Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We are delighted that the Ontario Government announced permission to re-open places of worship at a 30% capacity, after almost 3 months of shut-down due to the Covid-19 pandemic.  This commences at 12:01 Friday June 12, 2020.

St. Mary’s occupancy limit at this 30% allows us to have 175 people in total; this includes the priest, the deacon, altar servants, the choir, and ushers. This means we can have 150 parishioners in the church in addition to this group who support the service. Because of space limitations, admittance into the church will be on a first come first serve basis until we reach the legal capacity as per the Government of Ontario guidelines.  Once we reach this number, we will not be able to admit additional members into the church.

For your safety and protection, we have sanitized the entire church in preparation for this Sunday’s service and will do so on a weekly basis for your safety and protection.  In addition, we will be strictly adhering to the approved guidelines by the government to ensure your well-being.  These protocols will include the following:

1. Ushers will greet people and walk them to their seats when they come. They will also guide each of you out of the church when the service is over in an organized fashion to minimize crowding.
2. We are asking each of you to sanitize your hands on your way into the church and also on your way out. We will ensure there is sanitizer for people to use upon entry and exit of the church.
3. Masks must be worn at all times inside the church building. Please come with your own mask to ensure your personal safety.
4. The ushers will ensure there is no congregation in the lobby, even after the service.
5. The doors will be propped open and we will be asking that all parishioners avoid touching door handles and surfaces
6. Kindly adhere to the social distancing signs “2 meters or 6 feet” posted in the seating area. Each immediate family can sit together. Simply, if you are not living in the same household, you must sit 6’ apart.
7. There will be signs in our washrooms reminding people “How to Hand Wash” as per the guidelines.
8. Only 1 person at a time is permitted to enter the washroom.
9. There will be no food or activities after the service without exception.
10. Ushers will be checking your temperatures and asking a few screening questions before entering the church. If you have a fever or answer any of the questions negatively, we will ask you to return home for your safety and those around you.
11. When entering the church and waiting to be seated we ask you to leave 2 meters or 6 feet between your family and the next family at all times.