Until further notice, in compliance with provincial directives on non-essential operations. We hope to open after Easter. E-mail and Voicemail will be checked regularly.

Having reviewed the Decree: In Time of COVID-19, issued by mandate of Pope Francis and published by the Offices of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (Prot. N. 153/20) on March 19, 2020, I, Douglas Crosby, OMI, hereby decree the following to be observed during Holy Week and the Sacred Triduum 2020 in the Diocese of Hamilton.

1. The Chrism Mass will be celebrated privately at the Cathedral Basilica of Christ the King by the Bishop and members of the Episcopal Board on March 24, 2020. The oils will be delivered to the Deans to be distributed to Parishes at a later date.

2. The public celebration of Palm Sunday is not permitted. During the private celebration of Mass, Pastors may bless the palms and make them available at a later date when health authorities permit public gatherings.

3. The celebration of the Sacred Triduum is not to be celebrated in Parish churches. It is not possible to celebrate the various rites, which require a suitable number of ministers, given the limitations currently in force in the Province of Ontario.

4. The only exceptions to the prohibition against celebrating the Sacred Triduum are cloistered religious communities in the Diocese and convents with a resident chaplain, providing that social distancing is observed.

5. Priests are permitted to celebrate privately the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday. The faculty to celebrate this Mass without the people is granted in an exceptional manner by the Holy See to all Priests. The washing of the feet, which is already optional, is omitted. Likewise, the procession with the Blessed Sacrament to the place of repose is omitted. The Blessed Sacrament is to be kept in the tabernacle. Priests who are unable to celebrate Mass should instead pray Vespers of the day.

6. The Celebration of the Passion on Good Friday is not to be celebrated. Instead, Priests are encouraged to read the Passion of the Lord and pray the Universal Prayer from the liturgy of the day, and include prayers for all whose lives are being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

7. The Easter Vigil is not to be celebrated in any Parish in the Diocese. Priests are to pray the Office of Readings for Easter Sunday. The Sacraments of Christian Initiation and the reception of candidates for Full Communion are to be postponed until a later date.

8. On Easter Sunday, Priests are to celebrate Mass, without the presence of the faithful. During the Mass, they are to light the Paschal Candle and bless water using the formula on page 358 (no. 54) in the Roman Missal.

Given at Hamilton, Ontario, this 23rd day of March, 2020.

Sincerely in Christ and Mary Immaculate,

+Douglas Crosby, OMI
(Most Rev.) Douglas Crosby, OMI
Bishop of Hamilton

Murray J. Kroetsch
Very Rev. Msgr. Murray Kroetsch, VG, PH
Chancellor

Our Holy Father, Pope Francis, has called for all Christians throughout the world to join in praying the Our Father on Wednesday 25 March 2020 at noon.

On Friday, March 27, 2020, Pope Francis will preside over a moment of prayer at the entrance of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. The celebration will consist of readings from the Scriptures, prayers of supplication, and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.  At the conclusion of the prayer Pope Francis will give the Urbi et orbi Blessing, with the possibility of gaining a plenary indulgence for all those who listen to it live through the various forms of communication.  This service of prayer will take place at 6:00 p.m. Rome time (1:00 p.m. Daylight Saving Time in Ontario).

Full text of the invitation: INVITATION TO PRAY

Our sister parish of St. Ann, Ancaster has a YouTube channel, and has been offering Sunday mass and weekday masses live-streamed and recorded for a few weeks now. Go to the link at: https://stannparish.ca/watching-sunday-and-weekday-mass-during-the-pandemic/

MASSES
All public celebrations of Mass and other devotions are suspended. All churches
(including Adoration Chapels) are to remain closed at all times until further
notice. It is not permitted to have the church open even for a few hours each day
for prayer.
Where it is possible to stream Mass, this is to be done and parishioners are to be
notified of this as well as televised Masses (Vision TV: Sunday 8:00 a.m.;
Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m. & 12:00 noon; Saturday 8:00 a.m. and 9:30 a.m.
Salt+Light: Monday-Saturday 6:30 am. 9:30 a.m. (with Pope), 11:00 a.m. 3:00
p.m. and 10:30 p.m.; Sunday 11:00 a.m. & 10:30 p.m.).
In addition to celebrating Sunday Mass privately, all Priests are encouraged to
celebrate Mass privately each day for the intentions of their parishioners, for the
medical personnel assisting the sick, and for an end to the COVID-19 outbreak.
PRAYER AT HOME
In this time of fasting from the Eucharist, parishioners should be encouraged to
pray for other parishioners and for all those whose lives are being affected by the
virus. The Rosary, prayerful reading of Sacred Scripture and other devotions are
recommended. Pastors are encouraged to use whatever social media at their
disposal to communicate with their parishioners.
MARRIAGES (directive March 16, 2020)
All marriage preparation courses are canceled until the end of May. Couples are permitted to celebrate their marriage without completion of the course. Celebrations of marriage are to be held with immediate family only. Couples may choose to complete a preparation course later.
FUNERALS
Funeral Masses are not permitted at this time; visitation and vigil services at
funeral homes may take place according to the decision of local funeral homes
and families of the deceased. However, Priests may, but are not required to, visit
or offer prayers at the funeral home.
CONFESSIONS (revised March 27, 2020)
Out of an abundance of caution and concern for the safety of the faithful in our Diocese, I ask that all priests refrain from the celebration of individual confessions with absolution except in the case of danger of death. Any meeting with people for confession, no matter where, can potentially put the penitent or priest at risk, given the ways that we believe the virus is transmitted and the fact that one can have the virus for so many days without symptoms.
BAPTISMS
Although Baptisms may be celebrated privately, it is recommended that they be
postponed until a later date.
COMMUNION
The Eucharist is not to be taken to parishioners who are homebound at this time.
Similarly, it is not possible to bring the Eucharist to Senior Residences and
Nursing Homes.