St. Philip Benizi -- Our Parish Plan for partial reopening of the Parish for the Celebration of Mass (according to PHASE ONE of the Diocesan Plan for Reopening)

 [ Texto en Español ]

Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord, 

We know that many of you have been waiting with baited breath word of how we're going to be re-opening our parish for the Celebration of Mass on the weekend of June 13-14, 2020.

So here then is our Parish Plan for Reopening:

(1) Cover Letter 

(2) Norms for the Celebration of Mass at St. Philip Benizi Parish during the First Phase of Reopening

(3) Other Policies to be Followed at St. Philip Benizi Parish during the First Phase of Reopening

Note that we be sending all of the information given here in a Mailing by U.S. Mail on Monday / Tuesday (June 8-9, 2020) of the coming week.  So all registered families should receive a copy by Thursday or Friday (June 11-12, 2020).

But here then is the text:

Cover Letter:

       
St. Philip Benizi Catholic Church
235 South Pine Drive, Fullerton, CA  92833
Tel. (714)871-3610      FAX (714) 871-5827
e-mail:  philipbenizi@aol.com      www.benizi.us

I rejoiced when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD” -- Psalm 122:1

June 6, 2020

Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,

On Friday, May 22, the Diocese of Orange announced that “public masses can begin in Orange County on the solemnity of Corpus Christi, Sunday, June 14 in a phased-in approach with measures in place to safeguard public health.” 

Since then the Diocese has informed us that it fully intends to respect the State of California’s COVID-19 IndustryGuidance for Places of Worship released on May 25th.  The most significant of its restrictions is that “Places of worship must limit attendance to 25% of building capacity or a maximum of 100 attendees, whichever is lower. This limitation will be in effect for the first 21-days of a county public health department’s approval of religious services … at places of worship within their jurisdictions.”

In subsequent weekly meetings with the Pastors and Business Managers of the Parishes of the Diocese, our Bishop, Most Rev. Kevin Vann, has made it abundantly clear that his over-riding interest is in protecting the Common Good, that is, in the health and welfare of our parishioners, especially “the weakest among us,” our Seniors and those with underlying health conditions.  Further, Bishop Vann has made it clear that he is not being guided by politics of any kind, but rather and above all by the medical experts at the world-class St. Joseph Medical Center, founded decades ago by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange and a source of pride for both the Diocese and the County at large.  We have top-notch medical experts working at our St. Joseph Medical Center.  We have an obligation to listen to them.

As such both Bishop Vann and the Servite Friars staffing our parish wish to underline the Bishop’s extension of the “dispensation from the obligation to attend Mass on Sunday and Holy Days of Obligation until such time as it is deemed safe to have large gatherings at Mass.”   So both Bishop Vann and the Servite Friars ask that our parishioners over sixty-five or with underlying medical conditions take advantage of this dispensation and stay home during this three week first phase of the reopening of the churches.  Our Masses will continue to be live-streamed, if beginning on June 13-14 directly from the Church, both to the Hall (allowing us to seat 200 people at a time on the parish grounds – 100 in the Church and another 100 in the Hall) as well on Facebook / YouTube to the world at large, and more to the point, to your homes.

To underline the point that our older and weaker parishioners should really stay at home during this first phase, Bishop Vann, while feeling the obligation to celebrate Mass at the Cathedral, will not distribute Communion, and our Father David, 81, will continue to celebrate Mass only at home, with his Masses live-streamed to the Hall and to the community / world via Facebook/YouTube.  So if you are older or not particularly healthy, please continue to stay at home at this time.

With this context in mind, the norms / policies for the Celebration of Mass, the other sacraments and operation of our plant follow.

Sincerely and in Christ,

Fr. Dennis Kriz, OSM

Pastor, St. Philip Benizi Catholic Church

Norms for the Celebration of Mass at St. Philip Benizi Parish

During the First Phase of Reopening

As per Bishop Kevin Vann’s request, the guidelines detailed here are predicated on the value of keeping “the weakest among us” safe.  As dispensation from the obligation to attend Mass remains in effect, Parishioners over 65, ill or with underlying medical conditions are strongly urged to NOT come to Mass during this first phase of reopening but to continue to watch it live-streamed at home.

(1) Mass Schedule:  We will respect our previous Regular Parish Mass Schedule for both Sunday and Weekday Masses with the single exception: Sunday 7 AM Mass will be suspended during this first, 100 person-only, phase of reopening.

(2) Entrance into the Church / Public Safety and Social Distancing Norms: Worshippers will be expected to enter through the main doors.  There will be a hand sanitizing station there to sanitize their hands.  Worshippers will be expected to wear masks.  Those who do not come wearing masks will be provided one (purchased by the Diocese) by ushers at the door. Families will be expected to maintain a 6’ distance from each other in the pews.  

