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COVID-19 Pandemic in the Diocese

5/17/2022

 
May 18, 2022
 
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
 
The great feast of Pentecost celebrates the outpouring of the Holy Spirit into the life of the  Church through the Apostles, the disciples, and with Mary, the mother of our Lord, who were gathered in the upper room “constantly devoting themselves to prayer” (Acts 1:12-14). This gathering for worship is necessary for our identity as disciples of Christ.
 
In March of 2020, the Bishops of Alberta and the Northwest Territories issued in their respective dioceses a dispensation from the Sunday Mass obligation to provide the faithful the freedom to choose and not be obligated to participate in large liturgical gatherings and thus to reduce the spread of COVID-19 during the time of the global pandemic.
 
Now, at this stage where the necessity for health and safety restrictions has been relaxed, a return to in-person gatherings on Sundays as a worshipping community is necessary for our continued spiritual nourishment and growth. Therefore, the Bishops of Alberta and Northwest Territories in their respective dioceses will be lifting the dispensation on Pentecost Sunday, June 5, 2022.
 
While acknowledging the continuing presence of COVID-19 in our midst, the decree restoring the Sunday obligation will continue to provide the exemption for those who are ill, vulnerable and those providing direct care for them, and those who cannot attend Mass because of frailty or old age.
 
Our sacred duty to worship God on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation orients our personal freedom to the worship and service of God. May the feast of Pentecost inspire us to constantly devote ourselves to prayer especially in the highest form of our worship of God in the celebration of the Sunday Eucharist.
 
Sincerely yours in Christ,

✠ William T. McGrattan
Bishop of Calgary
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During this time of transition in the Province’s easing of health and safety restrictions, we are all asked to exercise respect, charity, and kindness with one another and to be conscious of the varying comfort levels of people especially in the following areas.
  • The wearing of masks is no longer required by the Province but people are free to continue the use of facemasks if they choose to. This applies to everyone including the clergy and to anyone serving in a liturgical capacity.
    • Note: It is possible that some municipalities may have a municipal face covering bylaw or any other health and safety measure that is not in alignment with the approach of the province. Please check with your municipality when in doubt.
  • There has been no mention of physical distancing in Step 2, in order to respect people’s personal space and comfort level, however, it would be a prudent practise to allow for some distance between people of different households.
    • At this time, for the sign of peace, we are asked to exchange peace with those outside of our household with a bow or a nod and not by a handshake.
    • In social settings, it would be charitable not to presume that others are comfortable to shake hands or to hug.
  • People who have symptoms not related to a pre-existing condition should avoid going to the church or being in public as a courtesy to others.
  • We are all encouraged to observe proper hand hygiene by sanitizing our hands at any of the sanitizer stations in the church or by washing our hands regularly with soap and water.
  • We are encouraged to observe respiratory etiquette, such as coughing or sneezing into a bent elbow and the prompt disposal of any used tissues in trash cans.
  • Access the complete details on the Step 2 implementation of the Government of Alberta. 

In Step 2, we are grateful that congregational singing may now resume in the Diocese.
 
We take this opportunity to thank all of you for your cooperation in observing the health and safety restrictions for almost two years now. At this time, we pace our walk together toward the easing of these restrictions with a lot of care and concern for the good of everyone.

=======
Step 2 - Liturgical Guidelines

Liturgical Music Ministry
  • Congregational singing is allowed.
    • The use of hymnbooks may resume.
  • Choirs may resume their ministry
    • The use of a cantor/cantors without a choir remains a valid option.
    • Parishes are able to decide the size of the choir for their church.

Sunday Collection
  • Parishes have the ability to decide whether to continue with the current practice of having the collection baskets/boxes near the entrance of the nave or to resume the passing of the collection baskets.
  • Parishes that have collection baskets with the long handles are also permitted to have ushers use them in the collection.
  • Any of the approved second collection will be collected in the same manner as the Sunday collection.

Presentation of the Gifts
  • Parishes have the ability to decide whether to continue with the current practise of having the hosts and wine placed on a credence table in the sanctuary prior to Mass or to resume the offertory procession for the presentation of the gifts of the hosts, wine, and the Sunday collection.

