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COVID UPDATE & Mass Time Change. Feb. 12, 2021

As of this weekend, we are resuming limited in-person worship. We are, however, required by law to follow all regulations for public gatherings in worship environments as set out by the Province of Manitoba. We are permitted to hold regular religious services with attendance of ten percent (10%) of usual capacity or 50 people (whichever is least). Ten percent (10%) of capacity at the parish of St. Bernadette is 48 people.

  • Lord’s Day Masses will be:
    • Saturday 5pm (NOTE: NEW TIME!)
    • Sunday 9am
    • Sunday 11am
    • Weekday masses more information to follow.


For the Parish of St Bernadette:

  • Please arrive NO SOONER THAN 30 minutes before the scheduled start of Mass.
    • We will be sanitizing the worship space before all liturgies.
    • The disinfectant solution must be sprayed throughout an empty space
    • The disinfectant solution must dry so that your clothing is not damaged.
  • Our MAXIMUM is 48 persons in attendance
  • Use of face masks is MANDATORY
    • TO BE WORN AT ALL TIMES, including
      • in the Narthex (entrance),
      • by the washrooms
      • in and around all pews.
  • When you enter the building, you must:
    1.  Ensure your are properly masked. (If you do not have a mask, a paper mask will be provided) 
    2. Sanitize your hands at one of the sanitizer stations at the entrance of the church or use your own sanitizer.
    3. Form a line, maintaining two meters (six feet) distance and single-file, to provide government-required contact tracing information to parish staff.
    4. You will then be shown to your assigned seat:
    • Please watch the video (below) to review receiving the Body of Christ safely and reverentially while wearing a mask:
    • Communion will be brought to you at your place.
    • You are not to leave your seat except for use of washroom facilities or to exit the building (still masked at all times until you are in your car).
    • Two meters (6 feet) social distancing is to be maintained at all times between you and all people who are not from your household.

A Mass will be recorded and will be available on our Parish Facebook Page andYouTube Channel for those who choose to refrain from a public gathering.

Please Like our Facebook Page and Subscribe to our Parish YouTube Channel to keep up to date. 

Online Christmas Schedule for The Parish of St. Bernadette

All masses will be available of Youtube and Facebook.

We wish you a blessed Advent and Christmas Season.

Parish Revenues 
There are a few ways to donate to the parish. 
– Tithe.ly
– Direct Deposit (Form found on our Parish Website).
– Mail-in your collection (Make sure your name and address are written).
– Bring in your collection (Make sure your name and address are written).

When you bring your collection to the parish, we will be doing “curbside” style.
– Please call the Parish first
– Then you will place it in the mailbox (parish office doors).
– Then ring the doorbell so we can pick it up.

Or just place it in our mailbox.
– We do check the mailbox often.

Thank you!

Masks are now Mandatory at the Parish of St Bernadette.

Masks are now Mandatory to be worn to enter the Parish of St Bernadette. Masks must be worn when you leave your pew or walk around.

Masks are to cover your nose and mouth. 

New COVID-19 Restrictions in the Winnipeg Metropolitan Health Region

The Provincial government updated restrictions on public gatherings in Winnipeg and outlying municipalities. As of Monday, September 28, Masses will still be maintained at 30 % of building capacity. Persons in the affected areas will have to wear masks at all faith gatherings (Mass).

There is a ten-person limit on indoor and outdoor gatherings, such as meetings and catechism. We remind all the faithful to maintain physical distancing at all worship services, and we ask all parishes to respect the new provincial guidelines, details of which can be found at www.gov.mb.ca/covid19/ and by clicking here.

Above and beyond parishes in the City of Winnipeg, the following parishes are affected by the new restrictions: Corpus Christi (Narol), St. Stanislaus (Selkirk), St. Michael (Cook’s Creek), St. John Paul II Catholic Community (Oakbank), Our Lady of Hope (Anola), St. Hyacinthe (La Salle), Saint-Adolphe, Sainte-Agathe, Notre-Dame-de-la-Miséricorde (Île-des-Chênes), NotreDame-de-Lorette (Lorette). The areas affected include the Cities of Winnipeg and Selkirk, the Town of Stonewall, the RM of Cartier, the RM of Headingley, the RM of Macdonald, the RM of Ritchot, the RM of Rockwood, the RM of Rosser, the RM of Springfield, the RM of St. Andrews, the RM of St. Clements, the RM of St. François Xavier, the RM of Taché, the RM of West St. Paul, the RM of East St. Paul, the Town of Niverville; and the Village of Dunnottar.

Weekly News Bulletin
September 29, 2020

Please continue to maintain social distancing.

Catechism 2020-2021

Remember to sign your children up for catechism.

These classes will be needed to qualify for sacramental preparation.

Online video-based at home family catechesis with weekly parish connect. 

– You will receive a Mailchimp email (like our catechism newsletter) containing recorded videos, activities, suggestions, and questions. These videos can be watched at your family’s convenience. 
-Attendance is mandatory to qualify for diocesan sacramental preparation requirements.
-Attendance is registered through mailchimp questionnaire and weekly mass attendance (online or in person) in order to qualify for diocesan sacramental preparation requirements. 

