WHAT WILL OUR REOPENING BE LIKE?
 
This article contains INFORMATION
 about events in the next few weeks
  &
  CONJECTURES about how to approach our longed-for reopening.
 
1.  WHAT DO WE KNOW?
 
            A. Orange and Sullivan Counties are part of the Hudson Valley region. Our region has not yet met (Ooh! Nice alliteration there!!) the seven criteria for a general reopening.
 
            B. Construction companies can begin work once again, so - as soon as the Village of Wurtsboro issues a Building permit - we can begin work on the basement of the church. This is now crucial because we may have to use the Summer Hall for Mass for the foreseeable future.
 
            C. The governor of New Jersey has permitted religious services only with the congregation remaining in their cars. It is likely (conjecture) that the governor of NY will reach a similar conclusion.  Catholic “services” do not admit of such distancing. So that will not work for us.
 
            D. I am fairly certain (conjecture) that government considers gatherings for worship to be in the same category as attendance at movies and live shows. In general, churches may not be allowed to reopen until theaters are.
 
            E. The Archdiocese will want its people to be treated fairly in the reopening. Therefore, I do not anticipate that pastors will be permitted to open on their own accord.
 
2.  WHAT ARE THE PARISH’S MOST PRESSING NEEDS?
 
            A. For most Catholics, there is no religion without the Sacraments. Although that is not actually correct, practically speaking, our experience of our Faith is so intimately connected with the Sacraments that, without them, we are painfully deprived.
 
            B. Our young candidates for First Holy Communion need to complete this vital part of Christian Initiation. Being primary school children, their retention of information is limited. We need to complete this step in their spiritual journey while they are still “primed” to do so.
 
            C. With our Lent unfinished by the quarantine, many Catholics were not able to receive the Sacrament of Penance in a timely manner. Although the close contact usually involved in hearing confessions may present challenges to distancing, in many ways this Sacrament can be made accessible more easily that assembling for Mass.
 
            D.  The death toll, either directly or indirectly, from Covid-19 has exceeded that of the American losses in the Vietnam War. We built a wall to mourn for them. We, as a people and as Catholics, will need to mourn for the devastation our country and our world has experienced this season. Because of our quarantining, the full impact of the loss of so many people in so short a time has yet to become real to us. When it does, many people will experience something akin to PTSD. The Memorial Day holiday provides an appropriate opportunity to do so: “It is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead.” II Maccabees 12:46.
 
 
 
 
3.  WHAT CAN WE DO (mostly conjecture: some ideas will benefit from Parish Council input)?
 
            A. FIRST COMMUNIONS:
                                    In the near future, the families with children preparing for First Eucharist will be invited to a 90-minute “finishing touches” meeting to make sure that everyone is ready. The meeting will be scheduled twice, to make sure everyone has a chance to attend. The families and I will try to evolve a plan for celebrating First Communion Mass(es).
 
 
            B. IMPORTANT: c onfessions scheduled for 5/23:
 
                                    1. On Saturday, May 23 (Memorial Day Weekend), from 1 to 4 PM, I will hear confessions in the Summer Church Hall.
 
                                    2. Everyone who comes to confession will need to wear a mask. No exceptions.
 
                                    3. In order to observe the canonical requirement of the penitent’s ability to confess face-to-face or unseen, there will be a chair 6 feet in front of me, and another 6 feet behind. Between the distancing and the masks, we have to speak a little louder than usual. For that reason, only one person at a time will be allowed in the hall.
                                    4. Unless a penitent needs to use the “no steps” entrance, you will ENTER the Hall by the side steps and LEAVE through the front doors. For those who cannot climb stairs, entry and exit will be by the front doors.
 
                                    5. The Church itself will be open for those who wish to pray their penance before the tabernacle.
       *** 6. I WILL NEED ONE OR TWO VOLUNTEERS TO “USHER” ON THE FRONT PORCH OF THE HALL, TO BE SURE NO ONE ENTERS WHILE ANOTHER PERSON IS STILL INSIDE CONFESSING. PLEASE CALL ME IF YOU ARE WILLING TO HELP.
 
 
 
            C.   SUNDAY MASS (conjecture):
                                    1. At present (conjecture), I am planning to use the summer hall for weekend Masses. With six-foot spacing, we can seat 72 people in the hall. Since many people attend church as family groups, additional chairs will be available for them to group themselves together, with six feet spacing between the first and last member of the group. That will increase seating capacity to about 110. In the recent past, our attendance at any given Mass has not exceeded 110.
 
                                    2. Masks will be required. It will be interesting to see how the singing goes!!
 
                                    3. Communion will be distributed only in the hand. (In order to minimize contact, I may have to be the only one distributing communion. We’ll work on that plan more precisely when the time nears to reopen.)
                                    4.  The collection will not be “taken.” People will leave their donations in baskets placed by the entrances. The bread and wine will not be brought in procession; only one usher will bring the baskets forward as a symbolic Offertory.
 
                                    5. If this plan were to prove unsatisfactory, one possible back-up plan would be to change the Sunday morning schedule to accommodate a third Mass: 8:45, 10 & 11:15.
 
            D.  MOURNING OUR DEAD (conjecture):
 
                                    There is a possibility that we may be allowed to celebrate Mass in the open air at the Cemetery.  If that possibility comes to be, you will be notified on the parish website. The cemetery grounds allow ample space for social distancing. The Mass would provide our people an opportunity to express their grief, rage and fear by uniting it to the sacrifice of Christ.
 
                                    There are obviously some negatives to this plan. Inclement weather would force a last-minute cancellation. Parking could become a real difficulty. We would need “ushers” to direct parking. Much as I love our cemetery, the terrain can be challenging for those who find walking difficult. The distribution of Communion in this setting would be a logistical challenge. I imagine that the celebrant might come to each person, rather than the people coming in procession to him. This violates one of the principles of the liturgy, because the Communion is understood to be a “procession.” But, in extraordinary circumstances, many liturgical rules can be broken at the decision of the presider.