Sign of Peace
  • At this time, the congregation is asked to exchange peace with people outside of their household with a bow and not by a handshake.

Holy Communion
  • Hand sanitizer should be made available at the credence table and near communion lines.
  • Priests who are celebrating and concelebrating must receive both the Body and Blood at every Mass.
  • Deacons, servers, lay ministers, and the faithful receive only under one species – the consecrated host.
  • Children celebrating First Communion will also only receive under one species – the consecrated host.

Concelebration
  • Concelebrants are allowed to receive Holy Communion by self-intinction from the celebrant’s chalice. At this time, only the celebrant partakes of the Precious Blood from the chalice.

Funeral Receptions, Parish Social Gatherings, and Private Functions
  • Funeral receptions, parish social gatherings, and private functions may now resume in parish halls.
    • It is recommended for Step 2 that food and beverages be served at food/beverage stations at funeral receptions and parish social gatherings to avoid commonly touched items and surfaces. 
    • It is also recommended for Step 2 that servers serving at funeral receptions and parish social gatherings wear face masks when serving food
Vertical Divider
  • ​Download Decree - Restoration of the Sunday Mass Obligation - Effective June 5, 2022
  • ​Download Decree - Dispensation from Sunday Obligation
  • Pastoral Letter from Bishop McGrattan on exemption from COVID-19 vaccination (Sep. 22)
  • Letters from the AB & NWT Bishops about Covid-19 Vaccine ​English | French
    • CCCB Statement on ethical concerns related to currently approved COVID-19 vaccines (March 9, 2021) 
    • COVID-19 Vaccine Q&A from Calgary Catholic Medical Association (March 17, 2021)
    • ​Statement from Pro-Life Catholic Scholars on the Moral Acceptability of Receiving COVID-19 Vaccines (March 5, 2021)
  • ​They Still Bring Forth Fruit in Old Age: A Lesson on Caring in the Midst of the Covid-19 Pandemic. A Message by the Executive Committee of the CCCB ​​

COVID-19 Updates

  • COVID-19 Info for Albertans - Current Situation 
  • Updates from the Chief Medical Officer
  • ​Alberta Biz Connect 
  • Call 211 for community and social services help line (for basic needs, financial support, food, housing information, etc.)
  • Call 811 for Health Link 
  • Centres for Disease Control and Prevention​​

For your 
​Mental Health

  • Calgary Counselling Centre: 403-691-5991 + online counselling
  • Catholic Family Service: 403-205-5295.  Rapid Access Counselling: 403-233-2360 or email intake@cfs-ab.org
  • Distress Centre: 403-266-4357  - available 24/7. 
  • Eastside Family Centre: 403-299-9696 - telephone and e-therapy. 
  • Kid’s Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868
  • Mental Health Help Line: 1-877-303-2642  
  • Access Mental Health: 403-943-1500​
John J. Bouz
3/11/2020 06:53:49 pm

I am afraid that you have conflicting statements. In one paragraph you have that those who arrive from international travel, should quarantine themselves for 14 days, which means staying at home and not going to mass, an I agree with this. In your last paragraph you state that those with flue-like symptoms may choose if they go or not. I disagree with this and you should reword this paragraph as soon as possible, and say that those people should first call health link, and they should not go to mass.
Respectfully yours,
John J. Bouz

Office of Communications
3/12/2020 02:18:37 pm

Thank you for catching that, John. We have updated the General Directives.

Gwendolyn M. Vella
3/12/2020 08:25:19 am

Good. Will do. Good ideas.

Gail
3/12/2020 08:33:38 am

If your public health experts say there is no increased risk no matter how you receive Communion, why is only a priest able to distribute on the tongue and be required to be away from the main aisle.

Being a Registered Nurse for over 45 years, I seriously question the safety of giving communion on the tongue, where the virus will surely be active, from one person to the next. If the distributors fingers become contaminated they would then contaminate their hand, the remaining consecrated hosts and consequently the next receiver. I suppose you could prevent this by having the priest re sanitize his hands each time he distributes.