Register Family Here

One Registration per Family (household).
Please have a contact parent or guardian register as Registrant.
–  Then in Additional info please register each child. 
-If you have more than 4 children in your household please contact the parish. 
– If you are unable to register online please contact the parish. 
This program will ask for weekly parish connect, including Mass (in-person or live stream)

please comment #FaithFormation2020-2021 for live stream mass
You will receive a confirmation email. If you do not receive this email please contact the parish.

Classes will start in October.

Contact the Parish if you need any assistance.

Weekday Masses at The Parish of St Bernadette

Gathering is limited to 25 people including Fr. Phil and designated ministers.  Once that number is reached, entrance to the church will not be permitted.  Upon arrival, attendees must write their name and phone number on contact tracing forms.  Please arrive at least 10 minutes before Mass begins. 

Our Weekday masses will be open starting Wednesday June 24, 2020.

Our Weekday 9am mass schedule is Wednesdays, Thursdays, & Fridays.

Our weekday masses will continue to be live-streamed on Facebook and loaded to our Website and YouTube page.  

PHASE ONE OF COVID-19 PUBLIC MASS PROTOCOL FOR THE PARISH OF ST BERNADETTE

LITURGICAL PROTOCOL NO. IV AT A GLANCE

– Mass will be following our normal schedule of Sat 4 pm, Sunday 9 am, and 11 am
– Masks are highly encouraged but you won’t be kicked if you don’t have one.
– The collection will only be accepted as cheques, in sealed envelopes.
– When you arrive please follow directions where to sit and immediately sanitize your hands and fill out a contact tracing form.
– Please arrive at least 15 minutes before mass.
– Doors will be closed and locked when mass starts and between masses. 
– The Sunday obligation has been Temporarily Suspended by our Bishop till the end of the pandemic.

BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY:
We can have only 50 people at a mass including Fr.phil … to ensure a fair distribution for those who want to attend Sunday liturgies will have to book the spots by calling the parish office to reserve them.

Starting Wednesdays at 9am please call the parish office to book a spot for you and your family. It’s a joyful problem but we will have too many people to all go to mass every weekend.

HOW TO BOOK YOUR SPOTS

Call the parish office, 204-255-1951.
The phones will be open starting Wednesdays at 9 am to Friday at noon.
Please leave a detailed message.
You will get a phone call if a spot is available on Fridays.

In your message please include:
– Your Family Name
– Your Name and the names of people in your household that will be coming
– Your contact phone number

Please answer these questions for your household.

YesNo
Have you or members of your household traveled outside of Manitoba in the past 14 days?
Have you or members of your household had close contact with or cared for someone diagnosed with COVID 19 within the last 14 days?
Have you or members of your household been in close contact with anyone who has traveled outside of Manitoba in the past 14 days?
Do you or members of your household have any of the following:
Fever or chills, new cough, shortness of breath, or difficulty breathing, new body aches, new headaches, new loss of taste or smell, or sore throat?

If your answer yes to any of these questions access to the building will be denied. 

Weekday Masses

Gatherings are limited to 50 people including Fr. Phil  and designated ministers.  Once that number is reached, entrance to the church will not be permitted.  Upon arrival, attendees must write their name and phone number on contact tracing forms.  Please arrive at least 10 minutes before Mass begins.  You will be able to enter the church shortly before 9:00.

Our Weekday masses will be open starting Wednesday June 24.

Our Weekday mass schedule is Wednesdays, Thursdays, & Fridays.

WE WILL STILL HAVE OUR SUNDAY AND WEEKDAY MASS LIVE-STREAMED TO FACEBOOK AND LOADED YOUTUBE AND OUR PARISH WEBSITE

Blessings of Easter Foods

Our parish usually has a gathering to bless the Easter Baskets, since we cannot meet at this time, here is a blessing that a family could do over their Easter foods in the safety of your homes.

It is the tradition of people from many cultures to ask for God’s blessing on the festive foods used at Easter. This blessing is usually celebrated sometime during the day on Holy Saturday, but may also be used on Easter Sunday or during the Easter Season.

*    *   *   *

Sign of the Cross  

Prayer: Using these or similar words, a leader invites all to pray.

After forty days of prayer and penance, we are ready to rejoice with the entire Church in the resurrection of Jesus our Lord. Let us bow our heads now in prayer and ask our heavenly Father to bless us.

All pause for a moment of silent prayer.

Blessed are you, Lord our God, creator of the universe and our Father, you have guided us through prayer and fasting, and now fill our hearts with joy at the resurrection of Jesus and our share in his life.

Remember that we are your holy people and bless + this food for our rejoicing. Bless us too and keep us in your love.

Blessed are you, Lord our God, by all your people for ever and ever.

All Answer: Amen!

*    *   *   *

This prayer may be used at gatherings during the Easter Season:

Let us pray:

All pause for a moment of silent prayer.

