Mallow Union of Parishes
Mallow Doneraile Castletownroche
29th June2020
Dear Parishioner,
We trust that you are all well since we were last in contact with you. We are now in a position to brief you on the latest developments arising from the Covid 19 Pandemic.
Reopening of Churches
After being closed for 15 Sundays, we are delighted to be able to officially confirm that arising from the change in Govemment Regulations, we are now able to resume church services next Sunday 5th July, the Fourth Sunday after Trinity.
The schedule for the first two weeks will be as follows:
Sunday 5th July
Castletownroche 10.00am Morning Prayer Avril Gubbins
Doneraile 10.00am Holy Communion Rev Tony Murphy
Mallow 11.45am Holy Communion Canon Alan Marley
Sunday 12th July
Castletownroche 10.00am Holy Communion Canon Alan Marley
Doneraile 10.00am Morning Prayer Avril Gubbins
Mallow 11.45am Morning Prayer Emmanuel Adebisi
We will do our best to keep you informed about services from week to week. To that end, it is hoped to do this by email and WhatsApp where possible.
While the regulations introduced by the Government since March were in order to protect our health from the Covid 19 Virus, we do recognize that the cancellation of Church Services was difficult for many people. However, we wish to acknowledge the alternative supports put in place in our Union of Parishes and in the Diocese to offer spiritual support during this period. As church services resume, we have developed steps to assist in the protection against the virus while in attendance.
Accompanying this letter is a separate page outlining the precautions that need to be taken in the Church to keep us all safe while the threat of the virus remains.
Our Church Wardens have been fully briefed on the new procedures and will be available to advise you if there is any difficulty.
Events & Activities
Further to the good news of the churches reopening there are some other developments that have arisen as a result of the virus.
Annual Fete
Unfortunately, we have decided not to hold our annual fete in August as there is still too much uncertainty about the holding of these kind of events.
Christmas Concerts
While the concerts are held at the end of the year, they require the booking of acts at the present time. Due to the uncertainty about the number of people who would be allowed attend, we have reluctantly decided not to hold our Christmas concerts this year. This will avoid any costs incurred if the acts had to be cancelled at a later stage.
Parish Finances
We wish to thank everyone who have responded to our reminder to contribute to our Parish Finances. It has been greatly appreciated, especially when everything came to a standstill at short notice. The cancellation of our fund-raising activities and, of course, church services have reduced significantly our overall income of the parish. ‘We would ask you to bear this in mind and contribute in whatever way you can to maintain our income during this difficult time.
We look forward to our Churches being open on Sunday 5th July 2020.
Linda Deane
Secretary
On behalf of the Vestry of Ma1low Union of Parishes
Skaghardganrron,
Doneraile
Co. Cork
086 8185290
lindadeane@hotmail. com
Before you come to a Church Service
Check to make sure you do not have any symptoms of Covid-19:
o High temperature 38°C or above
o Cough
o Runny nose
o Unusual level of fatigue
o Aches or pains
o Shortness of breath
If you have any of the symptoms, stay at home and we would suggest you contact your GP.
If you or anyone in your household have had recent contact with anyone who has tested positively for Covid-19, again do not attend until 14 days have elapsed.
At the Church
Face covering
We would encourage all those attending to wear face masks (unless you have been told by a doctor not to wear one for medical reasons). The virus is spread through sneeze or cough droplets – a facemask stops the spread of the virus. It is a sign of care and respect for each other that we would wear one. If you would like to purchase a mask in aid of parish funds, Ellen Buckley has made lots of masks and these are available to buy at the Churches. They cost €5 and are reusable and washable.
Queuing
When you arrive at the church, you may be asked to queue. Therefore, it is necessary to keep the 2 metre social distancing as you would recently have done going into shops etc. The reason for possible queuing is to avoid bottlenecks at the hand sanitizer stations
Temperature test
Your temperature will be taken with an infrared thermometer to ensure it is not above 38°C. If it is above this, you will be asked to not enter the Church
Hand sanitizers
You will be asked to sanitize your hands, both on entry and exit of the Church and also when going for Holy Communion
Seating
With the requirement of social distancing, you will be directed to a pew so that we can seat people quickly, efficiently and at the correct level of social distancing. People from the same households will be asked to sit together, others at the requisite 2 metres apart
Hymns
The present advice is that hymn singing is not advised because of the airborne nature of the virus
Collections
There will not be a collection plate passed around the church, but there will be a basket/plate at a fixed point for your contributions
Good hygiene practice
If you sneeze, do so into your flexed elbow. If you use a tissue (bring your own), please dispose of them in the covered bins on the way out of Church
Contact tracing
The law requires that contact tracing is put in place. If it emerges that someone falls ill with Covid-19, it is important to know who that person was in contact with and when. To that end, a record of attendance will be in place.
Afterwards
At the end of the service, you will be asked to remain in your seat until directed to leave – again this is to stop bottlenecks at the exits.
After the service there will be no tea/coffee and please avoid congregating at church doors. Always keep the 2 metres social distancing.
Thank you for your patience and co-operation