(3) Ministers / Ministries during this First Phase of the Reopening of the Church:

a) Ushers – There will be one or two ushers at the entrance, with face-shields and gloves, counting the worshipers entering the church, and directing them to the hand sanitizing stations, our collection boxes, giving them a mask if needed, and directing them to the hall if the 100 person limit has been reached.

b) EMHCs -- There will be no EMHCs serving at the Masses during this time

            c) Altar Servers -- There will be no Altar Servers serving at the Masses during this time

            d) Lectors / Ministry of the Word -- There will be only one Lector to Proclaim from the Ambo. The Presider may proclaim the Gospel and deliver the Homily from either the Ambo or the Altar, whichever is more comfortable for him.  The Prayers of the Faithful will be led by the Presider from the Presider’s Chair.

            e) Music -- Music will be kept to a minimum during this time with simply an organist and possibly a cantor, playing / singing from the musicians’ corner in the church.  Music will be kept simple, with instrumentals and solo works preferred. 

            f) The Collection – There will be no passing of baskets for the Collection during Mass.  Instead collection boxes, pointed out by the ushers as the worshipers enter the church and/or a basket at the foot of the altar, will be available for worshipers to deposit their collection

(4) Communion:

a) Distribution -- As per Option 1 of the USCCB’s guidelines for Distribution of Communion during this time of Pandemic, the Presider and if present Deacon will alone consume after the Fractioning Rite / Lamb of God.  Communion will be distributed after the Final Blessing by the Presider Only in the Church, (and by a SPB Staff Member and/or Servite Friar in the Hall).  This is to allow worshippers to leave the church, through doors that will be designated, immediately following reception of Communion.

b) Communion in the Hand vs on the Tongue -- Those receiving Communion are strongly urged to receive Communion on the hand.  The Presider who will be distributing Communion wearing a plastic face-shield, will stop and hand-sanitize, after every Communion given on the tongue (and whenever one feels it appropriate to do so during the course of distributing Communion).

c) Reception by the Faithful of the Blood of Christ, per Diocesan decree, remains suspended at this time.

d) Post Communion Reflection – As the expectation will be for worshippers to leave the Church upon receiving Communion, we ask that worshippers take some time after leaving the Church, in one’s car or upon arriving home, to reflect on and give thanks for the precious gift, the Body of Christ, that they had received.

Other Policies to be followed at St. Philip Benizi Parish

During the First Phase of Reopening

The current “Phase One” of the Diocesan Reopening Plan envisions only the partial reopening of the Churches for the celebration of Mass and the Sacraments.  As such:

(1) Parish Offices – will remain closed to the public until further notice

(2) Meetings -- of both Parish and non-Parish groups on campus will remain suspended until further notice.

(3) Other Sacramental Services

a) Daily Masses (which will be live streamed from the Church), and scheduled Private Baptisms, Quinceañeras, and Weddings as well as Funerals can be celebrated in the Church during this first phase of reopening so long as the 100 person attendance limit is respected.

            b) Confessions will be available only by appointment during this phase.  Please call the Parish office to make an appointment with a priest.

            c)  Anointings, Blessings will be available only by appointment and the discretion of the priests involved. Please call the Parish office to make an appointment with a priest.

            d) The Church outside of Church Services, while this may change soon enough, the Church will remain closed outside of Church services until further notice, similarly

            e) Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament on Thursday evenings will continue in a similar manner at least for the near future as in the recent past, that is, live-streamed, from a location to be determined, without the public present. 

(4) Reception of Sacraments of Initiation -- due to the 100-person limit placed on us for the celebration of public Masses during this first phase of re-opening:

            a) RCIA – planning for the completion of the RCIA process – the final two Scrutinies and the Mass of Initiation remain to be celebrated – has been postponed until a date is set for our entry into Phase Two of the Diocesan Reopening Plan.  Currently, we could enter into Phase Two in the first part of July, but no date has yet been set.

            b) Adult Sacraments – planning for the celebration of the Adult Sacraments has been postponed until a date is set for our entry into Phase Two of the Diocesan Reopening Plan.

            c) Confirmation – we await here Diocesan decisions on whether a Bishop would come to celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation or authority to confirm our teenage confirmandi will be delegated to the Pastors.  In any case, there is no way that this Sacrament can be Celebrated with a 100-person attendance limit, so this Sacrament’s celebration will have to wait until the Diocese enters into Phase Two of its Reopening Plan.

            d) First Communions / Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.  While celebration of First Communions would be made much easier upon entry into Phase Two of the Diocesan Reopening Plan, we have come up with a plan to celebrate first communions through a series of special Saturday morning Masses (20 First Communions at a Time) throughout the month of July.  More information will be sent to the First Communicants’ Parents shortly.