Mumbai: Churches to resume public mass next week

The Archbishop of Bombay Cardinal Oswald Gracias and the 11 deans of Mumbai that fall under the Archbishops jurisdiction decided on Thursday to resume public celebration of the Holy Eucharist commonly known as mass next Saturday onwards The decision was arrived at after a meeting late on WednesdayIn a circular addressed to the deans and parish priests across the city the Cardinal thanked the deans for a very productive meeting during which we reviewed the situation in our Churches after they had been opened two days earlier and stated that effective SOPs had been put in place across all churches that had been reopened so farIn the Archdiocese of Bombay we will resume the public celebration of the Eucharist with restrictions at the beginning of the new Liturgical Year the First Sunday of Advent November 29 2020 read the circular The circular further stated that each parish has until November 29 to finalise the SOPs and make arrangements with the help of the Special Team constituted specifically for the task We have to ensure that all entering the church wear masks observe social distancing unless it is the same family and make provision for washing of handsWhat are the rulesIn his communication the Cardinal also left it up to respective parish priests and deans to decide on the number of people to be allowed inside the church during each service He said that although he had suggested 13rd of the total capacity parish priests could further reduce this number Furthermore churches have to be sanitised completely before each service Touching of statues is not permitted water stoups are to be kept empty and bringing flowers to church has also been discouragedThe Cardinal is also letting parish priests decide on celebrating additional Masses on Sundays and weekdays so that all parishioners have an equal opportunity to participate in the Eucharist at least once a week The government has advised that those above 65 years and those below 10 years of age not to come for religious gatherings We advocate the same Thursdays circular stated that on Sunday November 22 which is the Feast of Christ the King many would have an adoration service before the Blessed Sacrament with different age groups coming in at different times to control crowds Each parish could decide how to organise the Adoration service silent adoration Liturgy of the Word Benediction etc You have then the whole of the last week of the Liturgical Year to get your SOPs in place and to prepare and announce arrangements it statedSince the distribution of sacred food is disallowed only the celebrating priests will receive Holy Communion at Mass Father Nigel Barrett spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Bombay said The meeting was held to review the last two days of churches being opened The feedback that we got from deans was that the decision to reopen was a bit sudden and not all parishes had time to get their SOPs in place Our primary objective is the safety of all peopleNov 29Day public Masses will resume13rdRecommended attendance of devotees during MassKeep scrolling to read more newsCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates MidDay is now on Telegram Click here to join our channel middayinfomedialtd and stay updated with the latest news