Eva Sia Lu
3/12/2020 03:23:11 pm

Gail is absolutely right! I think we should not allow giving communion on the tongue for safety precaution until this pandemic is over. God bless 🙏.

Eva

Paulus
3/12/2020 08:56:05 pm

From the Congregation of Divine Worship: "each of the faithful always has the right to receive Holy Communion of the tongue."

Anthony
3/16/2020 09:25:12 pm

Encouraging communion on the hand is actually worse than receiving on the tongue as people have dirty hands full of germs and have a natural tendency to touch their face, nose etc. Receiving communion on the hand is more likely to pass germs into the mouth. If a priest encourages on the tongue and teaches those how to receive on the tongue would be the safest way to receive and increase the reverence in the real presence of Christ. Even one particle that falls to the ground when receiving on the hand means that our Lord falls to the ground and is trampled on.

Go to a traditional mass and find out for yourselves.

God Bless

Peter
3/17/2020 02:33:58 pm

Where is your faith? Holy Communion is the Christ's Body. God will not make you ill, unless you are taking His Body in gravely sin or unless it is His will. God loves His children and would not make them sick by giving Himself up to you!

Albert
3/15/2020 09:45:11 am

Receiving our Lord on the tongue is a right that cannot be taken away.

It is also not an obligation to receive our Lord at every Mass. (We must be in a state of grace to receive him i.e have not committed any mortal sins, been recently to confession, be in Communion with the Church.)

We can say an act of spiritual Communion instead if we are not capable or in a state of receiving Him.

My Jesus,
I believe that You
are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.
I love You above all things,
and I desire to receive You into my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment
receive You sacramentally,
come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You.

Amen.

darrell connick
3/15/2020 03:35:10 pm

Virus can be passed from hand to hand as it can from tongue to hand.
Priest distributing the hosts touch neither. This is just an excuse to stigmatize those of us who choose to receive it in the traditional way.

Larry
3/17/2020 07:36:11 pm

Thanks for your wise comment Albert. We need more thinking like this in all parishes.

Rhoda
3/12/2020 02:14:08 pm

Hello, I would like to make a suggestion, if the parishes haven't implemented yet after this past Sunday's masses. Could hand sanitizers be made available at the church entrance where the holy water font used to be? This way people entering the church can sanitize their hands. This small act of prevention, hopefully, will go a long way in protecting everyone. Thank you.

Jesse
3/12/2020 05:55:10 pm

@Rhoda

Hand Sanitizers are out of stock pretty much everywhere in Alberta at this time.

Jessie

Jessie
3/12/2020 05:53:27 pm

"Only priests may distribute Holy Communion to those who choose to receive on their tongue at a designated area apart from the main aisle."
Why is it okay for the priest to put his life in danger, just because some parishioner does not want to receive the host in his/her hand? Receiving the host on the hand, was sanctioned by Vatican II, but these people have decided that they are above Vatican II ... They don't realize that their mouths are full of spit and other pathogens that could prove dangerous for the Priest and /or the Eucharistic Ministers.
As Bishop, shouldn't you be taking care of the priests? instead of the few parishioners who wish to go against the general way of receiving the host?
Jessie

Alex
3/16/2020 06:48:17 pm

Communion on the hand was not sanctioned by the second Vatican council. Vatican 2 ended in 1965. The papal indult decreeing that the faithful had permission to receive on the hand was issued to Canada in February 1970. 5 years AFTER the second Vatican council. The indult also stated that the faithful can NOT be refused to receive on the tongue. It also said that communion in the hand should not be used indiscriminately(that didn’t work out so well). VII was also not a dogmatic council. No new dogma was proclaimed. Also, do you really think that it is more sanitary to receive on the hand? The hand that has touched the pew, your car keys, your missal, the handles of the car and church doors? Not to mention if the minister of communion touches your hand (which most of the time happens), then their hand is touching all of the hosts which then go into peoples mouths.
Communion on the tongue is definitely the safer route to go.

Anna
3/17/2020 11:43:51 am

This is exactly right Alex. Long has receiving communion on the tongue been misrepresented. It is an injustice that both are not equally promoted (ie, making a kneeler available for the faithful to make getting up easier for the elderly to receive on the tongue); especially when the church has the longest tradition of only receiving on the tongue.

