Dear Parishioners,

I am so glad that people are returning to the Mass and confession. The sacraments are essential to the Christian life and people ought to participate in them in so far as they are able to safely do so. I am all for the churches being open and remaining open. I also believe that we should do it in the most sanitary way possible. If another outbreak of Coronavirus occurs, it may lead to churches closing again and that will not be good for anyone. I notice that even though we were on lockdown for so long, that people are starting to get a little careless following the health precautions outlined by our government and diocese.

I have noticed that people have not been the best at washing their hands. For soap and water or hand sanitizer to be effective, it needs to be applied for 20 seconds. In theory, this is a short amount of time. But, in practice, it can feel like a long amount of time, especially if there is something else you prefer to do. Washing your hands when done properly is one of the best ways we have to kill viruses and other diseases because it directly attacks the body of the viruses and render them inert. When we do not wash our hands for at least 20 seconds, we really are not doing much to the virus at all.

I have also noticed that people do not wear their masks properly. I have seen people sticking their noses out of their masks in church or taking their masks off. I know this makes them less annoying. It is also making them completely ineffective. If you are having trouble breathing, then please step out of church for a breather and come back in. While in church, masks should be worn covering both nose and mouth for the entire time. Also, people should avoid touching their face and hair since they do not know who touched anything they have touched as well.

Lastly, we need to all be aware of social distance. If you can help it, please stay six feet away from each other. If you would like to converse, please do it outside where at least the UV light and heat will help kill the virus and the wind will help dissipate the air droplets it lives in. And especially, if you feel ill at all, do not come to church.

We all need to be aware and form good habits early. We want life to be normal and the quickest way to get there is to act in ways that first feel unnatural. The sooner we form these habits, the harder it will be for this virus to spread and the more easily we can resist any resurgence. Let us all do our part to help one another.

God bless!

Fr. Carter