Masses Re-Starting
Gortnahoe and Glengoole

July 12, 2020

V. Rev. Nicholas J. Irwin, P.P. – V. Rev John J. O'Rourke A.P.
056 8834855 & 086 3298060 – 056 8834128 & 087 2370899

All Masses from Gortnahoe & Glengoole Churches
are broadcast on 106.6 FM.

Defibrillator contact numbers are 086 7749521 or 086 7749713

Information

Public celebration of the sacraments will re-start in the Catholic churches in our parish from this coming Monday, July 13th 2020, and we greatly look forward to being able to celebrate the sacraments together again, while maintaining physical distance (currently at least 2 metres). This information sheet is to explain how public masses will work in our parish under the current Covid restrictions. The safety and health of all people attending the church is paramount.

There is still no requirement to attend mass, as the dispensation from the Sunday and Holy Day obligation to attend mass is extended for the time being. It is most important that people who are vulnerable or unwell, and especially those with any symptoms that might suggest Covid-19 infection, should stay at home and, if possible, participate via webcam, social media, television, or radio.  The same applies to those who have been in recent contact with someone who has the virus, in accordance with public health advice.

Sanitizing of the church buildings
The parish now has two ‘fogger’ machines, one for Gortnahoe and one for Glengoole,  which will be used to sanitize between masses. These machines throw out a fine mist of disinfectant which reaches every part of the church and is distributed evenly on every surface. Training in the use of the foggers has been held.

Face Masks
Government guidelines state that the use of face coverings is strongly recommended for all public indoor settings, including at mass.
Hand Sanitizers: hand sanitizing facilities will be available at all the entrances and people are asked to use them entering and leaving the church.

Entering and Leaving the Church
In Gortnahoe, please enter from the back for the long aisle, and enter at the appropriate side door for each side aisle, and leave by the same door you come in; in Glengoole, consider using the side entrance along with the main entrance in order to help maintain physical distancing among the congregation. Whilst leaving the church, please wait in your pew until the exit is clear, and then move promptly out, maintaining 2m physical distance, in order to avoid congregating in the aisles, porch areas or outside the church.

Where to sit at mass
To ensure that physical distancing is maintained while at mass, every second pew has been cordoned off, and place markers have been put on the pews to show people where to sit. In Gortnahoe Church, only two people who are not from the same household may sit in the one pew, and in Glengoole Church, only three people. However, where a group from the same household/family come to mass together, they may all sit together in the same pew. Stewards will be on hand to show you where to sit.

Numbers attending
In accordance with the new Government guidelines on places of worship (issued on July 3rd), more than 50 people can attend at church only if it is sub-divided into sections with a separate outside door for each section, with no more than 50 people in each part, and where everyone enters and leaves by the doors for their own section. Therefore, in Gortnahoe Church, the long aisle will be divided from the two short aisles during mass, and people must not cross between these sections.

Attending mass outside:
Where more people come to mass than the church can accommodate under the current physical distancing rules, people are invited to attend mass either in their cars or by physically distancing outside the church. Mass will be aired through a speaker and will be available on the radio (on 106.6 FM), and there will be an opportunity to receive Communion at the entrance doors.

You may attend weekly mass by coming during the week instead of at the weekend. Weekday masses on Wednesdays and Fridays have been moved to 7.30 pm in the evening to facilitate this for more people.

Distribution of Holy Communion

• The congregation will not come up for Communion; instead, you stay in your pew, and a Eucharistic minister (who will be wearing a mask) will come to you to give you Communion. They will use the empty pew space in between the occupied pews in order to get close enough to people seated nearer the walls (the cordons on those unoccupied pews will be removed temporarily by the stewards before communion, to allow this).
  
  
• For the time being, the Eucharist can only be received in the hand, and must be dropped into the hand rather than placed there (in order to avoid physical contact). To indicate that you wish to take communion, please hold out your hands cupped together as the Eucharistic minister approaches.
  
  
• It will be possible for anyone listening to mass outside who wishes to take communion, to do so by coming to the church porch.

You will notice some other changes, all in accordance with public health guidelines and the guidelines of the Catholic Bishops: regrettably, altar servers and choirs cannot return for the present, and at first we will have no lay readers. Holy Water fonts have been emptied. There will be no missalettes (the weekly newsletter will be made available on-line at http://glengoole.net/pages/news.html). The collection baskets will not be sent around (see alternative arrangements below).  In accordance with guidelines from the Catholic Bishops, the only people who can enter the sacristy are the priests and the sacristan, therefore if you wish to book an anniversary mass or to make any other arrangement (e.g., for a baptism), it is best to telephone either of the two priests at the following numbers:

• Fr Jim Irwin: 056 88 34855 & 086 3298060;
• Fr John Joe O’Rourke: 056 88 34128 & 087 2370899.

The Weekly Collection will be taken up by dropping your  envelope/contribution into a box near the entrance inside the church as you come in or leave the church; these boxes will be supervised during mass. The diocese of Cashel and Emly is currently developing a secure method of on-line payment of weekly collections and other contributions through its web page – more information will be provided on this at a later point.

Revised Mass Times
Revised Mass Times for Gortnahoe and Glengoole from Monday, July 13th 2020 until further notice. There will be six masses in the parish each week, three in Gortnahoe and three in Glengoole:

• Mondays:         9.30 am in Gortnahoe
• Tuesdays:          9.30 am in Glengoole
• Wednesdays:     7.30 pm in Glengoole
• Thursdays:         No mass
• Fridays:             7.30 pm in Gortnahoe
• Saturdays:         6.30 pm in Glengoole
• Sundays:           10.30 am in Gortnahoe.

Note that for the Monday morning mass in Gortnahoe (for the time being), only the two side aisles will be used, and only the doors to these side aisles will be opened.

Thank you for your commitment and patience, as we work together to keep everyone safe in our return to public celebration of the sacraments. We very much look forward to seeing you.

Parish Newsletter Publishing for each week

• All emails can now be directed to this address: newsletter@gortnahoe.com
• All notices to the E Mail or the priests by Friday at 6pm.
  
  

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