It was a year ago this Father’s Day weekend that our parish church opened up for Mass after three months of the quarantine’s total shut-down due to the rise of Covid. On this first anniversary of that very limited reopening, we are so pleased to open up to our full capacity (almost) and get very close to our previous and normal practices and procedures.

So…WELCOME BACK!!!!!!! AND ALLELUIA!!!!!

Most of the church this weekend is “open seating” again without any need for reservations ahead of time. We do ask that those who are not full vaccinated to still wear a mask… especially out of concern for our young children among us who have not yet been allowed to be vaccinated. Masks are also optional for those who still have reason to be concerned and cautious. We entrust all to the “honor system” regarding the wearing of masks.

In my Easter video message of 2020 when the church was still closed, I suggested that, after this long, difficult season of “fasting” from so many things including Mass, WHENEVER we return to full opening, it will be like Easter… a joyful rebirth and renewal of our faith experience in the wonderful community of St. Bernard’s.

It is the realization of a real Homer HOPE! So, again ALLELUIA!

So many---near and far—have expressed gratitude for the parish’s development of the capacity to livestream our weekend Mass and post it on our website. It has been viewed by a wide range of audiences…. those vulnerable to Covid and cautious about attending, those homebound in general due to age or ill health, those traveling and unable to locate a Catholic church, former parishioners, friends and relatives of our staff and parishioners (including our friend in Ireland!) We were surprised and so happy to find some new friends through the outreach afforded us by our new technology.

So, we plan to continue livestreaming our weekend Mass for those who really need it and benefit from it. At the same time, we have heard from so many who have returned to Mass attendance that there is nothing like being there in person with friends and fellow parishioners. So, we do encourage all now to return to the regular practice of attending Mass on weekends.

There is still a reserved section in church for those who still have some concerns and appreciate some social distancing and wish to make a reservation in the usual way through the website or by calling the rectory (Wed 9am - Sat noon). We will monitor this closely to learn how long it will be needed.

I take this opportunity to thank those who have been serving on the parish Reopening Team throughout this past year: Connor Jennings, Julie Kane, Corinne Cirillo, Kurt Mikuta, Becky Straub, and Tom & Tricia Krusenoski.

Fr. Joe McCormick, OSA

St. Bernard’s Phase 5 Plans for Full Reopening
(to take effect Father’s Day weekend, June 19 & 20)
The state has entered its final phase of its reopening plan (Phase 5) calling for “all sectors of the economy (to) reopen to full capacity with new health and hygiene practices permanently in place. Large gatherings of all sizes can resume.” St. Bernard’s Pastoral Staff and Reopening Team began planning for this over a week ago. Because this new stage has required some time for planning and arrangements, St. Bernard’s will initiate its many changes getting us back to the pre-pandemic normalcy beginning the weekend of June 19 & 20.  Bishop Hicks has assured us that the dispensation to attend Sunday Mass remains in place for the time being, with the intention of providing our parishes and our parishioners the opportunity to navigate and adjust to these new guidelines and protocols.
So, beginning June 19 & 20…

• Both sets of doors at both north and south entrance will be open and left open throughout.
• South parking lot will be reopened for use.
• Face masks are optional for those fully vaccinated or those with the antibodies from having the virus.

• We will use the “honor system” for this.

• Section A in church will still be a reserved section filled especially by those who continue to have personal concerns for safety. In this section, only alternating rows will be filled with two empty seats between different households. Reservations for this one section may be made from Wednesday through Saturday noon.
  • The use of this reserved section will be closely monitored from week to week to discern how long it will continue to be needed.
• Sections B, C & D will be “open seating” for walk-in’s with no reservations with no required distancing between households.
• Hand sanitizer will still be available at significant points in the foyer and church.
• Holy water fonts will be re-positioned and filled again.
• Lectors will begin to walk in procession (coming in and going out) behind crossbearer and in front of priest (and deacon).
• Baskets for the collection will be passed again at the Offertory.
  (All should note that, with the pandemic, many have opted to begin giving online.)
• Sign of Peace may resume allowing attendees to decide how widely to share some sign of peace (e.g., handshake, embrace, fist bump, a wave, etc.
• For Communion, clergy and lay Eucharistic Ministers will wear masks but no face shields for the immediate future for the peace of mind of all Communion recipients.
• The pre-pandemic traffic flow for Communion will resume (Center sections up the center aisle in two parallel lines to the priest; each side section forward as is the current practice).
• Hand sanitizer will still be available at the front of each aisle.
• Receiving in the hand will still be strongly encouraged.
• The consecrated wine will still not be offered.

