On April 16, 2021 the Province of Ontario announced amendments to the Stay at Home order to address the COVID-19 crisis. These changes will come into effect as of April 19, 2021 and last until May 20, 2021. The stay-at-home order requires everyone to remain at home with exceptions for essential purposes.
Weekend Mass: Starting April 19, religious services can continue but are to be limited to a 10 person capacity indoors with physical distancing and compliance with rules on face coverings. This will include all Masses, Confessions and Adoration. Weekend Mass, Saturdays at 5pm, will be live streamed only. The 10-person limit will be filled by the ministers and the livestream team. We are encouraging parishioners to still join us online and to make acts of spiritual communion.
Weekday Masses: You may register to attend daily Mass, Tuesday at 7pm and Wednesday to Friday at 9am. Each of these Masses will be open for up to 6 people to register in addition to the Celebrant, Reader, Sacristan and Live Stream Attendant. You may register by emailing communications@stmauriceparish.com . We ask that you register only once during this lockdown in order to give others an opportunity to attend. We will continue to live stream weekday Mass. Links are on the home page of our website and our YouTube channel.
Please note that the obligation to attend Sunday Mass is still lifted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, while the obligation to attend Sunday Mass is lifted, our obligation to keep the Lord’s Day holy remains in place and can never be dispensed or lifted. Thus, we encourage you to find ways to keep the Lord’s day holy, and to gather as a family and pray such as joining us via the livestream Mass.
This current lockdown has been extended to May 20. God willing, we will resume attending Mass in person on the weekend of May 22/23.
Confession: We would still like to offer Confessions at this time on Saturdays from 3pm-4pm. We are only permitted to have ten people at a time in the building, so we will need to insist that people respect the protocol in order that we may continue to provide this necessary Sacrament of Mercy. Hopefully this will continue without a hitch. This will be for the Saturdays on April 24, May 1, May 8 and May 15. Hopefully we can return to lesser restrictions on May 22.
As was the case before the lockdown, you can always contact the priests directly to schedule an appointment for confession as well.
Adoration inside the Church: Adoration will continue in the Church only on Sundays from 10am to 2pm.
Parking Lot Communion: We will resume parking lot Communion services on Sundays from April 25 to May 16, 11am to noon.
Thank you for reading this through. Please pass any information along to parishioners you know who do not have email, or who have not signed up for Constant Contact. It is important for us to stay up to date as things progress.
Many blessings to you during this Easter season.
In Jesus, our Risen Lord,