Heavenly Father, We praise you for your goodness in raising Jesus from the dead and for bringing us together to celebrate in joy. Grant that all our festivities may be for your honor and glory.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

All Answer: Amen!

*    *   *   *

Bless our home, Father and all who live here in peace: may we all love you.

Have a Blessed and Safe Easter!

PROTOCOL III – COVID-19 RESPONSE OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF ST. BONIFACE AND THE PARISH OF ST BERNADETTE.

Please see attached below the “Pandemic Preparation Liturgical Protocol No. III for the novel coronavirus COVID-19” directives in place for the Archdiocese of St. Boniface.

In brief this means for our communities:

  1. There will be NO public liturgical assemblies going on in the Parish of St Bernadette, this includes both Sunday and Weekday masses, penance celebrations, Sacramental prep sessions etc.
  2. This does NOT MEAN that masses will not be said. Fr. Phil will be saying a Private daily mass and will be publishing on the Parish Facebook page.

God never abandons his people and it is in “desert moments” like this that He shows he closeness to his people, like he did for the Israelites as they wandered in the Desert for forty years. Please also know of the special place all of you have in my heart. We are the family of God together. God bless.

Protocols during the COVID-19 Pandemic

During this temporary period, we will strive to protect each other … most especially those who are most vulnerable among our community. As such, until the danger of exposure is passed, the following measures will be in place at all gatherings at the Parish of St. Bernadette (Mass, prayers, and other gatherings).

  • The Rite of Peace will be eliminated. We will proceed immediately to the Fraction Rite.
    • All holy water fonts will be removed from the church. You may bring your own small vials or sealed vessels from home and take Holy Water from the reserve by the Sacristy.
    • The Precious Blood will not be distributed.
    • The Body of Christ will be distributed by the presiding priest, alone, from the usual place.
    • You may receive, as always, on either the tongue or in your hands; expert and professional opinion is that any risk of infection is not affected by either practice.

Other measures:

  • Since the COVID-19 coronavirus can be picked up by touching a surface that an infected person has touched – such as a pew or hymnal  ̶  everyone should wash their hands thoroughly before and after Mass. Unless you have your own with you, use the hand sanitizers that have been made available as you enter the church and as you leave.
    • Stay home if you have any signs of illness, especially a fever and cough. Those who stay at home are encouraged to pray and reflect on the Sunday readings if they are well enough.
    • Pastoral care team members who bring the Blessed Sacrament to shut-ins should not attend any homes where influenza or COVID-19 is known or suspected to be present. As is usual practice, those visiting health care facilities or nursing homes should continue to follow the infection prevention protocols at each institution.
    • And of course, always pray for the sick. And pray for the medical professionals who seek a solution to this and all serious diseases.

“Do I need to receive both the Body and Blood of Christ to ‘fully’ receive Him in Communion?”

The issue of Communion under both species was decided on by the Church a long time ago. The Council of Constance (1414-1418) raised to the level of dogma the point that Christ is fully present under each species. The Council of Trent reaffirmed this teaching in the 16th century.

The basic reason for this teaching is the hypostatic union (a theological term used to express the revealed truth that in Christ one person subsists in two natures, the divine and the human) and the indivisibility of Jesus’ glorified humanity.

In simpler terms, Christ himself is not divided. So, those who receive the consecrated host receive the full Christ. Likewise those who receive only from the chalice receive the full Christ.

One reason the Eucharist is usually distributed at Mass under both species is to make the sign of the sacrament more readily recognizable. But receiving both species isn’t necessary for receiving Jesus’ full and real presence in Communion.

Aversion to Whole Wheat: To be valid matter for consecration, hosts must be made with whole wheat (hosts made of rice or corn or other matter are not validly consecrated). Those with Celiac disease (a very serious and potentially life-threatening allergy) may not want to receive even a very small piece of Eucharistic bread. If you must abstain from receiving Jesus under the form of bread, do not cross your arms as those do who seek a blessing. Rather, bow your head (as all should be doing) and move on to the cup with the Precious Blood. NB: If you suffer from an intolerance but not a life-threatening condition, and you wish to receive a small piece of the host, simply ask the priest or extraordinary minister of the Eucharist, “A small piece, please!” They will break off a small piece and offer it to you with the words, “The Body of Christ” to which you respond (as all must do), “Amen!”

Aversion to Alcohol: To be valid matter for consecration, the wine used must contain a percentage of alcohol (non-alcoholic beverages made from grapes or other matter are not validly consecrated). If you have any aversion to alcohol, simply stop before the cup with the Precious Blood (do not cross your arms) and bow before the cup. Please! Do not simply walk by the Lord who is fully present under the form of wine without reverencing Him.

Aversion to Both Species: Some people may not be able to receive Jesus fully present under either species. Examples would be people with Celiac disease and Alcoholism or those who receive nourishment only through feeding tube. In such cases, you may receive Jesus truly present in the Eucharist by desire; stopping and bowing before the Body of Christ and then stopping again and bowing before the Precious Blood.