Holy Cross continues to follow CDC Guidelines 

including allowing those fully vaccinated to remove their masks once seated. 

The Vestry met Sunday 16 May 2021 after worship and prayerfully considered the conversation and polling that occurred as a parish family immediately after worship last Sunday.

For the health and safety of our congregation and in love for each other, starting this Sunday 23 May 2021:

Anyone who has been fully vaccinated may remove their mask after being seated. We ask that you replace your mask after worship as you exit and that conversation after worship be kept to a minimum inside, but may continue outside the buliding.

We will continue to practice social distancing in seating so that Fr Michael can continue to distribute communion to parishioners seated in the pews and for safety reasons outlined further below.

Additionally, we will offer the option of receiving hosts with intinction of wine by Fr Michael and placed in the flattened palm of communicants. This procedure has worked well in other churches and particularly in Africa, even in the midsts of an Ebola outbreak without adverse risk. It is optional and further instructions will be provided before communion. 

Since social distancing continues as before, and under the CDC guidelines,
those who are not fully vaccinated should continue to wear masks at all times.  It is believed that it is not necessary to separate the congregation between those vaccinated and those not as long as the guidelines are followed.

We will continue to Live Stream and upload worship for those unable to attend. Anyone who has felt or been ill, especially running a fever, coughing, or experiencing any symptoms that would suggest that COVID testing is warranted, should stay home and watch on Facebook, Youtube, or from our website.

Please let Fr Michael know of any medical or other concerns affecting you, your family, or loved ones.  

A more detailed outline follows:

• Communicants stay in pews as before to receive communion, whether by wafer host only or inticted host.
• Seating every 3rd row as before. This is because it is otherwise difficult for Fr. Michael to give communion.
• Masks should be worn coming in and going out of the church regardless of vaccination status.
• People who are fully vaccinated may remove their masks while in their pew, but they are not required to remove their masks.
• People who are fully vaccinated may seat more than 2 per pew unmasked or masked, but are not required to sit more than two per pew.
• People who are fully vaccinated may choose to socially distance with or without a mask.
• People who are not fully vaccinated are requested to please continue to wear their masks while in church, and are asked to continue to socially distance
• We are not having separate areas to segregate fully vaccinated people from not fully vaccinated people. Intermingled fully vaccinated and not fully vaccinated is expected to occur. The logic here is that the CDC says that COVID contagious people are not a danger to fully vaccinated people, and people that are not fully vaccinated should choose to wear their masks, which protects others from them and one another. We are not going to demand vaccination status of people.
• People will be reminded to re-mask as they exit the church quietly, and hold their conversations outside.

Wearing a mask does not demonstrate fear, but demonstrates medically advised safety concern for oneself as well as others. The love and grace that you would like to receive should be extended to others.