St. Clare of Assisi Catholic Church

What to Expect When Returning to Mass at St. Clare’s
Welcome Back!
 
Please read the following information carefully before attending Mass.
 
It is important to understand that things will not immediately "go back to normal." There will be challenges and frustrations as we navigate through the next several months so please be patient as we get through this together.

--The dispensation from the obligation to attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation is still in effect.

--Even with the resumption of public Mass, parishioners who are particularly vulnerable (e.g. over the age of sixty-five, have existing heart or lung conditions, diabetes, or are otherwise immuno-compromised) are urged to stay home. Likewise, parishioners who feel sick in any way and those with any form of fever or cough should also refrain from Mass.

Attendance will be limited, and seating will be every other pew. If the church is full you may be turned away.

Everyone attending Mass must wear a face covering (mask, bandanna etc.) and sanitize their hands upon entering the church. Hand sanitizer will be available in the back of the church, but we ask that you bring your own if at all possible.
Social Distance must be maintained, including in the pews with the exception of families who reside together who may sit together.

Ushers will be available to assist with seating, communion and dismissal by pews.

Please minimize the use of restrooms since these must be sanitized after every use.

Receiving Holy Communion
1. All Catholics present who are in a state of grace are invited to receive Communion.

2. Those with health concerns and do not wish to receive sacramental Communion may make an Act of Spiritual Communion.

3. Please remain six feet from others in the Communion line. When it is your time to receive, keep your mask on and remain six feet away from the minister while he shows the Host and says, The Body of Christ. After you respond, Amen remove your mask and receive the Host, replace your mask and return to your pew. No gloves may be worn if receiving Communion on the hand.

4. The pews will be dismissed by rows with the aid of the ushers.
 
Even though we will take all reasonable precautions, and sanitize as best as we can after each Mass, including the restroom, there will still exist the risk of infection for anyone who attends a public Mass. No one should expect that they will be safer in church than in any other public space.
 

Join Deacon Mike on Thursday evenings at 7 p.m. to pray Evening Prayer (Vespers) from the Divine Office. Click HERE to join the session.

If you prefer, you can join by phone at 301.715.8592.

MassTimes.org
Traveling Catholics will find this site very useful. You will be able to search for the latest mass times in the US and other countries. MassTimes.org now has 23,000 churches in their database for the USA. The number of churches in other countries are expected to expand to more than 150,000 churches worldwide.

Vatican.va
Official website for the Vatican.

CatholicHerald.com
The Arlington Catholic Herald is the official newspaper of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Arlington, Va. This award-winning newspaper has a weekly circulation of 60,000 - making it one of Virginia's largest weekly newspapers.

NationalShrineInteractive.com
The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception has become a spiritual home to hundreds of thousands of pilgrims who journey to Washington D.C. each year from every state and many foreign lands.