Coronavirus updates

The weekend Masses have resumed as of June 6/7. The full schedule of 10 Masses in the 6 churches on the weekend will be available. It is our best hope that with all 10 Masses available, the people of God will spread themselves around so as to avoid any large crowds. Here is the schedule:
SATURDAY
4:00 pm Saint Joseph Church
4:30 pm Madonna of Jerusalem Church
5:00 pm Saint Scholastica Church
SUNDAY
8:00 am Saint Francis of Assisi Church
9:00 am Saint Joseph Church
9:30 am Saint Scholastica Church
10:00 am Saint Edward Church
11:00 am Saint Joseph Church
11:30 am Saint Mary Church
12:00 Noon Saint Scholastica Church
We want to make available the glory of the Mass and receiving the Holy Eucharist. At the same time we need to be mindful of a virus that lives among us. Therefore, we must exercise good common sense and precautions.

I hope that you are well as we prepare to open the doors of our churches for the celebration of Mass.  Daily Mass will begin on Monday, June 1^ST: 8:00 am in Saint Joseph Church (Monday thru Friday); 9:00 am in Madonna Church (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday) and 9:00 am in Saint Edward Church (Thursday, Friday, Saturday); 10:00 am in Saint Scholastica  Church (Monday thru Friday).  The weekend Masses will resume on June 6-7.  The full schedule of 10 Masses in the 6 churches on the weekend will be available.  It is our best hope that with all 10 Masses available, the people of God will spread themselves around so as to avoid any large crowds. Here is the schedule:
 
SATURDAY
4:00 pm                Saint Joseph Church
4:30 pm                Madonna of Jerusalem Church
5:00 pm                Saint Scholastica Church
 
SUNDAY
8:00 am                Saint Francis of Assisi Church
9:00 am                Saint Joseph Church
9:30 am                Saint Scholastica Church
10:00 am              Saint Edward Church
11:00 am              Saint Joseph Church
11:30 am              Saint Mary Church
12:00 Noon         Saint Scholastica Church
 
                Opening for worship feels like some kind of social experiment.  We want to make available the glory of the Mass and receiving the Holy Eucharist.  At the same time we need to be mindful of a virus that lives among us.  Therefore, we must exercise good common sense and precautions.  If you have any hesitancy about attending Mass, then please stay home.  The obligation to be in attendance has been temporarily suspended by the Bishop and remains in effect.  By all means, if you choose to attend Mass, wear a mask.  And note the seating capacity in each church will be reduced by half with every other pew sealed off.  Finally, while the Greeting of Peace and drinking the Precious Blood from the chalice will be discontinued, the reception of the Body of Christ will be at the very end of Mass.  After the priest announces the end of Mass (Go in peace), communicants will then come forward to receive Holy Communion.  We are trying to avoid the ordinary crowd of people exiting the church at the same time.  For sanitary purposes, the preferred and recommended manner of receiving the Sacred Host is in the hand; however, Communion will be given on a person’s tongue (if they so choose).
 
                Is this part of what we are calling the “new normal?”  I suppose so.  But if there is anything we are learning in this pandemic, it is the importance of flexibility.  Things are not as they once were, including the manner in which we will gather for worship.  The one constant, however, is God’s love for us and our love for God.  Your priests look forward to seeing you.
 

Priests in the Diocese of Pittsburgh are preparing to begin offering daily Mass on Monday, June 1, and weekend Masses on June 6 and 7. In continued alignment with local, state, and federal health and safety guidelines, Bishop David Zubik is announcing the following directives:

· Monday, June 1^ST: Churches may open for daily Mass, in addition to private prayer and Confessions, weddings, funerals, and baptisms, with no more than 25 people in attendance. Social distancing of six feet and all other safety precautions must be followed.
· Saturday, June 6^TH and Sunday, June 7^TH, until further notice: Churches may open for weekend Masses, respecting social distancing of six feet, which equates to about 25% capacity. Each pastor will assess his specific situation and determine a method of keeping track of the number of people attending and controlling attendance so it does not exceed allowable limits.
· Monday, June 8^TH, until further notice:  Daily Mass attendance is allowed to increase to 25% of the church seating capacity, maintaining social distancing and all other safety precautions. As the weeks progress, the percentage rate may increase based on the smoothness of this reopening process.

Reminders:
· The dispensation from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass remains in effect.
· Live streaming Masses will continue.
· Bishop Zubik, in consultation with a diocesan COVID-19 Task Force, will continue to monitor and evaluate the reopening process and make adjustments as warranted.
· In all phases of reopening, the Diocese of Pittsburgh will remain in alignment with local, state, and federal public health and safety guidelines. Parishioners will be required to wear masks, use hand sanitizer, and maintain social distancing of six feet (side-to-side, as well as front and back).
· Although beginning June 1^ST churches are permitted to open for daily Mass, it should not be expected that all churches in the Diocese of Pittsburgh will do so. The decision to reopen a church rests with pastors, who need to base their decisions on a number of factors, including their ability to comply with CDC cleaning and sanitizing protocols. The diocese is offering support to pastors and parish teams as they assess their spaces and their ability to meet all safety requirements.
· Returning to churches will be a very different experience, and to support parishioners in understanding what to expect, the diocese has a new Moving Forward Together area on its website geared toward helping parishioners with what to expect as they return to worship together in church. Those resources are available at: https://diopitt.org/moving-forward-together.

“I ask for your continued prayers and patience as we find our way back home to our churches together,” Bishop Zubik said. “May knowing that Jesus is there waiting for us in the Holy Eucharist give us the strength we need to continue to navigate through these challenging times. I'd also like to offer a word of appreciation for our clergy and their parish teams for all their hard work. I know they are eager to celebrate Mass together once again, as am I.”
 

Our Churches Are Open for Private Prayer
Beginning on Friday, May 15^TH, Bishop Zubik has given permission for our churches to be open so that the faithful may come in for private prayer. Therefore, the churches of Saint Joseph in O'Hara, Madonna of Jerusalem in Sharpsburg, Saint Scholastica in Aspinwall, and Saint Edward in Blawnox will be open each day from 9:00 am until 3:00 pm - 7 days a week.

For everyone’s safety, please wear a mask and practice good hygiene while on church property.

The LAV grouping continues to post a video of Sunday Mass on our website at LAVCatholic.org for those who are not able to attend Mass in person.

If you are able to continue to make your weekly contribution, please mail it to your Parish Office:
Saint Joseph
Saint Juan Diego
Saint Padre Pio
Saint Scholastica

A video of the LAV grouping Sunday Mass is available by clicking HERE.
The weekly bulletin is available by clicking HERE.
For new and updates from the Diocese of Pittsburgh, click HERE.
For Messages of encouragement from Fr. Michael, click HERE.