Dear Parishioners,

I am excited and anxiously await our diocesan directives and date to have a large assembly gathering for daily and weekend Mass. As you know the Governor of Ohio has issued a phased approach to opening businesses and eventually gatherings for worship. It will be great to see you in church.

When we get that directive and date from our diocesan offices IHM will need “helpers” for every daily Mass and weekend Masses. To be clear as of the writing of this letter, we have NOT BEEN told yet when our diocesan churches can begin to have daily Mass leading up to our first weekend Masses Saturday, May 30th and Sunday May 31st, 2020, but, I will need to gather these “helpers” beforehand to instruct them as I want to be ready to assemble appropriately with social distancing and sanitization by the use of these “helpers”.

What do I mean by “helpers”?

I will need one person for EVERY ENTRY of our church, which we have 5. These persons will need to be at one of the entries ONE HALF HOUR BEFORE EACH MASS and ONE HALF HOUR AFTER MASS!!! I know it is a lot to ask, but it will be necessary.

Each “helper” will be responsible for allowing worshipers to enter safely and with distance, certainly greeting everyone as well. When Mass ends there will be a need to “dismiss” row by row those who came to church!!! Lastly, after the church is empty, these “helpers” will need to sanitize the pews and the door handles.

This is our new normal for now and remember it is all about Christian service to another human being trying to keep them from getting the coronavirus while we protect ourselves.

If you are interested in being one of these “helper”, contact me ASAP, via email at [email protected].

Many blessings,
Father Jim