Congregations return to churches after 107 days

CONGREGATIONS returned to churches in Dundalk on Monday last after 107 days of the lockdown.

Many did so with a certain nervousness, unsure of how the need for social distancing and hand sanitising needs would work.

They were relieved to be greeted by the reassuring words of welcome they received from priests, a generous supply of well positioned hand sanitising units, and limited seating capacity to ensure that the necessary social distancing could be maintained.

The result was that as the week progressed more and more worshippers were confident enough to return to services.

By the week-end, with the vigil Mass on Saturday, and normal services on Sunday, the biggest test for the new procedures on social distancing, were well rehearsed.

Few of the week-day Masses challenged the regulation that limited the numbers attending to 50, but at the week-end that limit was tested on occasions, and a number of churches introduced a loudspeaker service relayed to car park areas outside of churches.

Some who would normally attend Sunday services decided to stay away because of the limits on the numbers, and their own concerns about the virus.

In many cases they still tuned into the live webcam broadcasts which will be maintained.

In most churches there were stewards present to assist worshippers to their seats, and ensure that only the allocated numbers used each seat.

In addition the stewards regulated the flow to those wishing to receive Holy communion, and to ensure that

IT WAS EVIDENT FROM THE GREETINGS EXPRESSED BY CLERGY AT MASSES THAT THEY TOO GREATLY MISSED THE PRESENCE

those exiting the church did so via designated exits.

No Mass leaflets or parish bulletins were available, and offerings were taken up outside of Masses.

Normally on the first weekend of the month the collection for the St. Vincent de Paul Society would be taken up outside of all Masses in the locality, but it was decided by the Society to hold off on resuming their collections until August.

It was evident from the greetings expressed by clergy at Masses that they too greatly missed the presence of congregations at their services, and all were delighted to get back to some normality and with the responsible manner in which worshippers observed the new procedures.