Dear Sisters & Brothers in Christ;
Yesterday Governor Baker issued his 4-phase plan to open the state of Massachusetts. Phase I, which started yesterday, Monday May 18, 2020, allows for construction, manufacturing and places of worship to begin opening. This is good news for us as we are now able to start to prepare to open our churches in the Archdiocese of Boston. However, there is a lot of preparation work needed before any Church can be open. In the Apple Valley Catholic Community, I have started looking at all that must be done before our doors open. Below, please find a section from Cardinal Sean message to all Pastor’s, Priest, Deacon, Lay ministers, and staff.
“If a parish within the Archdiocese of Boston, after careful and deliberate preparation, considers that they are able to meet all of the State, Municipal, and Archdiocesan guidelines, they may request permission from their Regional Bishop to begin Masses as early as Saturday evening, May 23. The Regional Bishop should grant that permission only if he is convinced that the parish can in fact comply with all of the guidelines. Many, or even most, parishes may well need more time to prepare, and may choose Sunday, May 31 (the Feast of Pentecost), as the date for their reopening.
Parishes should not resume Masses before they are ready, and the decision to delay the resumption of Masses until May 31 may very well be the best decision for a parish. No matter what the start date, no parish should have Mass unless they can do it safely, and in compliance with the guidelines.”
I will be working with a team to prepare all that needs to be done in order to open. It is the recommendation of the Archdiocese of Boston that any collaborative that has 2 or more Churches should consider opening one Church first, allowing for Masses there for a two- or three-week period then begin to open the other Church(es). In following this recommendation, I have decided to begin the process of preparing to open St. Elizabeth of Hungary first. When this will happen, I cannot say as of yet. It might be May 31, 2020 or June 7, 2020. The goal is safety first, meeting all the State, Municipal, and Archdiocese guidelines before we open. Directives regarding when and how to proceed with the celebration of First Communion and Confirmation, funerals, weddings, baptisms and such events are still to be determined. Thank you for your patience as we continue to work out details.
Early next week I will send out another email with an update as well as some key details around the opening of St. Elizabeth of Hungary. Until then please know that Mass will continue to be available from our collaborative every Sunday morning by 9:00 a.m. on our Facebook page and Website. This will be in place for the foreseeable future.
Be assured of my prayers for your and your families.
God Bless You.
I am yours in Christ,
Fr. Jeff