Our Plan to Resume Worship at St. Bernadette

I wanted to provide an update on our plan to reopen St. Bernadette for public worship services.

Last week, the Archdiocese of Chicago announced that it’s parishes could begin to reopen as early as Saturday, May 23. All parishes have been told to reopen at their own pace, in a way that is appropriate for each individual parish. My goal in reopening was to  do so gradually and carefully, and to exercise my responsibility to guard public health. I know that we are all suffering spiritually, and I have seen the longing to return to the Sacraments. I want us to be able to rejoice in the parish’s reopening, but to understand that we all share the responsibility to be faithful citizens and do our best to protect one another from this virus.

Our goal is to be open for private prayer on Sunday, May 31, from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon. This will then continue daily. We will also begin scheduling baptisms and funeral Masses and confessions.

In order to successfully reopen, there is a strict procedure developed by the Archdiocese and vetted both by public health officials and clergy that we have been asked to follow. The first thing we needed was volunteers to lead the process. I worked with the parish council and finance council to identify volunteers for a Parish Leadership Team: Char Bermele and John Woolley will be joining me as co-leaders, along with Brian McNamara, Carol Zofkie, and Maribeth Rodela. In addition to the leadership team, we will have three sub-committees: one for set-up (led by Brian), another for greeters (led by Carol) and a final for cleaning (led by Maribeth).

In addition to volunteers, we also need to make sure we have enough cleaning supplies and protective equipment. The Archdiocese has given as a small supply to begin with, but we need to show the Archdiocese we also have a plan to acquire supplies as needed. The church will need to be cleaned and disinfected daily once we reopen. Finally, we also need to ensure the church has signs and areas marked to help observe social distancing.

Like stores, restaurants, and other public places, St. Bernadette will observe social distance guidelines put forth by public health officials.  During the first phase of reopening, no more than 10 people will be allowed in the church at one time. Celebrations, such as baptisms, weddings, and funeral Masses, will also be limited to 10. Alternating pews will be blocked off to help us keep six feet of separation, and there will be spacing rules in pews for families who sit together. There will be areas marked on the floors for where to stand when in line for communion, or attending confession or a baptism. Masks will also be required, and Fr. Bob and I will be wearing a face shield at times when we come into closer contact with worshipers, such as when we distribute communion. All of this is being done in order to keep everyone safe and prevent a second outbreak of infections.

I know not everyone will agree with these changes. They may appear burdensome, or even troubling. Many of us are waiting for things to “get back to normal” and the sight of face shields, masks, and social distancing markers when we come to pray may serve as a reminder that we are still far from normal. However, the church has a duty to protect those who come to worship, a duty we will be taking seriously during this pandemic. Taking necessary precautions to keep the virus from spreading is a way we can all demonstrate our respect for life. Remember, too, that all of our new procedures have also been reviewed by clergy and they conform to the rites for the Sacraments and are allowable under church law.

Once we have reopened, we, and all parishes in the Archdiocese, will be gathering feedback and comments and evaluating what changes need to be made to help parishioners feel at ease in their church, or what improvements can be made to ensure safety before beginning to discuss reopening for Mass. I do not have a timeline for when we will celebrate public Masses. A lot still depends on the progression of the virus. Mass will still be available on YouTube every Sunday while we begin this gradual reopening.  I thank you for the patience you have demonstrated with me and with the Church during this difficult time. I know we are all eager to see St. Bernadette come back and come back strong. I look forward to the day when we can safely come together and worship once again in our beautiful church.
 
Peace,
Fr. Benedykt