My dear Blessed Trinity Family,
May the peace and protection of Jesus be with each of you. I want you to know of my prayers for the health and well being of our community and world.
These are difficult, unprecedented times that we are living in. The outbreak of the coronavirus is presenting all of us with unique challenges. With the heightened awareness and concern related to the spread of the virus, we are taking precautionary measures as deemed necessary to ensure the safety of our community.
At this time, the following changes will be made as preventive measures, to assist in maintaining a healthy environment:
- We are canceling all non-essential ministerial activities
- All physical contact during the sign of peace is eliminated
- The Holy water fonts by the entrance of the church have been emptied
- We are contracting a professional company to thoroughly clean and disinfect the Church, pews, and entire school campus.
- Pews will be sprayed with disinfectant between masses
- Missals have been removed
- We are working on securing some automatic hand sanitizers to be installed in the front of the church
- Fair Havens Masses have been postponed for now. We want to minimize exposure and contamination for the elderly and those with a compromised immune system. We are also asking the homebound to watch the mass on TV and receive a spiritual communion.
- During the distribution of the Eucharist, we are asking everyone to receive in their hands and not in the mouth. This measure is meant to prevent the transmission of the virus, and so we are doing this out of pastoral charity to others.
- Clergy and Ministers will be sanitizing their hands before and after masses and will not be greeting parishioners outside for the protection of all.
Please note, these are all temporary changes o increase protection ad reduce the possibility of spreading the virus. We urge you to be aware of the individuals you come in contact with. Exposure to others who may have recently traveled to a destination that has been heavily affected should be minimized or eliminated, when possible. If you have been in contact with someone that has traveled, or you have been exposed to someone who may be sick, we urge you to monitor your health and if flu-like symptoms arise, seek professional medical care. If you are in this situation, for your well being and that of others, know that you do not have to attend Mass.
In the meantime, be safe and healthy as we continue to pray for each other. Above all, let us pray that peace will triumph over fear and anxiety. The Lord is always with us; he is always teaching us, and this virus has come to remind us about the fragility of our lives. It’s making us grow in humility and become more dependent on our Lord at this time of Lent, season of penance and conversion. Let us continue to prayerfully accompany one another faithfully through challenges ahead with great hope in the resurrection of the Lord.
In Christ,
Fr. Jose N Alfaro
