Dear Members of Holy Family Catholic Community,
I am sure you are receiving information from lots of different sources but I prayerfully ask you to pay attention to this communication, which provides the most updated, and accurate information regarding the impact of the coronavirus on our church operations.
This is a very fluid situation but I am committed to providing you with regular communication as the situation warrants. Your health and safety as we continue our spiritual lives is my greatest concern. Based on the latest recommendations received this morning from the Archdiocese of Chicago and yesterday from state officials we will be taking the following actions effective immediately:
•We will suspend the public celebration of Mass and all other liturgical services, including daily Mass, beginning with the 5pm Mass on Saturday, March 14 until further notice.
•We expect to receive further guidance from the Office of the Vicar General on the administration and celebration of other sacraments, i.e. weddings, funerals, etc.
•We are in the process of making a recorded Mass available online for this and every coming weekend that these directives are in place. You will be able to access these Masses on the main page of our website, holyfamilyparish.org. This weekend’s video will be labeled and will be available for viewing no later than 5pm Saturday, March 14.
•We will keep the church open and available for private prayer from 7am to 5pm daily. The adoration chapel outside of these times will still be accessible through the separate entrance in the east doorway.
•We intend to keep the front office staffed for the foreseeable future to answer your questions. Maintenance will also be on-site to perform additional cleaning and maintenance activities throughout the facility.
•The Academy will be closing beginning Monday, March 16 for an unknown period. All Archdiocese schools have been advised by the superintendent of schools to plan for several weeks of closure. Parents have been notified and the Academy will be enabling their e-learning plan to continue to educate their students remotely.
•The Fish Fry and Stations of the Cross scheduled for this evening have also been canceled.
•All FAITH classes are also canceled and their resumption will be evaluated in conjunction with the re-opening of the Academy.
•Ministries or outside organizations utilizing our space this Saturday will be allowed to meet at their own discretion but will be asked to suspend any further on-site meetings starting Sunday, March 15 until we resume normal operations. The one exception will be our PADS site, which will remain open until we are directed otherwise.
•Parish staff will have limited access to the facility and are encouraged to work from home.
This is a very fluid environment and we will continue to provide updates as things change. Thank you for your understanding and support of these actions we are taking as we do our part in keeping our parish and greater community safe. I fully support Cardinal Cupich’s statement that “For Christians, this is a time to reflect on how Jesus made those struggling with illness a priority. It is also a time to be surprised by the blessings that come from being a part of the same family –the human family.”
We are Holy Family and we are in this together!
Fr. Terry Keehan