Posted on Sat, Mar 21, 2020
THE CHURCH AT ST. BRIDE WILL BE CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. NO GATHERING THE NEXT WEEKS:
Governor Pritzker has just announced a mandatory shelter-in-place order for the State of Illinois. What this means for our parishes is that effective 5 p.m. Saturday, March 21 through Tuesday, April 7:
All churches and adoration chapels must be closed and locked until the order is lifted by the governor. Private prayer in any parish building must be discontinued until the order is lifted.
There can be no live Stations of the Cross or any other gatherings anywhere on parish/school property, nor can any parish personnel be involved in organizing them on any other site.
All weddings and baptisms must be postponed and can be re-scheduled only once the order is lifted. There are no exceptions to this, regardless of the size of the group. However, in case of an extreme emergency for baptism, please seek the permission of your bishop.
Funerals and wakes must be postponed until the order is lifted.
(Note: Priests can – and are encouraged – to continue celebrating Mass privately and to livestream their Masses for their parishioners, if possible. Moreover, anointing of the sick and confession/absolution guidelines will be forthcoming.)
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Parish offices must be closed until the governor’s order is lifted. That stated, each pastor and his staff must identify essential functions that need to continue as follows:
- Determine ongoing operations plan: Though parish offices must close, parish staff should work from home where possible.
- Determine communication plan: Ensure parishioners have a way to call and reach someone in person. Guidelines on how to forward calls via the internet are attached. Please email ITServiceCenter@archchicago.orgwith any questions.
- Determine remote payroll plan: See the attached memorandum that was previously issued to Ops managers about remote payroll. Please email ParishOperations@archchicago.orgwith any questions.
- Determine parish redundancy plan: To prepare for an instance in which any staff members become ill, identify appropriate back-up for essential roles (payroll processing, communication management, minister of care, building maintenance, etc.).
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Determine security plan and share the plan and measures with DVOs and episcopal vicar. Specifically:
- Identify and put into place all steps you can to secure consecrated hosts, critical parish/school records and files, essential assets and access points to your buildings.
- Ensure all windows and exterior doors are locked and secured, and all interior doors are locked to the extent possible.
- Any valuable or sacred items should be stored in locked cabinets or rooms. All parish buildings should be checked daily, including walking the interiors, to make sure they are secure and operating as intended.
- Heat can be reduced but should not be turned off entirely.
- While parish facilities will generally be unavailable to staff and visitors, appropriate staff needs to be present, at least periodically daily, to maintain building operations and safety.
These circumstances require all of us to pastor and lead our people in new ways. Further liturgical and pastoral guidance will be provided over the course of the next few days. As always, all current guidelines can be found on our dedicated Coronavirus/COVID-19 IZZY page.
And also, your health and wellbeing are vitally important to me, your vicar, Cardinal Cupich, and all those to whom you minister. Stay well and safe. Thank you for your continued prayers for and support of one another, and the people of God in this time of suffering for so many. We will get through this moment, but we need to stay united to keep our people united.
Peace,
Bishop Ron Hicks
