MASSES ARE BACK!

The faithful in the Diocese of Albany finally got some long-awaited good news.

On June 6, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that places of worship could reopen immediately at 25 percent capacity as long as they meet strict safety protocols for COVID-19. The last day public Masses were held in the Diocese was March 15, a day later Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger canceled services because of the coronavirus.

“On this weekend, as we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Trinity and look forward to next weekend’s celebration of Corpus Christi, we are ever more aware of and grateful for the great gift of the Eucharist. We know our people are hungering to return to their churches and to the sacraments, and their priests and parish leaders are hungering to offer this spiritual food to their people,” said Bishop Scharfenberger, who has kept churches open throughout the pandemic so the faithful could pray privately, on June 6. “I am happy to announce that any churches that can do so may safely resume the celebration of the Eucharist, the source and summit of our faith.”

Even with the reopening news, the dispensation from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass remains in place, so those who are vulnerable or even simply uncomfortable attending a public liturgy are encouraged to remain at home and view Mass via livestreams, which will continue in local parishes. (For livestream information, visit rcda.org/livemass)

It is also important to remember that going back to Mass is going to feel and look different at first. Each parish is unique in design and some may not be ready to open this weekend.

Father Anthony Barratt, pastor at Holy Trinity parish and the diocesan director of Prayer and Worship, who was part of the reopening committee in Diocese, added it’s better not to rush. “If you aren’t ready yet, that is not a problem,” he said.

Some other points to keep in mind: There will also be strict social protocols in place so everyone must maintain the six-foot social distancing requirement. The Diocese also recommends that parishioners should bring and wear their own masks and, if possible, a bottle of hand sanitizer for use upon entering, before receiving Communion, after receiving Communion and after exiting the church.

Plan on restricted seating, and a change in both the reception of Communion and exit strategies to ensure social distancing. Visit rcda.org/coronavirus and follow diocesan social media pages on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.

Most importantly, parishioners should check with their parishes before planning to attend a Mass, as every parish has unique procedures and protocols and will have different ways of offering public Mass, reserving seats and logging visits. In addition, because many priests serving in parishes throughout the Diocese are themselves vulnerable, they may choose to (and are encouraged to) opt out of serving if they have concerns about their health and safety. In those cases, a local parish may join with another local parish for public liturgies.

Holy Trinity Parish - which consists of the Church of St. Mary in Hudson, Church of the Resurrection in Germantown and the Chapel of the Nativity of Our Lord in Linlithgo — resumed its daily Masses on Tuesday with the normal weekend Mass schedule starting on Saturday and Sunday. Their website states, “All visitors will be required to wear a mask, observe physical distancing (6 ft.) and proper sanitizing. A daily attendance log (names and telephone numbers) will be kept for contact tracing purposes.”

The three churches each had a rehearsal this week with the ushers to see how Masses would be celebrated in this new normal.

“Each place is slightly different and we had three local plans depending on the space,” Father Barratt said. “The point of the rehearsal was let’s imagine we are having Mass and how this is going to work and to iron out any kinks; let’s try and do this as close as we can.”

Father Barratt said he focused on what he called three “crunch” points where social distancing must be maintained: People arriving (“How can we be welcoming but also maintain the various protocols”), Holy Communion and exiting the church.

They have also put chains with hooks on each pew so “we can open or close any bench in the church.” Parishioners will attend Mass as they always have and Father Barratt doesn’t expect there to be a problem with the size of the faithful. 

“Where churches have opened, I have researched it and in the first few weekends, you are looking at 20-to-30 percent of the usual attendance, which is quite a bit less than the actual attendance of the church,” Father Barratt said. “If we go over capacity folks will have to wait outside. The ushers have been trained to escort people in to receive Holy Communion and in two places we have a PA system so they can hear (the Mass) outside.”

For the people in the Diocese, the excitement is palpable.

“The phone has been ringing off the hook, people are very excited. There is an anxiety and nervousness, as well,” Father Barratt said. “People have been waiting for this and, speaking as an Englishman, we don’t do emotion well, but I am ecstatic.