Our Lady of the Assumption

News and Updates

**We have updated the letter below to include our new schedule as of June 15: 

We will now celebrate Daily Mass Monday to Friday at 8AM, and our weekend schedule will be Saturday at 4:00PM and Sunday at 9AM and 11AM. Registration for a weekend Mass is still required at this time.

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Dear Parishioners,

    With the great news of the re-opening of our parishes Fr. Sudhir and I would like to let you know of our plan for the next few weeks.  We have been talking frequently with staff members, parishioners and brother priests to put a plan together for our re-opening process.  There will certainly be challenges that we will need to navigate along the way so we ask for your prayers and patience. Please read this letter in its entirety as there are important details to follow, including how to register to attend a Sunday Mass (at this time registration for Daily Mass is NOT required.) To be sure we are following capacity limits per the State of MA and the diocese, you must register by Friday at 6pm for that weekend. You will receive a confirmation phone call or email. 

Masses will begin at Our Lady of the Assumption and Our Lady of Victory parishes this coming weekend (May 30-31).  We will need to alter our Mass schedule for several practical reasons.  The temporary schedule for each parish is as follows:

Sunday Mass
Our Lady of the Assumption:     Saturday 4pm and Sunday 9am and 11am

Our Lady of Victory:                 Saturday 4:30pm and Sunday 9am, 11am,
and 5:30pm
 

*All Masses at Our Lady of Victory will continue to be Livestreamed on www.olvparish.org.

Daily Mass

OLA: Monday to Friday at 8am

OLV: Monday to Saturday at 9am.

 The Rosary will take place as normal before Mass and we ask that people arrive 10-15 minutes early for daily Mass.

Why the Change in the Sunday Mass Schedule? 

1) We would like to begin slowly and cautiously.  We are not sure how many parishioners will desire to come out to Mass at the current time, so we will begin with a simple schedule, to which we can always add more Mass times. 
 

2) We felt that two hours were necessary to celebrate Mass, sanitize afterwards and then begin the seating process for the next Mass.  If we begin with Mass at 9am and 11am we will have the flexibility of an earlier Mass in the future.
 

 3) You will notice that for the moment there are no scheduled Masses at Our Lady of Hope chapel.  The space at the chapel is quite constrained and will make social distancing very difficult.  This is not a permanent decision and it is our sincere desire to begin Mass at the chapel as circumstances permit. 

When will we add more Masses?

    We will keep this schedule for two weeks (May 30th and 31st / June 6th
 and 7th).  If during these two weeks we find that more Masses are needed we will add them at that time.

Can Everybody Go to Mass?

    Bishop da Cunha has said the dispensation from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass will remain in effect until further notice.  Our governor is asking vulnerable, at-risk and otherwise concerned persons to remain at home, this includes those who are over 65 and those with underlying health conditions. Those who are feeling sick, or have any symptoms of illness must stay home so as to avoid spreading sickness. Therefore, we ask you to use precaution when deciding whether to come or not. 

    We are asking people to register for Mass.  It may sound strange; however, in order to keep people safely distanced inside the church buildings and maintain under 40% capacity per Massachusetts requirements, it is necessary to limit the number of individuals inside the church for Mass.  We ask that you email or call to register for a particular Mass for that coming weekend.  If Masses fill up we will let you know and direct you to an open Mass for that weekend, or put your name first on the list for the following weekend.  Please remember this is the first time we are employing a system like this for Mass; if we run into difficulties we will quickly reassess.

Information to be given to Register: (Please note registration ends on Fridays at 6pm each week to give us time to ensure we are complying with state and diocesan capacity guidelines.)

• Name                    

• Phone number

• Names of all attendees

• Date and time of the Mass you wish to attend

• Which church you will would like to attend
  **You will receive a confirmation email/phone call.

Email:              massregistration@assumption-capecod.org
                       massregistration@olvparish.org

Phone:             OLA: 508-428-2011 x 201

                       OLV: 508-775-5744 x 107

What do I need to do for Mass?

1. Please bring and wear a face covering into church.  A face covering is not primarily for yourself but for those around you.

2. Please bring hand sanitizer.  We will have sanitizer at the doors of the church, however this supply must be used prudently and carefully for all parishioners for several weeks.

3. You MUST come 20 minutes early.  This is crucial.  We will not be able to keep social distancing if everyone shows up exactly at the time of the Mass.  

4. Please be patient about details.  At Mass for the next several weeks there will be changes. 

   • You will be brought to a seat which will be at least six feet away from others (this does not apply for families living in the same home). 

   • There will be no singing from the congregation at Mass.  The research has shown that the virus spreads mostly through water droplets escaping from our mouths, which would include while singing.  Our cantors will sing and will maintain a distance of at least six feet from others. 

   • There will be no missalettes or bulletins so as to limit the number of surfaces by which the virus could spread. You may view and print bulletins on our websites, or call Barbara at 508.775.5744x200 to have one mailed to you.

   • The collection baskets will not be passed.  Instead, we will leave baskets at the doors of the church for people to use for their donations. We also encourage online giving through WeShare.

   • Distribution of Holy Communion will be possible with specific directions which we will communicate at Mass.

Confessions

    Regularly scheduled confessions will begin this weekend.  Parishioners will have the opportunity to speak face to face or use a screen and social distance will be maintained.

OLA Confessions: Saturdays from 3pm to 3:40pm in the parish Annex building. Please enter through the Annex and be seated at an appropriate distance from others as you wait for the Sacrament.

OLV Confessions: Saturdays after the 9am Mass and from 3pm to 3:45pm in the Parish Center. Please enter through the Parish hall door (not the main office door) and be seated at an appropriate distance from others as you wait for the Sacrament.

    We realize there are many changes and details.  Please know that all of these are being taken for the safety of our parishioners.  If there is any way that we can be of assistance please do not hesitate to reach out. 

Please know of our continued prayers and availability. 

Yours in Christ,

Fr. Sudhir Nayak (Parochial Vicar)

Fr. Matthew Gill (Administrator)

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