The Sunday Mass COVID dispensation has ended. It is expected that Catholics who are incorporating social and communal activities in their post-lockdown lives will also attend and pray at their parish Sunday Masses. Speak with any priest or your pastor for any concerns about practicing the faith and receiving the sacraments in this time.
Enter and exit the church through any door. Hand sanitizers remain available. Facemasks are not required but are available for any congregants who wish to use them.
All normal forms for receiving holy communion are available.
Alcohol soaked purificators will be used for sanitation by Eucharistic ministers.
We encourage visits to the church for private prayer at any time.

Dear Parishioners,
In the peace of Christ, Easter blessings to you: Please receive these COVID19 updates, and notes of some summer plans.
Over the Easter weekend I communicated with a Department of Health representative regarding an attendee at the 9:30am Mass on Palm Sunday (March 28th) who, on account of symptoms developed and testing in the subsequent days, was deemed to be infectious with COVID19 while at the Mass. I was able to verify the individual, (and also everyone else at that Mass to our knowledge), wore a facemask at all times while in church, remained socially distanced between family units, and sanitized the pews as expected. No one is being directed to quarantine merely on account of being at that Mass. 
Yesterday evening, with more follow up with the infected parishioner, no close-contact with other parishioners (less than 6 feet, mask-less interaction, for 15 minutes*) is known to have occurred at the church; in keeping with our prior practice, the parish is not trying to contact all individual attendees from the 9:30am Mass on March 28th. I am, however emailing here, and posting on our website, the following reminders, also announcing plans to resume outdoor Sunday Masses in Resurrection Park starting in May.

Reminders:
COVID19 is a contagious respiratory infection with a variety of symptoms. Consult with your medical provider should you develop symptoms, mindful of your interactions such as the "close contact" definition given here, most likely to cause spread of COVID19. Those who meet the criteria as a close contact with someone infectious should quarantine, and contact a medical provider about testing as a precaution, or testing due to symptoms.
Among our parish protocols, in those for receiving communion communicants who speak the usual “amen” should wear a mask and socially distance in the communion line, and not remove their face covering until they have received the sacred host from the minister and are able to step towards the center, communicating in front of the altar. Those who wish to receive communion on the tongue may approach my communion line (or as arranged in advance with other priest celebrants) at the end of the communion procession. The alcohol sanitizing cloth will be used in-between each communicant who receives on the tongue.
Lastly, please note our first outdoor Mass of the year is now scheduled for May 1^st. It will be a Saturday Mass for May crowning at 9:30am. While our capacity in the church is still limited by the 50% state directive, and by social distancing protocols, we will have unlimited space for outdoor Mass when Sunday Masses resume in the cemetery next door. Look for more reminders to come.

Please contact me or the parish office with questions or concerns.
Thank you, God bless you, and let us pray for each other.
Father Tim Naples, Pastor 


*For full descriptions of close contact, quarantine protocols, and other helpful medical information, go to https://www.healthvermont.gov/covid-19/symptoms-sickness/close-contacts-contact-tracing#:~:text=Close%20contact%20means%20being%20within,continues%20until%20they%20are%20recovered.

Dear Parishioners of St. John Vianney,
                Please note here on our parish website a copy of the August 7th Memo from the Diocese of Burlington about Governor Scott’s mandatory face covering order.
                Prior to now, we stressed with great encouragement everyone in church should wear a face covering, of which extras were offered complimentary. However, the use of face coverings was still technically voluntary. However, our directives from the Diocese will be in keeping with the brand-new mandatory mask order of the state. A Memo from the Diocese on August 7th stated,
“In consideration of Governor Scott’s August 1st order requiring facial coverings/masks for indoor public gatherings and outside gatherings, Bishop Coyne is directing all parishioners to wear facial coverings/masks when entering and leaving church buildings, including for the celebration of Holy Mass.”
Although from week-to-week in Vermont it has seemed that there was little or no chance of an acute COVID19 “outbreak,” for which face coverings would be an absolute necessity to prevent spreading infection, all along it has been a most salutary practice (by spirit of both precautionary discipline and also of penitence) for those, who without obligation choose to attend Mass, to use face coverings consistently.
These precautions have been especially important when we wished to enhance and intensify our prayer with music, singing some of the Mass parts or a limited selection of song verses. As we continue with our precautions, both social distancing and mandatory mask wearing eliminate the risk of spreading contagions through ordinary respiratory droplets in the air, such as is more frequent when there is vigorous singing without face coverings. Whether or not our singing could have been called “vigorous” prior to this time, it has always been prayerful, and it lifts our spirits in ways sometimes much needed. We will continue our pattern of using song and chant in limited fashion during the holy Sacrifice of the Mass, all current COVID19 precautions being followed carefully.
                A final note, while Vermont churches are now allowed to accept 50% of capacity, this is only for those churches that have pew spacing ample enough to allow uniform social distancing while “half” of seating capacity is used by households. A small expansion of the total allowed number per Mass might be possible, but as a practical limit we still cannot entertain any more than a third of our ordinary “seating capacity.”
In summary, if you attend public Mass in church, you must wear a mask throughout the Mass. (Regarding outdoor Masses, I would ask, if you plan to hear parts of the Mass without a face covering in the open air, you keep 16 feet of social distancing.) If you are searching for a worthy intention for which you could offer up the penitential aspects of these circumstances, I suggest they be born willingly in reparation for those who have committed sacrileges against the sacraments. 
                Let us pray to the Blessed Virgin Mary, assumed into heaven, for health of body and soul, for ourselves and for all those we love.
Sincerely, in Christ, with Mary,
Fr. Tim Naples
8/11/20
 

The following are highlights of the measures being taken in all our Catholic Churches to eliminate the risk of spreading COVID-19. You may download the full describption of policies on this page. 

• The obligation to attend Sunday Mass is lifted during this phase
• The maximum number of attendees is 25% of the maximum seating capacity of the worship space
• At least 6 feet between individuals/housholds is to be maintained at all times
• Anyone with a cough or fever of any sort and anyone feeling sick is not to come to the church for a visit or to attend liturgy
• As an act of charity for fellow parishioners and for the priest, those attending Mass are asked to wear a face mask
• Cloth face coverings should not be placed on young children under the age of 2, anyone who has trouble breathing or anyone otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance.
• Surgical masks or N95 respirators are not recommended.
• Masks are also to be worn by the priest and other ministers before and after the celebration of the Mass, but not during (with the exception of communion distribution described below).
• Face masks should be available at each entrance for parishioners to use
• Hymnals, missalettes and other printed materials are to be removed from the churches
• All ministers (priests, deacons, and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion) are to wear a mask while distributing communion
• Communion of the faithful will be under the species of bread alone.
• During this phase of reopening, and in accordance with the Code of Canon Law c. 223 §2, Bishop Coyne restricts the reception of communion to the hand only
• If musicians are used, they should be limited to no more than two: a cantor and accompanist, while maintaining physical distancing.
• Non-liturgical and non-devotional gatherings may resume at this time following the proper physical distancing, hand sanitizing, and mask protocols. Non-liturgical and non-devotional gatherings should be no more than 25 people, regardless of the seating capacity of the space
• During this phase, to facilitate the reception of communion for those who are unable to enter the church building, the distribution of communion can take place outside in a limited way outlined below at the discretion of the pastor
• Outdoor Masses are encouraged at the discretion of the pastor when this can be done with due reverence and attention to physical distancing