Shorter masses, brief homilies to mark start of religious services in Mangaluru churches from June 13

MANGALURU: Shorter masses, brief homilies, increased number of Sunday masses, suspension of catechism classes, use of TV screens outside and in halls adjacent to the Cchurch, live streaming of masses, formation of Covid-19 safety committee at parish levels to implement and monitor safety measures, thermal screening, suspension of altar servers are some of the guidelines given to parishes by Peter Paul Saldanha, Bishop of Mangaluru, for reopening of churches for religious services in the Diocese of Mangaluru from June 13.
These are apart from the from Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) given by the government authorities.
However, the Bishop said those Parish Priests and Parishes requiring more time to prepare themselves to comply with the operational norms and safety protocols should do the needful at the earliest and begin celebrating the Holy Eucharist in their churches from June 20.
Stressing that Christian charity demands to be attentive and not become the cause of the spread of contagion, the Bishop said the dispensation from the obligation of participating in Sunday Mass has been given to children below the age of 10 and adults above 65 years; people living in containment areas; people with co-morbidities, pregnant women and persons already infected with Covid-19 and those exhibiting the symptoms.
Holding Parish Priests responsible that guidelines are strictly observed, the Bishop said all volunteers and ushers need to trained and should wear masks, as do the laity who enter the church till the service is over. After every mass, general cleaning of the church should be done with spray, sanitizers and disinfectants and cleaning frequently touched surfaces such as pews, tables, lectern, door knobs, etc.