Reopening Mass

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Welcome to St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Parish. We’re excited to have you back.
As we reopen our church in phases, we wanted to cover a few procedures we are putting in place that will help keep you and those around you safe during Mass.

Arrival at church

Before you arrive for Mass, we ask that you wash your hands. Please remember to wash your hands for 20 seconds with soap and water. For those at the age of reason, usually 7 and up, we ask that you wear some kind of face covering. Please put your mask or face covering on before exiting your car. During mass the narthex and Aquinas room will be closed to general use.

We ask that you try and bring your own hand sanitizer to use before and during mass, but we will have some located at the entrances. Please don't exit your vehicle until 30 minutes before Mass begins. The main doors of the church will only open 30 minutes prior to the start of Mass so that we can ensure the pews and chairs have been cleaned and sanitized.

In the church, every other pew will be closed and marked by white strings. An usher will seat your household in the first available pew, beginning from the front of the church to the back. You may be sharing a pew with another household, especially families of one, but to maintain the recommended social distance of 6 feet, please leave at least an empty kneeler between households.

If the seating in the Church becomes full, we will move to two overflow spaces in Zurek Hall and the Parish Activity Center. A livestream of the video and audio will be provided, as well as communion. Chairs will be set up in these spaces in groups of 6 to accommodate most households. If your household requires more than 6 chairs, please see an usher and they will add any additional chairs that you need.

The only entrances that will be used for the Church, PAC, and Zurek will be the courtyard entrances. All doors will be used for departure, but will not be open or unlocked before Mass.

Please only use the Aquinas Room for changing or nursing a child, and avoid congregating in the narthex.

During Mass

Mass will proceed as normal, but a few things should be noted. Please keep your face mask on for the duration of Mass. A collection will not be taken during the offertory, but collection baskets will be placed close to the entrances before and after Mass for you to place your collection. We strongly encourage you to continue or set up giving online through WeShare. Contact the parish office if you need help setting up your WeShare account.

There should be no physical contact between households before, during, or after Mass. There will be no sign of peace, and we ask that you please don’t hold hands during the Our Father.

During the Communion Rite of the Mass, only Fr. Albert and the serving Deacon will receive communion. However, holy communion will be distributed to everyone who is capable and desires to receive the Eucharist AFTER the conclusion of Mass.

Fr. Albert and the Deacon will purify the vessels used during Mass and return to their seats like normal.

Reception of Holy Communion

After the final blessing and dismissal please remain in your seat and kneel or be seated when Fr. Albert directs you to. To minimize any point of contact, the ministers of holy communion will come to you and distribute to you at your seat. We ask that everyone kneel or sit, place their hands on the seat in front of them, and remove their mask before the minister arrives. This will make it easiest for the minister to distribute communion instead of having a moving target. When you receive communion, say amen in your heart, consume the host and put your mask back on. Then make an act of thanksgiving.

If you require a Low Gluten Host, instead of kneeling or sitting please stand and the minister will come to you. They will start in the church, go to Zurek, and then the PAC. We appreciate your patience. Please reserve Low Gluten Hosts for those who need them.

Departure

After a brief moment, families will be dismissed in an orderly fashion starting in the rear of the church and moving forward. This will be similar to how you exit an airplane. You must exit your pew when prompted. Prolonged prayer in the church is not available after masses, to ensure the safest departure for everyone, and to allow the church to be reset and disinfected. All exits of the church will be utilized during departure you can drop your weekly offertory as you depart.

Please do not linger outside the Church or in the parking lots. We know everyone is excited to be back and see each other, but we need to continue our social distancing efforts as we slowly re-open.

Church Cleaning Procedures

We will continue to implement cleanliness and sanitation practices including sanitizing pews between each Mass, disinfecting bathrooms, door handles, and other touch surfaces throughout the day.

All volunteers, ushers, and staff must wear facemasks, wash their hands frequently and will be self-screening for COVID-19 symptoms, following the governor’s guidance.

You are reminded to follow CDC recommendations regarding your own health. If you are sick or don’t feel well, please stay home. If you are over the age of 65 or part of another vulnerable group, please stay home and join us by live stream of the 11:00 AM Sunday Mass or the 12:15 PM daily Mass. As a reminder, Bishop Vasquez has dispensed the obligation to attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation.

We look forward to seeing you again soon. Together, we can keep everyone safe while we worship God at Mass.