Revised Liturgical Guidelines for the COVID-19 Pandemic (5-25-21)

The following are guidelines to help parishes within the Diocese of Green Bay to worship prayerfully and safely during the Sunday Mass and during other liturgies during this phase of COVID-19.

 General Provisions 

1. There remain no restrictions as to the percentages of people present for any given liturgy. Hand sanitizer and masks should remain near the entrances of the church. All those who are entering or exiting should be encouraged to perform proper hand hygiene.

2. Holy water fonts may be used. 

3. Greeting the faithful before and after Mass is encouraged. 

4. Masks remain highly encouraged for anyone who feels more comfortable/safer wearing one while attending Mass, or anyone who has not yet received a vaccine. We ask the priest and deacon before and after Mass to continue to wear masks, and masks should be worn by all who distribute Holy Communion. 

5. A section of the Church reserved for those who wish to wear a mask and maintain social distancing 

6. Hymnals, worship aids, and common use print materials may be used.

7.  Those participating in the various ministries of the Mass (readers, ushers, greeters…) may be required to wear masks at the pastor/pastoral leader’s discretion.

Specific Provisions for the Parts of the Mass

1. Choirs are permitted but precautions should be taken to prevent potential spread such as proper distancing of 10 ft between members of the choir and the faithful.

2. The sign of peace may occur.

The Distribution of Holy Communion

1. The Precious Blood will not be distributed to the faithful.

2. Those distributing Holy Communion should wear a mask and must use hand sanitizer before and after distribution.

3. Those who wish to receive communion on the tongue should present themselves at the end of the line(s).

 Holy Cross will elect a new Secretary Trustee the weekend of June 12 & 13, so we  are looking for members who wish to serve the parish in this capacity.  This is a two-year term.  This trustee works with the Pastor, Parish Council, the Treasurer Trustee, and the Director of Mission and Community Outreach in the development of parish policies and strategies to address the needs and mission of the parish.  Parish members in good standing, of at least 21 years of age who have an interest in this position should contact Birdie in the parish office by May 31.

 Date: May 13, 2021

Dear Friends in Christ,

The last 12 months have challenged us all, but our faith in the values of Christ and the way we live our lives in His name continues to be strong especially at Holy Cross.  We continue to be blessed with generous parishioners and I want to take this moment to give thanks for all you have done to support us over this past year.

I want to give you some information on two actions we are taking to spring our parish to new life, bring more people back to the faith and sustain us over the long term.

The Parish and Finance councils have approved the creation of a Director of Mission and Community Outreach position for our parish. This position is designed to promote the Mission of Holy Cross Parish by better engaging our parishioners and offering them programs and educational opportunities that will benefit their lives and their faith.  This role will also work to strengthen Holy Cross’s impact in the community that we serve.  This will be our single largest investment to directly impact our faith, and we hope to be able to hire and bring this person on board this summer.

Secondly, we have known for many years that our parishioners have faithfully given both their time and treasure to support our parish in both its operations and for the Parish Center.  This commitment has not gone unnoticed, so we have decided to invest in you and in your financial planning.  We have formed a relationship with Thrivent Financial to host FREE seminars for our parishioners.  Their first presentation will be held June 9th at 6:30 pm in the Parish Center.  Both of our trustees, John Brzana and Steve McDonnell, have recently participated in such a workshop with Thrivent and found it to be insightful – well worth your time.   Even if you are currently engaged with a Financial Planner, you will learn strategies that will be of benefit to you.

We look forward to your attendance on June 9th.  Doors open at 6:00 pm and the presentation will begin at 6:30 pm.  To reserve your slot please contact the parish office at 920-468-0595.  Seating will be limited due to COVID safe guidelines.  Refreshments will be provided before and after the presentation to give us an opportunity to reconnect.

Once again, thank you for your past and current support.  We hope that these two initiatives help celebrate our commitment to our faith and your commitment to the continued growth of Holy Cross.

Sincerely,

Abbot Gary Neville, O. Praem.