LITURGICAL ACCOMMODATIONS DURING THE SUSPENSION OF THE PUBLIC CELEBRATION OF MASS DUE TO COVID-19 HEALTH THREAT
(UPDATED MARCH 16, 2020)
The current public health emergency has brought about fears and anxiety in the hearts and minds of many people. However, it has also unified us as a people seeking the good for the other. In these trying times, faith is to be lived with reason, prudence and wise judgment.
Therefore, in order to help priests perform their ministry with faith, prudence and wise judgment, the Archbishop in consultation with the Auxiliary Bishops and the Council of Priests have established the following liturgical accommodations. These accommodations are to be followed until further notice.
MASSES
- The public celebration of Mass has been suspended in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles effective March 17, 2020 until March 29, 2020 or otherwise extended. Churches may remain open for individual private prayer observing their normal open/closure hours.
- St. Maximilian Kolbe Church will not have any weekday or Sunday Masses during this time.
- The church will be open for private prayer from 9:00 AM until 6:00 PM Monday through Friday and from 1:00 PM until 5:00 PM Saturday and from 7:00 AM until 1:00 PM Sunday.
- Parishes are invited to inform their parishioners of opportunities to view the Mass via livestream. The weekday and Sunday Mass will be livestreamed from the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels via the LA Catholics Facebook page (facebook.com/lacatholics).For more information on additional Mass broadcasts on TV and radio, visit lacatholics.org/emergency.
Priests are reminded to encourage the faithful to keep the Lord’s Day holy. Some ways to do this include: reading the Gospels, praying with your families, and to joining yourself to the sacrifice of the Mass by making an act of spiritual communion. The readings for daily Masses and Sunday Masses can be found on the St. Maximilian Kolbe website.
The prayer for an act of spiritual communion is: My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul.
PRAYER: “Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.”
RECONCILIATION/CONFESSION
RECONCILIATION/CONFESSION
- Parishes are asked to cancel all Lenten penance services. St. Maximilian Kolbe’s penance service that was scheduled for Tuesday, March 31 has been cancelled.
- However, priests are asked to continue offering the Sacrament of Reconciliation according to the parish’s regularly established reconciliation times.
- Confessions are heard on Saturdays from 3:45 – 4:30 PM at St. Maximilian Kolbe.
- Please observe good spacing between the penitent and priest, while at all times observing privacy for the penitent. Those waiting for the priest are asked to observe “social distancing.” The confessional configuration here at St. Maximilian Kolbe will be adjusted to allow for these requirements.
ANOINTING OF THE SICK
- Priests are to attend to the needs of those who ask for the Anointing of the Sick. If a priest is sick or considered to be a high-risk individual (e.g. elderly, suffers from respiratory conditions, immunocompromised, etc.), he should request assistance from another priest.
- Please call the parish office and leave a message to request the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick.
- Priests attending to the needs of the sick are to observe all proper sanitary protocols and, if necessary, check-in with proper medical personnel before entering the room of the patient.
- For the time being, sick calls and distribution of Holy Communion for the homebound are reserved to priests only.
BAPTISM
- Unless an emergency, the celebration of the Sacrament of Baptism is to be postponed.
WEDDINGS
- Weddings are limited to celebration of the Marriage Rite itself and must be limited to a total of 10 people, including ministers.
FUNERALS
- Funerals may take place only in the form of “The Rite of Committal with Final Commendation” (also known as the “graveside”). If desired by the family a memorial Mass can be scheduled appropriately at a later date.
CONFIRMATIONS
- All Confirmations from now until Easter Sunday are postponed.
- The Sacrament of Confirmation is scheduled to be celebrated at St. Maximilian Kolbe on Saturday, April 25, 2020. Please check the website regularly for updates.
HOLY WEEK
- An announcement regarding the parish celebrations for Holy Week will be issued on or before Friday, March 27, 2020.
DEVOTIONS
- All Devotions are to be suspended until further notice.
- Stations of the Cross have been cancelled here at St. Maximilian Kolbe.
Please see the Parish website for more information: www.stmaxchurch.org . We are trying to keep the site up-to-date. There are links to the Archdiocese COVID-10 web page on the site as well as the twitter feed from the Archbishop.
Remember the sick and less fortunate in your prayers and that this time of Lent is about Prayer, Alms Giving and Fasting. As we are all impacted by this crisis there are always those less fortunate who are suffering more who need our support and prayers. Please pray for our priest as they continue to need our support during this difficult time. Lastly as you continue to support our parish with your prayers, remember that we continue to need your financial support as well.