Embedded below is a 9-minute instructional video meant to assist you in returning to Sunday Mass safely. It also contains important information regarding our temporary registration process for Sunday Mass and what you need to do to register yourself or your household to attend.

As I noted in the video, under the current executive orders of the Governor, and the guidelines issued by the Diocese of Metuchen, places of worship may resume their weekend worship schedules beginning Friday, June 12. However, certain conditions are attached to this to protect public health. Face-masks must be worn in church, social distancing must be maintained before, during, and after Mass, and touchable surfaces such as pews, door handles, railings, and the like need to be disinfected following each Mass. In order to maintain social distancing in the church, which is keeping at least six feet apart from others, we are restricted to using no more than 25% of the church’s seating capacity. This means we must limit the number of people permitted in church for each Mass. The registration process is intended to help us do this for the safety of our parishioners.

So that we can accommodate our need to celebrate the Eucharist together with smaller congregations, I am temporarily adding Masses to our Sunday schedule. Beginning on the weekend of June 13-14, Mass will be celebrated on Saturdays at 5:00PM, and on Sundays at 7:30am, 9am, 10;30am, and 12:00 noon. Our live-stream will take place at 10:30am instead of 11AM beginning on the same weekend. Please make a special note of this temporary schedule change.

In order for us to celebrate Mass for as many people as possible while maintaining social distancing, we need to use the church, not the parish hall, during the summer months. While the air-conditioned hall is certainly to be preferred during the heat of summer, its use would greatly reduce the number of people we can safely admit to Mass. As restrictions continue to ease, however, this may change in the weeks to come.

The public celebration of daily Mass will resume on Monday, June 15 at its usual times of 7:30am and 12:15pm in the church, not the Catholic Center chapel, so that we can practice good social distancing. Face-masks are required. No registration is needed to participate in daily Mass.

As you know, circumstances continue to change as restrictions are eased throughout the state. We may see other restrictions eased in the weeks to come that may make a registration process unnecessary. Our plans will change as new directives are issued. I will inform you as they do.

I am looking forward to seeing you over the coming weeks as we take this first step toward resuming the Sunday celebration of the Eucharist together.

Ora pro invicem.
Let us pray for one another

Msgr. Joe Celano
Pastor