I want to give a little overview as things stand right now for our liturgical celebrations.
We are currently offering daily Masses at 6:15AM and 8:15AM Monday through Friday, and at 8:15AM on Saturday. There is no signup to attend these Masses. Masks and social distancing are required. On the weekends, we have Masses on Saturday at 5PM, Sunday at 7:30AM, 9AM and 11AM. These Masses currently have a signup – the link to sign up goes out every Monday in the weekly parish email. Masks are required as well as social distancing. You are pre-seated so that we can fit as many people as possible in the church. You may request a certain pew or area if you like. I do my best to fill the requests! If you aren’t receiving our Monday email, please contact Jordan Schmitz, at jschmitz@popolathe.org, she will check to see if you’re on the distribution list for this weekly email. Beginning next Sunday, September 13, we will start up the 5PM Sunday Mass again. There will not be a sign up for this Mass – you can just come. Once again, masks are required, and social distancing will be in place. There will be ushers to assist in getting you seated appropriately.
On August 23, we started the Rite for Distribution of Holy Communion Outside of Mass at 10:15AM in the northwest parking lot. This service is intended for people who are not able to attend Mass in church at this time. It is anticipated that you will watch a Mass online or on TV or the live-stream on Facebook of the parish 9AM Mass and then come out for this service to receive the Eucharist. This service consists of an opening greeting, penitential rite and prayer, then the Sunday Gospel reading, the Universal Prayers and then the Communion Rite with the Lord’s Prayer, and the reception of Communion. Communion will then be distributed to everyone. You may stand outside your car to receive, or stay seated in your car with your window down. After Communion is distributed, there is a prayer, concluding blessing and sending forth. Please stay for all of it before leaving! This service will be held each Sunday at 10:15AM. Please come out and join your Prince of Peace community in prayer from the safety of your own car. We look forward to engaging with you during this time.
For our liturgical ministers, you should have received information from me regarding how to sign up to help at Mass. We are currently using one Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion, one lector and a few ushers/greeters. With this weekend (Sept. 5/6), we have begun using MSP for scheduling again. This is the program that we used pre-COVID for all our scheduling. You can sign up for any open spot. I have made everyone in the program an usher so that everyone can volunteer to help out with that role as we greatly need your help with this. If you don’t remember your login or pass-word, email me and I’ll send it to you: mjakmouj@popolathe.org.
Some other questions people have been asking:
1. Restrooms – The restrooms are open for emergency use as they are not sanitized between uses.
2. Water fountain – The water fountain is turned off. Feel free to bring a bottle of water with you if you need it.
3. Feel free to greet our Priests and Deacons after Mass outside and sometimes they’re around before Mass, too.
4. If you need to leave Mass with a child, you can – we just don’t want a people running around in the Gathering Area during Mass. The interior doors remain open all the time between the Church and the Gathering Area, so the noise travels. The rest of the building is essentially off limits during the weekends. We are trying to limit what has to be sanitized and cleaned throughout the weekend. ‘Safety first’ is still our theme.
Let me know if you have any questions or concerns at any time!
Melissa — 913-747-7741 or mjakmouj@popolathe.org