As at 2.00pm Friday 20th March, 2020 (extract)

1:  Access to Mass and to Churches

  1. All but priests are dispensed from attending Sunday Mass: the faithful are encouraged to continue active participation in the life of the Church through activities such as time in personal and family prayer, reflecting on the Scriptures, making a spiritual communion, or participating in a Mass online.
  2. Priests ought celebrate daily Mass without the physical presence of the lay faithful and offer it on behalf of those who cannot attend and for the whole nation. Having one minister attend would be desirable.
  3. On days when this is liturgically permitted (see Ordo pp. 10-11), priests should offer the Mass for the Sick, the Mass for Any Need or a votive Mass such as that of Our Lady of Lourdes or St Joseph.
  4. The Parish of St Agatha, Cranbourne has organised to ‘live-stream’ mass each Day and three times on Sunday. The Link to access this:-

https://www.youtube.com/c/StAgathasParishCranbourne/live

 

Masses will be Livestreamed weekdays at 9.30am and weekends on Saturday at 6.00pm, Sunday at 9.00am and 6.00pm.

  1. Churches should as far as possible remain open for private prayer
  2. Mrs Sophy Morley has put together some resources which appear at the end of this letter. Thank you Sophy.

2:  Sacraments and Liturgies other than the Eucharist

  1. The Sacrament of Reconciliation/Penance
    1. Ought be celebrated only using the 1st Rite (individual Confession), with observance of required physical distance.
  2. Baptisms, Weddings and Funerals
    1. May be celebrated with a carefully limited congregation, so long as appropriate precautions are able to be put in place (such as distancing between participants). Deferring these liturgies may also be an option that is offered to families.
    2. If baptisms are celebrated, only one child should be baptised in each ceremony, and care should be taken to use fresh water for each baptism.
  3. Preparation for and celebration of First Confession, First Communion and Confirmation for children should be postponed until the pandemic is over.
  4. Anointing of the Sick
    1. When Anointing the Sick, priests are given permission to lay on hands by holding them above rather than upon the head and to anoint using a cotton wool ball or bud or a protective glove which can be disposed of appropriately after a single use; anointing the head would be sufficient.

5: Holy Week 

  1. The Chrism Mass:  Closer to Holy Week, advice will be provided about celebrations for Easter, including those who are preparing in the RCIA for Baptism or reception into the Catholic Church. It is possible that we can delay this initiation until Pentecost Sunday depending on circumstances. 

6:  Pastoral Care

  • Parishes should consider continuing to publish a weekly parish bulletin on-line with encouragement and advice, local news, resources and a weekly homily/reflection.
  • If Parishes are publishing a bulletin, that may also be an opportunity to invite parishioners to make an electronic contribution to the parish collection.
  • All ministers should follow precautions recommended by health authorities when visiting people’s homes, aged care facilities, hospitals, prisons and detention centres
  • Priests should ensure that parishioners can contact them in emergencies.

Please join me in continuing to pray for all the people in our Diocese, for those who are more directly affected by this pandemic, and for those who are providing health care to the sick and dying.

In Domino

Archbishop-Elect Patrick O’Regan

Diocesan Administrator

 

 

 

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