Due to the increasing severity of the COVID-19 outbreak in the Campbellton region of the province, Premier Higgs has made the difficult decision to delay the next phase of reopening for the province. That means that we will not be able to increase to 50 people at Mass this weekend. Unfortunately that also means that many of you who received an invitation from us to attend Mass this weekend, will now have that invitation cancelled. We will reach out to those who will not be able to attend in the next several hours. While this is a disappointing development, please remember it is in the interest of keeping all of us safe.
Category: Announcements
Pentecost Sunday
With the upcoming Pentecost Sunday marking the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles 50 days after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and celebrating the beginning of the Church, the churches of the Diocese of Saint John will be allowed to re-open for Eucharist with up to 50 of our faithful.
The general dispensation from the obligation to attend Mass on Sunday remains in effect. Parishioners who are ill or vulnerable to illness according to public health advice, should remain at home. Masses continue to be offered online to assist in your Spiritual Communion, and you are free to inquire about pastoral visits to receive the Sacraments outside of Mass.
As Bishop Riesbeck stated in his May 22 letter to the faithful regarding the Solemnity of Pentecost, “as we gather again for Mass in our parishes, our churches will not only look different, they will be different.”
Attending Mass will require maintaining a 2 meter / 6 foot distance from any others at all times, entering and exiting the church, and while processing to receive Holy Communion.
Parishioners may wear a mask if they wish, however they are not required to do so.
Ushers will be present to direct parishioners entering and exiting the church, and to explain the Mass changes currently required.
There will be no offertory procession or collection, although a offertory basket will be available at the exit of the church. Please consider electronic donations.
Distribution of Holy Communion will take place after the final blessing, at the end of Mass, so that you may exit immediately after receiving Holy Communion. The faithful should remove any face covering and sanitize their hands before coming forward for Holy Communion.
Please contact the parish office about any questions prior to attending Mass, or you may also ask an usher at Mass for any clarifications.
Confessions
Fr. Aaron Knox will hear Confessions in the church today, Tuesday, May 26, from 5:00 to 5:30 pm. Please use the front entrance. We ask that you please remember to stay at least 6 feet away from others as you wait your turn to go to Confession.
Ushers
For us to expand our attendance capacity to 50, we will need to have additional ushers at each Mass. Ushers will guide parishioners to their seats and the correct exit after Mass. They will also be present to help ensure that the parish follows all of the current safety requirements. If you can assist in this area, please email us (holyredeemersj@gmail.com), including your name and Mass that you normally attend. At this time ushers will not have to wear masks, however they are welcome to do so.
Communion Distribution
Pentecost
Bishop Riesbeck has written a letter to the faithful regarding the Solemnity of Pentecost.
Chrism Mass
The Chrism Mass will be streamed from the Cathedral on Tuesday, May 26.
Novena
The Bishop is inviting people to participate in a Novena to the Holy Spirit in preparation for the Solemnity of Pentecost.
Mass Limits
The province announced this morning (Friday, May 22) that the limit of 10 people per Mass will remain in effect for this weekend.
The 10 people chosen for each Mass this weekend have been previously notified by the parish. Everyone else will remain in the draw for the following weeks.
For those not able to attend Mass, Msgr. Henneberry will distribute Communion in the side parking lot at the following times: Saturday, 5 pm; Sunday, 10 am; Sunday, noon.
Mass Attendance Update
In anticipation of the government allowing more than 10 people to attend Mass, we encourage you to sign up below to request a spot at Mass as we expect that any increase will still require us to use our current lottery system.
- If you have previously submitted your household, please DO NOT enter again. Your household will stay entered in the draw system for future weeks.
- You must be able to answer NO to everything on the province’s COVID-19 checklist. (AVAILABLE HERE)
- Please do not apply for anyone other than those living in your immediate household.
- Only one application per household please.
- Please only apply for one Mass time.
- Only those selected for a given Mass will be contacted.
PLEASE NOTE: We have already selected the 10 parishioners who will be attending each Mass this weekend. We have no idea when the province will increase our capacity. However, should the province announce an increase to the number of people allowed to attend Mass this weekend, eligible parishioners will be contacted on Friday.