Bishop Burbidge announced that beginning May 16, parishes outside of Northern Virginia will be permitted, but not mandated, to resume public celebration of the Mass if the parish’s pastor feels confident that Masses can be celebrated safely and in accordance with diocesan protocols. As such, for any area that the parish has resumed public Masses, inquire from your respective Pastor for the resumption of Legion of Mary meetings in the parish and of doing our Legion work. During this time and due to capacity limits, please do not plan to attend liturgies at any parish other than your own. Parishes will continue to live stream the Mass to the best of their ability.
Guidelines for celebrating the Mass in Phase One include gathering at no more than 50% of the lowest occupancy of the room or facility, ensuring proper social distancing and diligently maintaining cleaning schedules. Additionally, all parishioners are expected to wear face coverings while on parish property. Due to social distancing requirements, not all parishes will be able to accommodate 50% capacity. Pastors of parishes have the discretion to decide if they can safely enter Phase One. For the health of our priests and in order to allow for thorough cleaning between Masses, not all parishes will maintain a normal Mass schedule.
If the Archbishop or Bishop of your Diocese has given approval to resume public Masses for your respective parishes, we request that:
a. Each praesidium must check with their pastor if they can resume meeting in person as long as they maintain social distancing (6ft. apart) and wearing of facial mask.
b. Each praesidium must check with their pastor if they can resume certain Legion work that do not involve the elderly or the sick and to do it while maintaining social distancing. Examples of these are: visitation of auxiliaries, visitation of CCD students, visitation of those who were in the RCIA program, Pilgrim Virgin Statue Visitation, True Devotion to the Nation(other charitable work to help a neighbor or to help the parish), Sacred Heart Enthronements, adult catechism, or other safe work. As we all know, all hospital, nursing home and assisted living visits are currently strictly prohibited.
All these are purely voluntary and depending also on the membership composition. Nobody is mandated to come. If you have been sick, please do not participate in any meeting or Legion work until you have been cleared by your own physician and have had two-weeks break from the time you recovered from the illness. Let us respect the need to protect fellow legionaries from getting sick. Please give your written feedback and suggestions. We are on this together. Please stay healthy and strong in your prayers life. God bless! Love,