Holy Infant of Prague Catholic Church

Holy Infant Coronavirus “Reopening” Information

May the grace, peace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. We pray that everyone is safe and healthy.  It has been some two months since we were all able to worship together as a parish due to the coronavirus pandemic. The COVID-19 virus will likely be present in our community for some time, so we have made plans to have our worship spaces cleaned and sanitized between services, and to improve cleaning practices of frequently touched areas. 

As we prepare to return to worship at Holy Infant of Prague, here is some information that will assist you. These changes in Mass practices and facility uses will be in place until further notice and only modified once state and local health officials have determined that social distancing guidelines for places of worship can be relaxed. Please do not hesitate to call the office if you have any questions or concerns about these changes or any other questions you have about the church.  We look forward to seeing everyone again very soon.  God Bless you all!

•  Starting the weekend of May 23-24, 2020, we will have a “Soft Reopening” of in-person worship with a single mass at 10:00 AM on Sunday.  Once we have processes in place to clean the church safely and effectively between services, we will return to a new regular Mass schedule that includes Saturday (5:00 PM) and Sunday (8:00 and 11:00 AM).  
•  We strongly encourage the use of a face covering while attending mass.  Holy Infant was able to obtain a limited supply of face masks, so please bring your own if you have one.
• Only every other pew will be available to be occupied and  marked accordingly with signs indicating “Sit Here” or “Do Not Sit Here”. Families may sit together but should stay six (6) feet apart from others in the same pew. Please move to the center of the pew so others will not have to cross over you for seating. Chairs will be available in the Gathering Space for a modest amount of overflow crowd.
•  Missalettes and hymnals will be removed.
•  There will be collection boxes located at each entrance to the sanctuary for your offertory contributions.  Collection baskets will not be passed among the pews at the Offertory.
•  The physical exchange of the sign of peace will be modified to include a simple bow, hand wave or other non-contact option.
•  Distribution of the Eucharist will be by host only and communicants are strongly encouraged to take communion in the hand rather than by mouth. The Eucharist will be distributed in the pews utilizing the empty rows, rather than from the altar. Gloves should not be worn to receive Communion.
•  After Mass, the Ministers of Hospitality will initiate an orderly exit starting from the rear of the Sanctuary to the front. Parishioners will be asked to exit the Church and not congregate in the gathering space to maintain proper social distancing.
• The Bishop has granted dispensation, recognizing that not all will feel comfortable to return to public worship right away, due to concerns or fears about COVID-19.  Some who are pregnant, immunocompromised, or otherwise in a higher-risk category, will wisely wish to wait some time until returning to public worship.  
•  Holy water fonts will remain empty for now.  Contact the church office if you would like holy water for private use.
•  The Cry Room and Nursery will be closed.
•  Group meetings in the church on a regular basis will be on hold until September to help keep the facilities sanitized for weekend masses.
•  The livestream of a single Sunday service will continue for the foreseeable future and made available on the Holy Infant website.

Where Help is Needed

•  Additional volunteers are needed for the Ministers of Hospitality (contact Vic Graffeo at 205-999-9991).  Younger parishioners (High school senior or older) are especially encouraged to consider volunteering for this activity.