Parishioner Update | May 4, 2020
This weekend we will resume celebrating Masses in public. However, there is no obligation to attend Mass in the Diocese of Corpus Christi.
Please take note that the Mass and Confession Schedule has changed. Our first public Mass at St. Joseph’s will be the 5PM Vigil this Saturday, May 9th. Our Sunday schedule will begin on May 10th with Masses at 8:30AM, 11AM, and 5PM. Daily Masses will remain on Tuesday & Wednesday at 5:30PM and Thursday & Friday at 8:30AM but the location will be in the main Church building. The Monday Communion Service is cancelled indefinitely. Confessions will be held in the Church by the Baptistery on Saturday’s from 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM.
As we resume public Masses, we will no longer Livestream the Sunday Mass. A list of Masses can be found at the bottom of this update.
This is part of Phase 1 of our parish reopening and will have many new protocols that all parishioners must follow to attend Mass. These procedures will be reevaluated weekly. If you would like to attend Mass, please read this update in its entirety and thank you in advance for your patience and compliance.
Church Capacity
- For now, Masses will be limited to 25% capacity across the diocese. For St. Joseph’s that equates to 200 people in our main sanctuary per Mass. Please note that the Cry Room will now be closed and locked.
BEFORE YOU ARRIVE
- Wash your hands.
- For ages 10 and up, face coverings are recommended on our campus and for the duration of Mass.
- The cry rooms will be closed.
- Bring your own hand sanitizer that can be used before receiving Holy Communion.
- Do not bring items that contain bleach into the sanctuary as this will damage the pews.
ARRIVAL PROCEDURES
- Masks (for ages 10+) should be worn as soon as you exit your vehicle.
- Arrive no earlier than 40 minutes before Mass begins.
- The main doors of the church will open 30 minutes prior to the start of Mass.
- Our parish volunteers will assist you in holding open doors and direct you to open seating.
- Every other pew will be closed and marked by blue tape on the pew. You may be sharing a pew with another household, but social distance is required between the households (6ft).
- The holy water fonts remain empty.
MASS PROCEDURES
- Masses will be conducted with reduced volunteer lay ministers. There will be no altar servers.
- Please keep your face mask on for the duration of Mass.
- There is to be no holding of hands during the “Our Father.
- There will also be no Sign of Peace.
- Collection Baskets will not be passed during the offertory. You will be able to place your weekly gift in a basket before or after mass in the baskets located at the foot of the sanctuary. As an option you can also donate online on our free, safe and secure online giving platform at www.stjosephbeeville.org .
COMMUNION PROCEDURES
- Bishop Mulvey has mandated that communion only be offered in the hands.
- Use of personal hand sanitizer before communion is strongly encouraged.
- There will be a single communion line in the center of each main aisle. Parish volunteers will assist in ushering each section.
- Masks should be worn in the communion line.
- When approaching for Holy Communion, communicants are to pull their masks below their chins and present one hand resting on the palm of the other. After responding "Amen," the communicant reverently places the Eucharist in his or her mouth and immediately replaces their masks.
DEPARTURE PROCEDURES
- After the final blessing, parishioners must remain in their pew.
- Pews will be dismissed in an orderly fashion starting in the rear of the church and then moving forward. This will be similar to how you exit an airplane.
- You must exit your pew when prompted. Private prayer is not available after Sunday Masses to allow the church to be reset for the next Mass.
- All exits of the of the church will be utilized during departure.
- You can drop your weekly offertory as you depart.
- Please do not congregate outside but head directly to your vehicle to allow the next Mass to start on time.
CHURCH CLEANING PROCEDURES
- We will continue to implement cleanliness and sanitization practices, including disinfecting pews between every Mass.
- Disinfecting bathrooms, door handles, and other frequently touched surfaces will occur throughout the day.
- Parish staff and volunteers will be required to wear face masks, wash hands, and will be screened for COVID-19 symptoms.
You are reminded to follow CDC recommendations regarding your own health. If you fall into an "at risk" category, please stay home and join in a Mass via TV or Livesteam.
TV & Livestream Masses
If you would like to take part in the Mass please tune in to the Mass at Corpus Christi Cathedral Live on KDF-TV every Sunday Morning at 9:30am & on Public Access Television (area cable systems). Spectrum: Channel 1303 & channel 1304 | Grande: Channel 10 & channel 18 | AT&T Channel 99 – Choice of Channel 10 or Channel 18 or via Facebook live on the Corpus Christi Cathedral page. Or view the following Masses via Live Stream:
Vatican News Live Stream of Pope Francis’ Masses English | Spanish
Catholic TV MassEnglish | Spanish
EWTN Daily Mass English | Spanish
Vatican News Live Stream of Pope Francis’ Masses English | Spanish
Catholic TV MassEnglish | Spanish
EWTN Daily Mass English | Spanish
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the holy Spirit.