May 12, 2021
Dear St. Francis of Assisi Parish Family,
We are looking forward to welcoming many of you back for our publicly celebrated Masses at 5 pm Saturday, May 15, and at 9 am and 12 pm Sunday, May 16, as we celebrate the Ascension of the Lord. With more people getting vaccinated and returning to Mass, it is important for people to sign up for the in-person Masses, even if you have been able to regularly walk into Mass in the past without a reservation. With Mass capacity capped at 130 people per liturgy, we want to ensure you have a seat and do not have to wait for pre-registrants to be seated first.
As a parish community, we have worked to ensure the church is as safe as possible to open for public worship. Despite this, parishioners should understand that they assume the risk of contracting COVID-19 anytime they enter a public space since such precautions do not eliminate the risk of infection.
There are several important details to consider when deciding whether to attend in-person Mass:
- The dispensation from the obligation to attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation remains in effect. If you do not feel comfortable attending Mass, please stay home. The virtual Mass premiering at 10 am Sundays on the Parish YouTube Channel will continue for the foreseeable future.
- Parishioners who are particularly vulnerable -- including those who are over the age of 65, have existing heart or lung conditions or are immunocompromised – are encouraged to stay home.
- Parishioners who have been exposed to someone who has COVID-19, might have COVID-19, feel sick or have a cough or fever are encouraged to refrain from public gatherings, including Mass.
- Face masks or facial coverings must be worn by all persons over the age of two while on parish grounds and in the church. We ask that everyone always maintains appropriate social distancing. Please bring your own hand sanitizer to use during the liturgy. Dispensers of hand sanitizer will also be available in highly trafficked areas. Read more about our in-person Mass protocols.
- Children are invited to attend Mass with their families, but they must not run nor wander unsupervised while on parish grounds or inside the church.
- There will be no hymnals, missalettes or worship aids in the church. There will be a cantor and accompanying musician, but there will be no public singing to reduce the possibility of infection.
- You will be seated by an usher, from the front of the church to the back. The ushers will also dismiss attendees row-by-row, from the back to the front.
- Please use the church’s main doors or either side door to enter and exit the church. However, please make sure to check in with a Joyful Greeter before entering the church.
More specific protocols on Mass attendance will be shared with Mass registrants by noon Saturday, May 15.
How to Make a Reservation to Attend Mass:
We are providing two ways for parishioners to make a reservation to attend Mass at 5 pm Saturday, May 15, or at 9 am or 12 pm Sunday, May 16:
- Sign up below. Registration will close at 10 pm Friday, May 14, or whenever the church capacity is reached, whichever happens first. Walk-ins are strongly discouraged.
- Call the Parish Office at (301) 840-1407. (Note: We prefer that this method only be used by people who are not subscribed to Flocknote. Please do not forward this e-mail, which is unique to your username. If the e-mail is forwarded to someone else, recipients could unknowingly and inadvertently sign you up for a Mass with your username or unsubscribe you from receiving future Flocknotes).
Reserving a Space at Mass using this E-mail:
Select the Mass you would like to attend below. Once you have submitted your registration, you will receive an e-mail confirmation with the date and time at which you registered for Mass. Parishioners are welcome to register for Mass this weekend on a first-come, first-served basis.
Required Information:
We require the following information from everyone who would like to attend in-person Masses on May 15 or 16:
- The number of people in your household who will attend Mass
- Your name and the names of those people who will attend Mass with you
Other notes:
- If you register for Mass but can no longer attend, please call the Parish Office at (301) 840-1407 so we can accommodate another parishioner.
- If the Mass you select indicates that there are 0 slots available, that means the capacity for that Mass has been reached. We recommend you select another Mass if there is still capacity or watch the virtual Mass.
Please do not forward this e-mail, as the recipients of your forwarded e-mail will have the option to unsubscribe you from receiving Flocknotes or inadvertently sign you up for another Mass time. If you know of a parishioner who would like to receive Flocknotes, please share our web site address,
http://www.sfadw.org, where they can sign up from the homepage.
We look forward to seeing you soon!
Yours in Christ,
Fr. John