We wish to welcome all our parishioners back to the celebration of Eucharist from Monday 29th June. We have been forced to suspend these liturgies from the middle of March due to the Corona Virus. Our return will be tentative, and we wish to provide a safe and secure environment in keeping with Government and Diocesan regulations. If at any time we feel that this is not the case, we will immediately do whatever is necessary to protect all who attend our places of worship, priests and people.
We wish to draw your attention to the following:
- The obligation to attend church on Sundays and Holy Days is suspended for the current crisis. Mass can be heard online from many sources and we will endeavour to continue to stream Mass from the Abbey into the future. Mass can also be heard in the Padre Pio Garden, Holycross, if anyone wishes to remain in their car. Communion can be distributed if requested.
- Weekday mass will be celebrated in Holycross Abbey at 10am (unless there is a funeral) and hopefully will be broadcast on-line at Holycross Ballycahill Parish Facebook page.
- There will be no weekday 9am Mass in Ballycahill for the foreseeable future. Mass will continue to be celebrated at 10am on Sunday Mornings in Ballycahill.
- All who attend weekend celebrations are kindly asked to follow the signs and directions of stewards who are generously assisting at this time. This includes sitting in designated areas, in order to maintain “Social Distancing”.
- Priests alone will distribute Holy Communion for the month of July, this will be reviewed thereafter. This is for the safeguarding of all Eucharistic Ministers.
- No Altar Servers will be asked to attend for this current crisis.
- No Sign of Peace exchanged for the foreseeable future. No holy water in either church.
- The collection baskets will no longer be used for weekend collections. You are asked to use the boxes provided at the church entrance for your envelope/contribution.
- Hymnals and missalettes normally made available in the Church will not be available for the foreseeable future due to contamination concerns.
- Holycross Abbey and Ballycahill Church will be open daily from 9.30am to 6pm for anyone to visit or light a candle. Toilets will only be available during Mass times.
This is a difficult time for all who are part of the worshipping community. Our prime concern is for the welfare of all parishioners and all parish staff.
We thank you for your support over the past couple of months since the day of lockdown in March, your cards and your prayers, your words of support, your telephone calls. We thank you also for your weekly and clergy collections, your Trócaire offering, all of which we greatly appreciate. We ask for your continued prayers so that we may all be kept safe and well and free from the Corona Virus until a vaccine is discovered to protect us all.