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WITH NEW INFORMATION COMING IN EACH DAY,
PLEASE CONTINUE TO SCROLL DOWN ON THIS PAGE TO STAY UPDATED!
THANK YOU AND LET'S ALL CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR EACH OTHER.
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important updatemay 31, 2020
CLICK HERE TO SEE FR. JACK'S ANNOUNCEMENT AFTER THIS MORNING'S MASS
“There is only one thing I ask of the Lord, just one thing I seek: to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
so that I may enjoy the beauty of the Lord and gaze on his temple.”
~Psalm 27:4
Important information regarding the opening of St. Stephen's Church for private prayer only.
To Our St. Stephen's Family:
The Mid-Hudson Region has finally been given the green light to open for Phase 1 of the NY-Forward plan to re-open the state in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic situation.
We are pleased to announce that St. Stephen’s is currently making plans to slowly open back up for worship. We will be approaching this process slowly and responsibly, paying close attention to CDC, governmental and archdiocesan guidelines to open cautiously while keeping the health and welfare of St. Stephen’s clergy, parishioners as well as the community-at-large in the forefront of the process. Of course, the ultimate goal is to gather once again for Mass, but that will be much later in this process, we will be starting small and expanding as guidelines allow. While the archdiocese has issued directives, they have left it up to each pastor to determine when each church will celebrate public Mass again.
Please read the following carefully for important information regarding the opening of St. Stephen’s Church for Private Prayer:
Starting tomorrow, Monday, June 1st, St. Stephen’s will be opening for private prayer. The sanctuary will be open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be no private prayer on Sundays. A lot of thought has gone into how this can be accomplished and will require a certain amount of responsibility by parishioners to work effectively.
You will notice that the sanctuary has been prepared in order to comply with social distancing and capacity limitations. Additionally, as sanitization is also a consideration, you will notice that entire pew sections have been roped off, while rows within sections that are “open” have also been blocked off. A lot of time, thought and effort have gone into creating a space that serves to allow parishioners to come in and pray while also complying with the various guidelines necessary to do so.
We have begun the process of labeling areas of the church and pew sections - as you can see in the photo - for future reference when the time comes that we are able to open for mass.
***We ask that you please respect the boundaries that have been set, avoid areas of the church that remain closed and please do not alter any of the seating configurations***
Here’s how Private Prayer at St. Stephen’s will work:- Masks: Parishioners will be required to wear masks at all times within the church building; please sanitize your hands upon entering the church
- Entrance/Exit:
- Only the main church entrance will be open. All other doors will be locked.
- Entrance into the sanctuary will be through the doors to the right of the baptismal font – please follow the arrows.
- Exit from the sanctuary will be the doors on the opposite side from where you entered – again, arrows will point the way
- Capacity: A maximum of 10 persons will be allowed in the sanctuary at any one time. Those wishing to come in and pray will have to be aware of this and wait if 10 people are already seated.
- Seating: Seating will be allowed in only two pew sections (Sections ‘C’ and ‘E’ in photo), in socially distanced rows/seats. Please sit in the end seat of an open row
- All other pew sections will be blocked off as will the Tabernacle area and Mary statue. This is to limit the number of areas that will have to be sanitized at day’s end – please note that pews will not be sanitized throughout the day…please conduct your movements accordingly.
- Kneelers: Please leave kneelers down to eliminate that touch point – all marked seats will be on the ends of pews so no one has to “climb over” anyone to get in or out of an open spot.
- Time: Please be respectful of your time spent in the sanctuary as others may be waiting to enter. Please try to limit your prayer time to a suggested 10-15 minutes.
- Families/Couples: Families and/or couples are welcome and may sit together to pray but will count individually against the total number allowed in the sanctuary - e.g., a family of four will mean that 6 other spots will be available
- Prayer Groups: this is not the place for prayer groups to meet – please continue to meet in whatever manner you have been while the church has been closed
- Candles: Candles may be lit at this time
- Parish office and Restrooms will remain closed; staff continue to work remotely
- Holy Water fonts have been emptied as recommended
- Prayer Intentions will continue to be taken online
- Atrium: Please do not gather or stop to chat in the Atrium – the purpose of opening the church is for those who wish to pray privately and quietly. Entrance and exit doors will be left open to limit touches to the door handles
The opening of St. Stephen’s Church will be gradual, this is the first step. The timing and logistics of future sacramental offerings such as reconciliation are being worked on and parishioners will be the first to know once those details are worked out.
The Clergy and Parish Staff appreciate your patience as we work through this process. We all yearn for the day when we can return to Mass, participate in the Eucharist and see our family here at St. Stephen’s. This has been an unprecedented health crisis affecting so many in our country, state and, indeed, in our own community here in Warwick. By opening up our church slowly and thoughtfully, we feel we can best serve our parishioners, keeping them safe and fulfill our responsibility to help preserve the health and welfare of our community as well.
May God continue to bless you,
Fr. Jack
Fr. Reynor
Parish Staff, Trustees and Council
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Please click HERE for "Prayers and Encouragement", including the Holy Rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet.
"Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us,
that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent,
but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself."
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learn more about catholic education
Catholic education can be served in many ways, and at many different stages of life. Click HERE to learn more about St. Stephen-St. Edward School as well as our Religious Education program for elementary school age children. For high school students, there is information for our local Catholic high school, Burke Catholic. This is also the place to look for information if your an alumni, so check back here often for the latest news and events!
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