As you probably know we have received guidelines and directives from Archbishop Vigneron regarding the resuming of public Masses for parishes in the Archdiocese. In keeping with those directives St. Margaret will reopen for Mass beginning with a daily Mass on Friday, May 29, 2020 at 9:00 am. The Mass will be in the church to facilitate safe distancing. Please use the bell tower entrance if you choose to come to that Mass. All who attend will be expected to wear a face mask. Hand sanitizer will be available as you enter. Chairs will be arranged to enable safe distancing. We will continue with daily Mass from Monday through Friday of each week beginning June 1, at 9:00 am in the church.

We will resume Sunday Masses on Saturday, May 30, 2020, at 4 pm. Sunday Masses will be at 8 am and 11 am. The change in Sunday Mass times will facilitate sanitizing the church before and after the Masses. Again, please wear a face mask before you enter the church and for the entire duration of each Mass. We will LiveStream the 11:00 am Mass for those who choose not to attend the Mass in person.

In order to arrange for those who will be attending each Sunday Mass we ask you to call into our parish office from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm (586 2932240) beginning Monday, May 25, to reserve your place for each Sunday Mass. Someone from our staff will answer the phone from that day through Friday, May 29, to receive your request for May 30 and May 31. We will follow the same procedure for the Sunday Masses to follow. Those who live in the same household can sit together. If we know the number of your family who plan to attend we can make arrangements for your seats. You must call in to make your reservation since we are limited to the number of people we can accommodate for each Mass. When you call in we will verify that you have a reservation. Please enter the church through the bell tower entrance.

There will be some changes to our celebration of Mass and our sharing of Holy Communion. Again, we ask that everyone who comes to the public Mass wear a face mask. Hand sanitizers will be available as you enter. Chairs will be arranged to meet the safe distancing requirements. Directions for sharing Holy Communion and the Communion Procession will be given at the beginning of each Mass and before Communion. Ushers and greeters will be on hand to guide you in this. At the end of Mass everyone will be asked to be seated (no leaving early!) and to be dismissed with safe distancing. Please go directly to your vehicles after Mass. No congregating inside or outside for the sake of safe distancing.

We realize this way of coming, gathering and departing is not easy. But if we are patient and kind it can work for the good of everyone. Also know that Catholics are dispensed from the Sunday obligation for Mass attendance until September 6, 2020. Those over 65 and those with health conditions should seriously consider not attending Mass until the situation with the Covid19 has changed.

Let me also take this time to thank all those who have been continuing your support of the church through your contributions. Many of you have mailed them into the church and they are deposited weekly. If you choose to give online you could go to “give.aod.org” and make your contribution in that way.

Please let us know if you have questions regarding these directives at my email rdehondt@smsscs.org. I will try to answer them in a timely fashion.

I look forward to gathering as a church in the near future and to seeing and greeting everyone in the way that we can at this time. Know that I and our whole staff is praying for and with you and your family.

Peace and prayer,
Fr. Ron DeHondt, Pastor