• begin inviting attendees to sing using the missalettes

• will reposition and use the hymn number boards
• will remove the plexiglass in the choir
• will reintroduce cantor at the cantor microphone & ambo.

These revised procedures should be a sign that we have made great progress since March 2020. But we do still need to be vigilant in the weeks and months ahead. As we continue to adapt to our new reality, it will be crucial that each of us exercises great patience with one another. For some, these changes are a welcome adjustment.  For others, it will take more time to feel comfortable with the adjustments. For all of us, this is another opportunity for showing Christian charity.
We will continue to monitor updates from the CDC, local government and the diocese. As we have all come to realize, recommended protocols can change rapidly as new information becomes available. We are committed to doing our best to adapt and to consider the impact on ALL our parish members. We encourage you to maintain weekly contact with our parish website which is always more up-to-the-minute than the parish bulletin, which goes to print several days before each weekend.
Thank you to all our parish members and friends during these recent challenging times.
 

 The Pastoral Staff
  Parish Reopening Team

St. Bernard’s will again be participating in the Waterleaf Virtual Baby Bottles for Life Campaign to benefit, support and educate pregnant women facing crisis or unintended pregnancies. The funds collected support the life-affirming programs and services of the Waterleaf Medical Clinic and their Aspire Education and Resource Center located in Aurora.

Participation is easy!

1. DONATE ON LINE: Go to our link by clicking HERE. Make your donation at this secure site.

2. DONATION ENVELOPES: Envelopes for those wishing to donate by cash or check will be available in the church on the table by the exit or on the Respect Life Table. They can be placed in the offertory collection basket when filled.

 1 "bottle" holds $30; 2 hold $60; and 3 hold $90. How many "bottles" can you fill today?

The Virtual Campaign runs from Mother’s Day through Father’s Day. Your donation, in any amount, helps Waterleaf provide life-affirming programs and services. For more information, call Waterleaf at 630-701-6270, or visit them on the web at www.onechoiceonelife.org. Join us today and bring sunshine into the lives of others.

Support St. Bernard’s While You Shop Online With AmazonSmile!

Probably more than ever this year, many of us are doing a lot more of our shopping online, and especially through Amazon.com An easy way to help support the parish financially will be to choose St. Bernard’s as the organization to give to through Amazon Smile. AmazonSmile is a simple way for you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you.

For the first time, click on the Amazon Smile link on either the desktop or mobile version of the parish website (stbernardhg.org) and login to your Amazon account as usual, if not already logged in.

1) If you have already chosen another charity in the past to support, it will ask you if you want to change to St. Bernard’s. Choose yes or no. If you never supported another charity through AmazonSmile before, it will confirm you want to support St. Bernard’s.

2) Shop as usual! AmazonSmile will donate 0.5% of your eligible purchases to the parish.

3) Each time you go to shop in the future, make sure you go to smile.amazon.com - or bookmark it, (do not just go to amazon.com) and make sure St. Bernard’s is chosen as your charity in the upper left hand corner. (Note: If you need to find the parish in the future, you can search St Bernards Orland Park under the list of charities or go back and click the link on the parish web page.)

If you have any questions about how to do this, you may contact Jenny Meehan, the business manager, at the office (708-301-3020). Thank you for your support!

St. Bernard’s Seniors: WELCOME BACK to our monthly get togethers! More details to come about the initial meeting in July. Contact Deacon Kevin if you have any questions: deaconkib@comcast.net