Covid Crisis - Information Updates

Dear Friends:

We have entered the “Covid 19-Advent” season. As you know, we have witnessed in the past month a dramatic rise in the rate of infection in Anoka County and in the communities served by St. Timothy’s. We remain committed to provide as reasonably safe environment as we can for those who worship in person, in keeping with directives from the State of Minnesota as well as Archdiocesan leadership. To that end, we will continue the practices we initiated in June: wearing masks, distancing, and disinfecting for all in-person Masses or events at St. Timothy’s. We are also adding some additional precautions as we approach the Christmas season. These protocols are listed below. 
 

• The installation of ionizing air filtration system in the church. This is an air purification system that helps reduce the amount of airborne virus, including the Covid-19 virus, in an enclosed space. This system does not produce ozone or other harmful byproducts. It does supplement our ability to exchange fresh air in the church building, especially during the coldest months of the year. 
• Pre-registration for all Masses will continue for the foreseeable future. Even if you regularly attend the same weekend liturgy, we thank you for continuing to register every week. Pre-registration ensures that we will not exceed the amount of people that we can safely accommodate, and gives us the ability to do contact tracing should we need to.  
• If you are in any of the higher risk groups for severe Covid-19 infection, please consider staying home instead of attending weekly in-person liturgies. Mass will continue to be streamed on St. Timothy’s YouTube channel and Facebook page, and the videos will continue to be archived for later viewing. 
• If you have been or may have been exposed to Covid-19 in the two weeks prior to the date of the Mass, we ask that you refrain from attending in-person Mass until two weeks beyond the possible date of exposure. 
• If you feel ill for any reason, please do not attend in-person Mass. 
• We are planning further parking lot services and communion reception services, including on Christmas Day, for those who watch the Mass at home. More information on those opportunities will follow and will be made available through all parish communications channel (website, Flocknote, Facebook, print and digital biweekly bulletin).
• Face masks, covering the nose and mouth, are required once you get out of your car to enter the church building and are to remain in place until you get into your car after exiting. 
• Seating is assigned based on the number of members of your household in attendance. Seating is configured to maintain at least six feet of distance between households in the pews. 

• You will be asked to sanitize your hands upon entering the church and again in the communion procession. 

• As Cathy Sullivan mentioned in her state of the parish address, we are installing livestreaming equipment. This will enable us to livestream the Sunday morning or Saturday evening Mass on our website, or to YouTube and Facebook. We are in the line for installation, but a lot of other churches are doing the same, so we thank for your patience as we get the necessary technology in place to offer livestreaming from St. Timothy’s. 
• We are hoping to have St. Timothy’s recorded weekly Mass broadcast on the local Blaine cable television station. Stay tuned for future announcements. 

Our goal is that with these precautions in place and with everyone’s cheerful cooperation there will be no transmission of the Covid-19 virus during Mass or other events at St. Timothy’s. Again, the best precaution of all is refraining from attending in-person Mass if you are feeling ill in any way or may have been exposed to the virus.

We continue to monitor the number of cases in our ongoing discernment of how best to respond and adapt our parish life. As the public health situation continues to evolve and as our streaming and in-person liturgy offerings adapt, updates will be made available through all our parish communications platforms (“Covid crisis – information updates” page on the parish website, Facebook, weekly Friday Flocknote, print and digital bulletin).  

Advent is a season of staying alert and preparing with hopeful vigilance for Christ’s coming. This year, part of that preparation, part of showing love of God and neighbor, is taking reasonable precautions to lower Covid-19 transmissions. I thank you for your collaboration, rooted in care and concern for all in our parish family, especially those who are most vulnerable. Be assured of my prayers for you and your families in these challenging days. Know also of my gratitude for your prayerful support of St. Timothy’s and all those who lives have been impacted by this virus. May God bless our world with relief and renewal, and may God give us the strength and perseverance we need to act on behalf of the common good. 

Peace be with you all, 

Fr Joe
 

Parish Office Area Policy for Reopening Gradually

1. All visitors must call ahead before coming to the parish office. Only people with appointments will be invited into the parish office. No loitering or socializing will be allowed. Call 763.784.1329. 
2. Those without an appointment who are dropping off paperwork, can do so using our outside drop box.
3. All guests and vendors with an appointment will be asked to sanitize their hands and must be wearing a mask. 
4. All guests and vendors must check in with the receptionist to ensure St. Timothy’s has all the needed contact information including phone number, email, time/ date of visit, who they are visiting.  
5. For the time being, in-person meetings are discouraged unless absolutely necessary.  
6. No food or other hard good donations will be accepted at this time.