John
3/13/2020 05:18:11 pm

Archdiocese of Toronto cancels weekend Masses in wake of COVID-19

Quebec has also done the same.

Will Calgary also do the same?


Stephen
3/14/2020 03:02:23 pm

I hope so John. We see many sick an elderly attending mass and they won't stop unless our Bishop invokes a moratorium. We are only two weeks behind Italy, our best chance is to go hard at it now or we will all be locked up in our houses. May God bless us all.

Office of Communications
3/18/2020 12:22:08 pm

Hi John, if you haven't heard already from your parish, Bishop McGrattan has suspended all weekend and Sunday Masses until April 5, 2020, effective immediately. The Decree and Letter from Bishop McGrattan can be found at catholicyyc.ca/blog/covid19 - Thank you for your message!

Stephen
3/14/2020 07:19:47 am

Hi All,

Are we not fooling ourselves here? If we are actually going to get ahead of this, shouldn't we just cancel mass for a few short weeks? Social distancing won't be effective if the chains break down. These are new times for us all, archdiocese around the world have been taking this measure, why not get in front of it as this will happen eventually anyway. Preventing one community spread could save tens of lives...

David
3/14/2020 05:20:16 pm

I agree with Stephen. Let’s follow the examples of Ottawa (only 4 cases to date), Toronto, Quebec and other countries with less cases than CALGARY. Let’s not test God’s will!

Allan
3/14/2020 10:56:46 am

I agree with John and Stephen in previous posts. Quebec and Toronto have cancelled all weekend masses. Vancouver is complying with limit of 250 persons but still allowing Mass. Calgary is not doing any of the above. Please protect the health and safety of our citizens by making the right decision, at least for this weekend until we can be sure that attending Mass will not accelerate the spread of COVID-19.
Please!

Doreen
3/15/2020 10:30:51 am

I agree with Stephen , the Bishop has granted a dispensation for this weekend, i think he should grant this disposition for another few weeks, so that our health authority can get a handle on the situation. Our priests are vulnerable as well, we must not forget that. Blessings.

William
3/15/2020 12:59:07 pm

Communion is not a "Bread Line" ! Receiving the body of Christ is not something to be triffled with, it should be done with respect and revererance accorded to him who sacrificed his life for the forgiveness of sins.

What is currently happening is unprecedented in the life of our church. wake up !

Jude
3/16/2020 03:28:47 pm

I want to know what is the current situation with regards to weekend and weekday masses. As the Archdiocese of Edmonton has suspended and cancelled all masses till further notice.

Thank you

Office of Communications
3/18/2020 12:20:50 pm

Dear Jude, Bishop McGrattan has suspended all weekend and Sunday Masses until April 5, 2020, effective immediately. The Decree and Letter from Bishop McGrattan can be found at catholicyyc.ca/blog/covid19

Kathy Greaney
3/16/2020 07:29:56 pm

Thank you so much for your quick response to this situation and for providing information on weekday and Sunday masses. It is much appreciated and we all need to do our part to get through this crisis.

David Leahy
3/16/2020 08:15:42 pm

When will the Masses be live streamed?
Thanks

Office of Communications
3/18/2020 12:18:13 pm

Hi David, St. Peter's Church in Calgary is streaming and recording Weekly Masses. Here are the links to get access to Weekly Masses - streamed or to access playback recording:
- St. Peter's Church: https://st-peters.ca/live/
- Salt + Light Media Mass: https://saltandlighttv.org/mass/
- Vatican Masses: https://youtu.be/5YceQ8YqYMc
- EWTN Sunday Mass: https://www.ewtn.com/tv/shows/sunday-mass-live

Sarah Jane Meyer
3/16/2020 08:56:32 pm

Please provide a link to the week-day masses streaming from St. Peter's and a link for the Sunday mass from St. Mary's. Thank you.

