ST. MARY'S DURING THE PANDEMIC
The return of the Sunday 10am Streamed Mass
You can now join us again for Mass online via:
Attending Mass at St Mary’s
• You do not need to book your attendance for Mass at St Mary’s
• However – you must give to the steward your name and telephone number written on a piece of paper. You will need to provide this at every mass you attend.
• First come and First Served – those who come early are certain of a seat –if you arrive just before Mass, St Mary’s could be full to capacity (60 at each sitting) and you will have to attend another service in the week.
• Remember – any Mass will serve as a Sunday I have tried to give as many alternative Mass times during the week to spread out our normal Sunday congregation. Monday evening at 7pm has plenty of space.
You must wear a face mask at all Masses
• Please do not come to Mass if you are in the vulnerable category and shielding at home.
• Please do not come to Mass if you are feeling unwell.
• Please remember to alcohol gel your hands when you enter and leave the church.
• You must leave two seats empty between you or your family group and the next parishioner.
• Offertory money can now be deposited in the basket as you enter the porch.
Baptisms, Sacrament of Marriage and Funerals.
Baptisms can now be organised attendees are limited to 6 (this includes the baby or child).
Weddings: the maximum number permitted to attend is 15. For weddings, a simple nuptial mass may be celebrated.
Funerals: the maximum number permitted to attend is 30. A simple requiem mass may be celebrated.
Donations to our parish:
Aside from closing St Mary’s, “lockdown” has had a marked effect on our parish offertory collection and therefore our finances. We are not alone, families, businesses and all manner of different institutions are in the same position. The increase in those using our parish foodbank indicates clearly how the very vulnerable are also suffering. I do not want to put any extra burden on your shoulders, but if you were able to continue to financially support the parish I would be very grateful. Your offertory collection contributes to the running of the presbytery, church, parish centre and non-clergy salaries.
Some of you have dropped money through the presbytery letterbox, continued with your standing order or transferred money into the St Mary’s account. If you would like more information on ways to support the parish financially, please email the office contact us
One option is to use our new “Just Giving Money Page”, the link is:
http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/charities/StMaryFinchleyEast
Obviously it is open for parishioners – but if you feel someone else might like to support the work of St Mary’s – please forward them the link.
The return of the Sacrament of Reconciliation:
You can now return to the Sacrament of Confession with certain safeguards:
Please do not come to confession if you are feeling unwell or shielding at home.
Confession will be available after each Mass.
Due to social distancing and ventilation, confessions will be heard in the presbytery garden or, if it is raining, in church.
Due to above practicalities, all confessions will be face to face.
Keeping in touch:
It is very important that I am able to keep in touch with you. The shepherd needs his flock. I will endeavour to send out a weekly newsletter to those without computers. If you are receiving post from us but have an email address, please let us know your email address.
I will also use the live-streamed Masses to convey notices.
We are trying to update our census records. Please use the form below to inform us of your current contact details. This way we will be able to keep in touch through this time. We are also keen to identify those in our community who may not be online so that we can provide them with up-to-date St Mary's information by post and perhaps a friendly phone call to those living alone or help if they need it. If you know of any St Mary's parishioners living near you but unlikely to be online please let us know.
Click here for the St Mary's parish census form:
