public Masses. This includes the extension of the dispensation by the Bishop for all the faithful from the obligation to participate at Mass on Sunday.
2. The celebration of Mass by the priest should continue and include the assistance of at least one other adult minister who is asymptomatic, but no more than four.  Previously scheduled intentions, including the weekly Mass for the people, may be fulfilled in this manner. 
3. Priests are encouraged to solicit assistance from the laity to live-stream Masses celebrated in the parish, using social media. This can be done with a smartphone with access to the internet. If not, the Mass could be recorded (again on a smartphone) and then later uploaded to the parish website or posted for viewing online. Parishioners, of course, could be encouraged to watch Mass on the internet or television, but the preference should be given to virtual participation in the Mass celebrated in their home parish.  Our diocesan website has posted some links to others on the sidebar of https://kcsjcatholic.org/coronavirus-updates/. 
4. The faithful are also encouraged to celebrate Sunday as a domestic church by taking time to pray together as a household.  At our diocesan update link we provide some additional links in addition to making a Spiritual Communion, praying a rosary, Chaplet of Divine Mercy, and particularly our recommended Prayer to Mary, Health of the Sick.
5. Baptisms may still be celebrated, but with the requirement to keep attendance to asymptomatic immediate family and godparents.
6. The sacrament of confession should still be offered, but penance services are to be canceled. When celebrated individually, proper social distancing should be observed as much as possible. This would seem to favor anonymous confession through the screen. For face-to-face confessions, consideration should be given to moving the chair for the penitent approximately six feet from the confessor, even if this would necessitate using a different room than normally used for confession.
7. Holy Communion may still be administered by clergy and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, and anointing of the sick may still be administered by priests to those seriously ill or in danger of death, but always following the proper protocols for handwashing and use of masks by those infected and those who are ministering.
8. Confirmation Masses with the bishop will be rescheduled.  Priests should use the faculty to confirm in danger of death if needed. 
9. Public weddings should be rescheduled, particularly those in April. Simple weddings and validations may be celebrated, but only with the minister, official witnesses and asymptomatic immediate family members. 
10. Funerals may be celebrated, but only with the minister and immediate family members.  Pastors may use discretion on other requests from families on including others. 
11. If they are not already doing so, parishioners should be encouraged to consider contributing to the parish by electronic giving. They may also mail their weekly contributions.  The Church will continue her ministries during this period of financial strain and please consider maintaining or increasing your level of contributions at this time.
12. Public celebrations of the Liturgy of the Hours, Stations of the Cross, in-person Bible study groups (or other devotional gatherings) are suspended until the public celebration of Mass resumes.
13. The public celebration of the Chrism Mass will not happen, but a later communication will inform priests upon the procedure in acquiring the three oils for the new year.
14. Regarding planning for Holy Week, for current consideration are the following:
    1. The liturgies could be celebrated with the priest and at least one minister but no more than four, and recorded as described above. If possible, an organist, keyboardist or other musician who sings, or a musician and cantor could be present to assist in order to provide some music for these most sacred celebrations.
    2. At the discretion of the pastor for those parishes with catechumens and/or candidates, the Easter Vigil could be celebrated with the catechumens and/or candidates with only asymptomatic individuals who are sponsors, RCIA team members and immediate family, or their baptism/reception may be postponed until a later time (e.g., the Vigil of Pentecost on May 30).

• For those who are suffering in the current outbreak of sickness, that they might be healed, and for the happy repose of all who have died from this sickness in recent weeks; let us pray to the Lord
• For scientists, health professionals, public officials, and all who are serving the common good in this difficult and uncertain time, that they will be filled with wisdom and understanding; let us pray to the Lord
• That in times of illness, our merciful and loving Father will strengthen our faith and trust in His goodness and divine providence; let us pray to the Lord
• That our compassionate Father would touch all affected by the current outbreak with healing and peace; let us pray to the Lord