St. Stephen the First Martyr

Dear St. Stephen’s Parishioners,
            In March 2020, St. Stephen’s along with all churches in the Archdiocese of New York were closed with no real indication of when they might open again. As conditions improved and new guidelines were set, we were able to formulate a plan to re-open the church first for daily Mass and then, by the middle of June, for weekend Masses.
            I decided that, in order to open safely, St. Stephen’s would use a reservation system as the best means for our church, with its unique configuration of different sized pews, to bring parishioners in to Mass. It would also ensure that family units large and small could be seated while socially distanced and within capacity guidelines and no one would be turned away. Because we had a system in place, as guidelines changed, we were able to increase the capacity and at no time, not even during the most crowded of holiday Masses at Christmas and Easter, did we turn away any parishioner who wished to be at Mass.
            None of this could have been accomplished without the reservation team, ushers and greeters who spent hours each week facilitating the reservation system.  I am also grateful to be able to say that, during this time, no reports of illness were attributed to attendance at Mass at St. Stephen’s – we did our part for our parishioners, clergy and the community-at-large. Additionally, many of our Ministries continued in some form, Religious Education had a successful year, funerals, weddings and baptisms resumed along with Confirmation and First Holy Communion.
              I am happy to announce that, in accordance with directives from the State and Archdiocese of New York, starting May 22-23, reservations for Mass will no longer be required. While I know this is welcome news, please be aware that there will still be a few remaining protocols to ensure the continued safety of our parishioners.
 

• PEWS - every other pew will be roped off for social distancing. Please do not remove ropes. The Lector, Livestream and Choir seating remain reserved.
• MASKS will be required while in the church and at Mass at all times
• SOCIAL DISTANCING – while capacity limits have been removed, they are still subject to social distancing requirements. Parishioners are asked to stay six feet from the family/individual/couple next to them. Please be courteous and move to the middle, if necessary, to allow space between parties
• USHERS/GREETERS will be present to assist with seating and to direct the flow of Communion. Again, we ask that you are courteous and arrive in a timely manner for Mass to make sure your family is seated prior to the start of Mass
• ATRIUM – seating will continue to be offered in the Atrium; those in the Atrium will proceed up the center aisle for Communion as directed by an usher.
• OFFERTORY – Ushers will continue to use the long-handled baskets and there will be at least one collection box in the Atrium. Thank you for your continued and generous financial support during this difficult time.

               We are thankful here at St. Stephen’s for the time and effort that has been put into reservation system. This includes the ushers and greeters who spent every weekend facilitating the Mass reservation system, sanitizing the church between Masses, and rearranging the seating as necessary; the Knights of Columbus for their donation of the sanitizing sprayers and their help in setting up for holiday Masses; the parish office staff who answered questions, guided parishioners through the use of the sign-up system all while continuing to attend to other parishioner needs and parish business.
Finally, Fr. Reynor and I would like to thank you all for your understanding, cooperation, patience and support during this historical and unprecedented time in our history.  We continue to pray for you all as well as those who are still affected by the pandemic, all those who passed away as a result, and those nations, especially India, the home of Fr. Jisaya, that continue to battle this virus.

God Bless you,

Fr. Jack