Church openings

Churches in the Ferns Diocese will be reopening this week in line with the Government’s roadmap for the country produced under HSE guidance.

However, parishioners throughout the diocese are being asked to be mindful of social distancing guidelines.

According to the first draft of Irish Bishops’ Regulations certain conditions will have to be adhered to in each church including: competent parishioners will be needed to act as stewards; hand sanitation stations will be in place as parishioners enter the church; the number of parishioners allowed into the church for mass will be limited; seating in the church will be controlled for social distancing; older and more vulnerable people will be advised to remain at home and listen to mass on the radio or view it on the webcam; no missalettes will be available and communion will be given in the hand only with parishioners expected to approach the alter in single file and be two metres apart.

Parishioners will also be able to go to mass on any day of the week.

This is partly to avoid too many people attending mass at the weekends as there will be capacity regulations in place.