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November 16, 2020Around this time of year, and maybe even earlier, we start to hear & see countdowns of how many days remain until the holidays. There are “x” number of days left until Thanksgiving or there are “x” number of days left until Christmas. In “normal” years, there are many preparations that go into getting ready for the holidays & this year is no different, though we know & we’ve heard that this year’s holiday celebrations will take on a different look with the continuing pandemic that we are in.
Those changes won’t just be happening to our family celebrations & our gatherings with friends, they’ll also be affecting how we celebrate here in Church. For example, as much as we love the traditional hymns & carols of Christmas (I can’t imagine processing into Christmas Mass without singing “O Come Let Us Adore Him, Christ the Lord”) this year we won’t be able to sing those carols, at least here in Church, nor will we be able to have our Christmas choirs. Believe me, it pains me as much as it pains you, the sounds of the Christmas holiday are part of what makes it so special. We are discussing the possibilities of having some Christmas carols played/sung before Mass, but at this point in time most of the Mass itself will be instrumental music.
Another change that will need to happen this year, & I’m going to need your help in getting the word out, especially to those who come home for Christmas, is that we won’t be able to have a Church packed with people as the need for blocked off pews & social distancing will very likely still be a reality that we will be living with. We don’t want to turn anyone away at the door, but we also need to be conscientious of the need to maintain the proper safety protocols. I am hoping to have ushers and hospitality people to help those who come to find a seat for Christmas. Please be kind to them & help out by keeping the appropriate distance in the pews. To help make sure that we have a plan for who is coming, JUST FOR CHRISTMAS EVE & CHRISTMAS DAY, we are going to institute a ticket system. These won’t be specific like an Indians’ game ticket (you’re not going to have to get a ticket for pew 3, seat 4 for example), but these tickets (colored file cards for each Mass) are going to be a way for us to keep count of how many people are planning to come with the need to maintain a 50% capacity in the Church building. At this point in time, the plan is for there to be a 4:30 & 9:30 pm Mass at St. Pat’s on Christmas Eve & an 11:00 am Mass on Christmas Day. At St. Vincent De Paul the plan is for a 5:00 & 10:00 pm Mass on Christmas Eve & a 9:00 am Mass on Christmas Eve. As RSVP’s come in & we get a clearer picture of everyone’s plans we may consider adding another Mass, but that is To Be Determined.
At St. Pat’s we are also looking at the possibilities of setting up chairs in the basement for the 4:30 Christmas Eve Mass & live-streaming the Mass there. As it was put at our Parish Council meeting, yes that would be a less than ideal setting, but it would also enable us to seat about 175 more people than we would be able to if we were simply limited to the Church. If we are able to do this, we would have someone bring down Communion at the appropriate time of Mass. Again, yes, I am aware that many of us would prefer to go to Mass in the Church itself & a chair in the basement is not the most ideal of Christmas Mass settings, but I would rather we have a less than ideal setting for some to celebrate Mass in rather than not having any room for 175 more people to celebrate in.
We will have the tickets for the Masses on Christmas Eve or Day available the Monday after Thanksgiving, November 30th, you can begin to call up then.
In order to get a ticket (or multiple tickets), you will need to stop up at the appropriate parish office to pick them up. Again, I know that this is a less than ideal (& hopefully only a temporary) arrangement. I hope that we get back real soon to the days of Christmas Carol singing & full Churches on Christmas Eve & Day, but for this year, I ask for your understanding, patience, & cooperation. And again, please help get the word out, especially to those you might know who are not “regulars” at the parish but who might come home for Christmas. We want to celebrate well, but we also want to celebrate as safely as possible during these difficult & challenging times.
Have a blessed week!