Office of Communications
3/18/2020 12:16:47 pm

Hi Sarah Jane,

Here are the links to week-day Masses:
- St. Peter's Church: https://st-peters.ca/live/
- Salt + Light Media Mass: https://saltandlighttv.org/mass/
- Vatican Masses: https://youtu.be/5YceQ8YqYMc
- EWTN Sunday Mass: https://www.ewtn.com/tv/shows/sunday-mass-live

Eugene
3/16/2020 10:30:48 pm

Generally we should agree and will follow. However I strongly believe that it should be a great lesson for us all, including myself, that we have to turn back to God unconditionally. We can't remain even lukewarm but trust fully God. Whatever, we should follow AHS professional advice for being careful, curing our bodies but be sure that our spiritual health is maintained and strong again for our life and eternal future.

Bob Sontrop
3/17/2020 05:54:51 am

.. er .. uh .. but isn't the "Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity" that of the Divine Physician?

Can anyone find/ provide a scientifically-conducted report of a contagious disease begun by a Consecrated Host placed by the Priest on a communicant's tongue (or hand), I mean throughout the whole the Church's history?

By the same token, is there anywhere in the Gospels ( or the typology of the Hebrew Scriptures) where Our Lord clearly CAUSES leprosy, blindness, deafness, demon possession, or death instead of their opposites (healings of every sort)? Of course not! Jesus was, is, and FOREVER remains the Divine Physician!

Then how deep and alive IS our Faith? And .. do we pray Mary,
"Health of the Sick", only to stave off "pesky 'ol Koby-19" until it disappears (or gets X-ed out with a serum that works) so's we can
return to home-made comforts? How DEEP is our Faith?

"When the Son of Man returns, will He FIND Faith?"

During pre-Boshevik days, Latin-Rite Catholic Colonel Kolychkine
(a decorated Russian army guy, the father of Servant of God Katherine de Hueck) found himself in a Communion line one Mass
behind a poor, awful-looking and smelling fellow communicant. The
righteous fellow distanced himself from the smelly fellow. Colonel Kolychkine berated the man, loudly declaring, "If I has syphlis I still wouldn't hesitate to received Holy Communion!!"

But today we're pure and hygienic and 100% sanitized, and have turned said "health/ wellness" into an idol.

Magdi - Pastoral Care volunteer
3/17/2020 09:03:57 am

Why there is no mention of the many pastoral visits by the Pastoral Care volunteers who visit the sick, elderly, shut-ins?

I think that we are not to visit in Nursing homes and hospitals but what about private home visits?

Office of Communications
3/18/2020 12:13:21 pm

Hi Magdi, thank you for your message. As per our directives on March 11, Pastoral care ministers who bring Holy Communion to shut-ins should refrain from visiting homes or facilities where cases of influenza or COVID-19 have been reported. Hope that helps!

Ana Maria
3/17/2020 04:51:01 pm

Hello, I'm having trouble finding today's (March 17) recorded Mass. The link at St Peter's website only takes me to the live-stream page. Can you re-post the link for finding the recorded Masses?

Thank you!

Office of Communications
3/18/2020 12:07:50 pm

Today's Daily Mass (March 18) recording from St. Peter's Church in Calgary is available here on Facebook: http://bit.ly/2vvneI4 - Daily Mass will stream at 8:30 am through Facebook and their website: https://st-peters.ca/others/ -- this page will be updated to with current recordings soon!

Larry
3/17/2020 07:39:31 pm

Shutting down masses is exactly the wrong thing to do. At this crucial time there should be MORE masses. Where is our faith in God?

Marian J Buettner
3/18/2020 09:02:28 am

I Pray that the Holy Spirit will continue to guide our Pope, Bishops and Priests, and guide our people to do God's Will. Prayer, Cooperation and Respect is important at this critical time. Invite God into our hearts. He will find a way.

Magdi
3/29/2020 08:38:46 am

Can you, please put Bishop McGrattan's past homilies on the website during the COVID-19 lockdown situation?
Thank you!

Peter Kallen
4/4/2020 06:57:33 am

Will there be any distribution of Palms on Palm Sunday? Perhaps I missed it in the directives.

Peter

Timothy Lilienthal
4/8/2020 08:41:08 am

Have I missed something or has there yet to be published a Dispensation from our Sunday Obligation beyond April 5th?


Comments are closed.

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