Public Mass Returns Wednesday

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Grace and peace to each of you. As I mentioned in my homily this past weekend on the solemn feast of the Ascension of Our Lord, these last days of the Easter season offer us a rich opportunity to reflect on Jesus’s ongoing mission on earth that continues even as he has returned to the right hand of the Father, his invitation to share in that mission here and now, and our ultimate end in heaven.

It is with that in mind that I am pleased to announce that we will return to limited public Mass here at Nativity of Our Lord beginning on Wednesday, June 3. As you know, the well-being of our community members — body and soul — is our number one priority, and in particular the most vulnerable. This led us to cancel all our in-person events, move school students to a distance-learning model, and suspend public liturgies. And it is with that same well-being in mind that we plan to return to public liturgy.

The Holy Eucharist is indeed the source and summit of our Christian faith and thus we have continued to offer the Mass here at Nativity throughout the stay-at-home orders, live-streamed to your homes. Even as we have been separated, the Mass is real and efficacious and an important sign of the ongoing work of salvation in those who participate immediately as well as our Catholic brothers and sisters everywhere else.

Now that we are able to invite low-risk parishioners back to public Mass, it is important to remember that even as we ask our vulnerable, higher-risk sisters and brothers to remain at home, that we are all still united in the Eucharist — just as all of heaven, and indeed Jesus himself, seated at the Father’s right hand, is ever near to us.

No, things will not be back to “normal” anytime soon, even with a return to public liturgy. Mass will look different: we will ask you to register before coming and limit your registration to allow for all interested parishioners the opportunity to attend in a timely manner. There will be mandatory safety protocols in place throughout our liturgies, including safe distancing of households and wearing face coverings. We will also abstain from congregational singing, as singing expels more respiratory particles than speaking.

But therein lies the beauty of our Christian faith: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is not fazed by these necessary — and, yes, sometimes awkward — safety measures, and neither should we be.

In particular, here’s what will not change: we will continue to reach out to our high-risk parishioners, offering spiritual and practical care. We will continue to live-stream Mass daily at 8:15 AM. The Lord’s Day vigil Mass on Saturdays at 5:00 PM will remain private so we can live-stream it while preserving the beautiful music and singing with cantor and organ. Private Communion will continue for those who cannot or choose not to join us at Mass. And all Catholics continue to be exempt from any obligation to attend Mass throughout the pandemic.

Please familiarize yourself with the further details enclosed in this letter on the public liturgy protocols here at Nativity, many of which are specifically passed on to us by the Archdiocese. We are confident that by following these protocols we can best ensure the health and safety of all of our congregants.

• Learn more about signing up for public Mass

To do so, we will need many dedicated (low-risk) volunteers to help. Please the parish office to volunteer.

• Learn more about volunteering at public Mass

Finally, please join me in prayer for those suffering from COVID-19 and any other illness, those who care for them, those suffering other effects of the pandemic including isolation and financial vulnerability, our leaders in government and healthcare working to keep us safe and healthy, and in particular for those who have died.

I look forward to seeing you again soon in the pews, and especially to an eventual return to a time when we can again pack our church to full capacity and worship together in one voice and heart.

In God’s love and peace,

Fr. Patrick Hipwell, Pastor of Nativity of Our Lord

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The original version of this letter was mailed to registered parishioners on Thursday, May 28. An adapted version appears in the Sunday, May 31 bulletin.