A Message from Cardinal Dolan

Yesterday, we listened to the announcement that the opening of houses of worship has been moved from NYS (New York State) Phase IV to NYS Phase II which will commence on Tuesday, June 9 except in the three NYC boroughs. In addition, the maximum number of people allowed to be present has been raised from ten individuals to 25% of the church’s occupancy, provided that physical distancing and other guidelines are followed. I am pleased that the Faith Forward initiative was critical in laying the foundation for this modification. Today, the City of New York began NYS Phase I of reopening with the resumption of construction, manufacturing, and curb-side retail pickup. This phase affects our parishes in the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island who will remain in ADNY (Archdiocese of New York) Level I of the Faith Forward plan, allowing our churches to be open only for visits and confession. Cardinal Dolan has permitted me to be the bearer of more good news. According to Faith Forward, ADNY Level II (the celebration of baptisms and weddings) and Level III (the celebration of weekday Masses and funerals) are now combined. In NYC, Phase II could start as early as the beginning of July. All precautions must be taken (wearing of masks, maintaining a six-foot distance, no physical contact except for communion, frequent washing of hands, and sanitizing surfaces). Our first priority is the safety of the clergy and people, and self-care of all ministers. The second priority is to resume in-person worship. Very soon, but not yet, ADNY Level IV will permit Sunday Mass with supervised attendance. We will continue to rely on health experts to guide us on when it is safe for us to resume. Once we finally get there, entrance to churches will be through one door only. A greeter will be present to count the faithful as they enter. The strict cutoff will be when 25% of the church capacity is reached. The final level and our ultimate goal, ADNY Level V will see us resuming our full parish Mass schedule and sacramental activity. The faithful are reminded that for now there is no obligation for them to come back to Mass once churches are open. Those who are at a greater risk of COVID-19 (those older than 65 or who have underlying health conditions) are cautioned not to come to church for Mass. They may join us only when they feel safe and comfortable to do so. His Eminence has dispensed everyone from an obligation to attend Sunday Mass at this time. As an alternative, Mass may we watched online or on TV, and make the act of spiritual communion instead of receiving the Eucharist. At St. Helena, our daily and weekend Masses in English and Spanish can be viewed at www.Facebook.com/St.HelenaBronx. While we miss you when you are not here, and we still rely on your continued spiritual and financial support of St. Helena and the Archdiocese. We encourage all of you to either mail or bring in your parish envelopes or contribute by way of online giving by going to our parish website www.churchofsthelena.com and clicking the WeShare tab on the right column. There is also new information about the virus itself, which will continue to drive decision making. Now we are told the virus can live in the air for three hours, surfaces are less likely to cause transmission, children may also be affected, infected people may get re-infected, and masks are more important than originally thought.