Update on Emmaus Parish response to the Bishop’s Decree Suspending Public Masses
- All Masses have been cancelled. We will livestream Sunday mass in both English and Spanish. English will be at 10:00 AM. Spanish will be at 11:00 AM. You can watch at those times or access the mass later through the parish website. We will send out the link as soon as it is available. Please know that you will NOT be admitted into the church during those times.
- If you would like to see the Word on Fire Daily Mass by Bishop Barron, you can access it from our website at www.emmausparish.org or at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-0qg8V10V8&feature=youtu.be&list=PLg6k5UmSDlchlF4W97AfSWphn1ZO6wFAK
- You can also visit https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/daily-readings for daily mass and readings.
- As soon as we can get set up for it we will also livestream the daily mass at 8:30 AM Monday through Friday. You can access that, as well, at that time or later in the day on the parish website.
- Confessions: The parish reconciliation service originally scheduled for Thursday March 19th has been cancelled. We will continue offering the sacrament of reconciliation either by appointment or you may come at our regularly scheduled times which are Wednesdays from 4:45 PM – 5:15 PM and on Saturdays from 4 PM – 4:45 PM.
- Baptisms: We will continue offering baptisms, but in accord with local limitations. That means only with immediate family and godparents present. The total number of people present cannot exceed 10 including the priest or deacon.
- Funerals: In accord with the bishop’s instructions they may be celebrated privately with only close family and friends present and in accord with any local limitations.
- First Communion and Confirmation will be rescheduled. Those dates are to be determined and we will keep you updated as soon as possible.
Meetings/Classes:
- All meetings and classes have been cancelled until further notice unless you have been notified otherwise by the coordinator.
- All Stations of the Cross have also been cancelled.
Outreach:
- The coronavirus is especially dangerous to those who are over 60 and who have other health issues. Diabetics, it seems, are especially vulnerable as are those with respiratory or immune system issues. To help those in our parish that are most vulnerable, we ask the following:
In order to provide assistance we ask for the following which we will distribute through our office and through Lake Travis Crisis Ministries and St. Vincent de Paul:
HEB and Randall’s gift cards. You can purchase those at the parish office
Non-perishable food items – A bin will be located in the Narthex.
Monetary donations to help people with rent, utilities, medicine etc.
- We will place a secure box in the narthex in which you can drop off monetary donations or you may bring them to the office.
- Non-perishable food items may be left in the food box in the narthex.
- In order to help parishioners in need of assistance we ask the following:
If you are in the vulnerable category (0ver 60 and/or with medical issues) and need help getting groceries, medicine or other supplies let us know by contacting the parish office at 512-261-8500 or at
emmaus@emmausparish.org.
We want to create a list of parishioners who can help others by going to the store, picking up prescriptions or teaching others how to do on-line orders at local stores. If you would like to be on that list please contact the parish office.
Please check on neighbors both Catholic and non-Catholic who you know may need help.
Other actions:
- We have had enough concerned input about the close quarters in the Adoration Chapel to convince us that we should close it for the time being. That is effective immediately.
- The Church will be open each day from 9:00 AM until 7:00 PM for private prayer. Rosary groups and others may gather but in groups of not more than 10. We do advise caution however to those in the most vulnerable categories.
Giving:
The Parish office will be open Monday – Friday from 9 AM – 4 PM