Announcement on the Bishop’s Decree
March 17, 2021
Dear Holy Family parishioners,
Attached please find a letter from Bishop Spalding announcing a new phase to the Covid-19 pandemic for the Diocese of Nashville. I invite you to carefully read the letter as you consider what I am communicating in this letter. The decree he is issuing lifts the dispensation from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass effective Palm Sunday. At the same time, he is giving every Pastor significant discretion to do what is best for his Parish. Bishop Spalding reminds us that, even once the obligation to attend Mass is restored, the law of the Church envisions situations where the obligation does not apply because of a grave cause; serious ongoing risks and concerns you might have about the coronavirus can certainly constitute that grave cause.
With that said, we are moving forward with the changes that were already going to be rolled out on Palm Sunday. As has been our practice since the beginning of this pandemic, our number one concern has been for the safety of our community. We will be very prudent as we consider easing any of the restrictions that have successfully kept us safe thus far.
Here are the changes that we had been planning on announcing this weekend:
Mass Changes Effective with the Palm Sunday Vigil Mass on March 27, 2021
- Additional seating capacity added to the main Sanctuary
- Families will now be seated in the middle of the rows that have been previously blocked off for social distancing. The longer pews in the back half of the Sanctuary will allow for unrelated families to be socially distanced when sitting in every row.
- Altar Servers will be returning to assist the presider at weekend Masses.
- Gift Bearers will be selected for each Mass by the ushers to bring up the gifts at the offertory procession. Hand sanitizer will be available at the gift table and should be used when bringing up the gifts.
- Offertory collection will begin with use of handled baskets being brought to the pews by the ushers.
- At Communion, except for the pew sections by the musicians and closest to the tabernacle, communicants will process up to the altar as before. Ushers will take the first couple of weeks to help direct the flow and ensure social distancing is maintained. Those seated in the sections noted above will continue to have the Eucharistic Ministers come to them.
Our Livestreaming will continue as it is today, and we will continue to accommodate those who are at risk to attend Mass in their cars in the parking lot at 5:00 p.m. We will continue to require masks for the foreseeable future. We will continue to respect social distancing in entering, seating, and exiting the building. We will continue to practice hand sanitizing protocol. We will continue to closely monitor the Covid situation as it relates to bringing back the Holy Water fonts, reopening the nursery, and having Children’s Liturgy of the Word at the 8:30 and 11:00 Masses.
At this point in time, we will continue to stay the course with our carefully thought out plans as we transition back to more normal Mass attendance. I realize that the announcement by the Diocese may accelerate the number of people attending Mass. On behalf of Fr. Anthony, our staff and our ushers, I ask for your patience as we move through this transition. I ask that, if you have stopped doing so, that you begin to make reservations through Flocknote for the weekend Mass that you plan to attend. (We are requiring ticketed reservations for the Easter services which will open on Saturday, March 20.) I respectfully ask that you follow the direction of the ushers while you are in the building. In order to get the maximum number of people in our Sanctuary, chances are you will not be able to choose the location of your seat.
It is my hope and prayer that as the number of cases continues to decrease and more people are fully vaccinated, we will be able to further ease restrictions. These decisions will be well-thought out and with your safety as our highest concern. Let us all pray for each other as we come to the end of Lent and celebrate the beautiful traditions of the Triduum. I wish you and your family a very peaceful Holy Week and Easter Season.
Fr. Joe