UPDATE FROM THE SHRINE DURING "NEW YORK STATE ON PAUSE"

UPDATE: JUNE 30, 2020

We are so pleased that we have been approved to begin holding Mass again! Services will be held in our outdoor Saint Maximilian Kolbe Pavilion rain or shine. We will be holding 4:30 vigil Mass on Saturday and 10:30 Mass on Sunday every week, contingent upon sufficient volunteer help. Please call the Shrine office to confirm services and preregister for seating (see below).

Please be aware that the following guidelines are in place in accordance with State and Diocese regulations to prevent virus spread:

·     The number of attendees will be limited, and people will be asked to register in advance by calling the Shrine office by noon on Friday. Registration will consist of providing your name, address, and telephone number; you will also be asked to choose a seat from spaces available. These practices are meant to ensure adequate social distancing, as well as our ability to inform you if someone in the congregation later is diagnosed with COVID-19.

·     Please arrive 15 minutes before the start of Mass. When you arrive, greeters will confirm your registration and your ability to attend service, and ushers will guide you to your chosen seat before service starts. You are also welcome to bring chairs or blankets to hear Mass from the hillside or lawn by Kolbe Pavilion, so long as you maintain 6-foot distance from others.

• Ability to attend service will depend on your answers to the following questions, which our greeters will ask you:

      - Have you or has anyone you have been in close contact with tested positive for COVID-19 in the past two weeks?

      - Are you experiencing any of the following symptoms: fever, cough, diarrhea, sore throat, loss of smell or taste, chills, muscle pain, headache?

      - In the past two weeks, have you attended any large gatherings where social distancing or the use of masks was not followed?

      - In the past two weeks, have you travelled anywhere that is experiencing high levels of virus transmission (Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, or Utah)?

·     Congregants will be required to wear masks while in Kolbe Pavilion if they are over 2 years of age. If possible, we also ask that you bring hand sanitizer to use before receiving Communion to help protect our celebrant and others receiving the host.

·     Singing and the use of hymnals, missalettes, and Bibles, whether provided by the Shrine or brought from home, are temporarily suspended, as is the Sign of Peace.

·     Holy water fonts will not be filled, but you may bring a container of water from home to be blessed.

·     Communion will take place at the end of Mass. Please use the chalk marks in the center aisle to keep a 6-foot distance while you wait to receive the host. After receiving Communion, you will be asked to exit the Pavilion on the sides, rather than down the center aisle.

·     We ask that you refrain from gathering in the parking lot after service is concluded.

·     PLEASE REMEMBER that dispensation from Mass is still in place! If you are unwell or simply uncomfortable with attending, we encourage you to stay home. The “Spiritual Resources” section of our website has links to places you can attend Mass virtually online, as well as the prayer for Spiritual Communion and similar religious guidance that you can take advantage of while staying safe – it even has nature webcams to help you stay connected with Creation from home!

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Please also remember that you are always welcome to pray in our Candle Chapel, walk our Stations of the Cross, hike our trails, and visit the spring where Saint Kateri was baptized and the village where she spent most of her life, so long as you follow public-safety guidelines. We look forward to seeing you at the Saint Kateri Tekakwitha Shrine!