March 13, 2020

Dear Parishioners,

As our nation undertakes a proactive response to the Coronavirus, we at Our Lady of the Angels are doing so as well. At this time, we will continue to follow the daily and weekend Mass schedule and the parish office will remain open as regularly scheduled.

As announced last week and earlier in the year, we ask those attending Mass to follow these precautions:

• Please do not engage in physical contact. That includes not shaking hands or exchanging hugs at the Sign of Peace and not holding hands during the Our Father.
• Please do not greet one another at Mass with physical contact.
• All parishioners are asked to receive Holy Communion in your hand rather than on your tongue. We have previously suspended the reception of the Precious Blood at Mass.
• The Holy Water fonts have been removed. Those wishing to do so may fill a small bottle with Holy Water from the cistern located in the Daily Chapel.
• Hand sanitizer is available at the entrances to the church. We have ordered hand sanitizer dispensers for installation in the church as well.

Beginning this week, we will take the additional following precautions:

• The hymnals have been removed from the pews.
• Additional steps have been added to our regular cleaning routines this week
• Doors to the church will be propped open so those coming to worship will not have to touch the handles.
• The collection baskets will not be passed during Mass. Baskets will be available at the doors of the church for parishioners to deposit their contributions.

Bishop Dewane has provided those in the Diocese of Venice with the following message:

Out of pastoral concern for the health and wellbeing of all of our people, I have decidedto offer the following dispensations.
I dispense from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass those who are sick and those providing care for them, those with chronic
medical conditions or severely compromised immune systems, those whose age or frailty causes them to be at greater risk, those that have been exposed to the coronavirus and those who because of anxiety may decide not to attend Mass.

As long as any of the above-referenced conditions continue, this dispensation shall remain valid.

Note: Those who refrain from attending Mass due to above conditions should, if possible, devote time to prayer or observe Mass on television or the internet. While nothing can replace attending and participating in Sunday Mass or receiving Holy Communion, those who refrain from Sunday Mass due the above conditions have not committed a sin.

Our Lady of the Angels will have a revised schedule of activities as follows:

• The St. Patrick’s Day dinner scheduled for Saturday evening will continue as scheduled. The food has been purchased; we encourage those who prefer not to stay for dinner in the parish center to take a “to go” box.
• The Men’s Welcome Retreat for next weekend will go on as planned.

The following events have been cancelled:

• Friday Fish Fry Dinners and Knights of Columbus events
• Lakewood Ranch Wind Ensemble Concert on Sunday, March 15th
• Lenten Mission on March 23^rd and 24^th however, the Penance Service on March 25^th remains scheduled as planned
• Faith Formation classes on March 24^th & March 25^th
• Sunday Country Breakfast on April 5^th

Parishioners are encouraged to check our website at www.olangelscc.org for updated information on activities.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
2 Timothy 1:7

As a community of faith, we call on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit: strength, courage, prudence and wisdom to help us through this time of uncertainty and trial. We pray for those afflicted with the virus and all those working to help the sick and to combat the virus. And we continue our prayers of gratitude to our Holy Father.

If you have questions, please contact the church office at 941-752-6770.

Blessings,

The Staff at Our Lady of the Angels