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Information and safety precautions as we gradually return to in-person celebrations of mass:
- Dispensation from the Sunday Mass obligation remains in place indefinitely. If you are fearful or have any reluctance to return to Sunday observance at this time, you should not do so until you are comfortable. In addition, for the safety of everyone, those most susceptible to contracting COVID-19 by virtue of age, medical condition or other vulnerability should not attend the in-person Mass at this time.
- Prior to coming to church, please take a moment to go through a self-check health protocol. If you exhibit any of the symptoms, or do not feel well in general we ask that you stay home.
- Online reservations are required for Sunday Mass attendance. Click Here to make your reservation. For those who do not have access to a computer or need assistance with this process, please contact the parish's special reservation phone number at (708) 762-2243. Members of the same household may sit together in the same row.
- We apologize for the inconvenience, but entry will only be granted to those with a reservation. Absolutely no walk up registrations will be accepted.
- Please arrive to Mass early; the doors will open 30 minutes prior to each Mass in order to process attendees under Diocese of Joliet guidelines. The doors will be locked 5 minutes prior to each mass to allow the Mass to begin on time. No exceptions.
- Please park in the North Parking Lot. Only one set of doors on the NORTH entrance will be open to enter. Our SOUTH Parking Lot and South Entrance doors will NOT be used for parking or entry at this time.
- All Mass attendees must wear a mask or face covering prior to entering the church and it must remain on for the duration of your time inside.
- You will be asked to sanitize your hands upon entering the church and prior to receiving Holy Communion. We will have sanitizer stations available and used at the direction of an usher/greeter.
- For everyone's safety PLEASE maintain 6 ft. social distancing at all times INSIDE & OUTSIDE the church building. Remain in your seat once seated.
- Hymnals/Missalettes or other worship aids will NOT be available at this reopening stage. Please take home any worship aids that you bring with you.
- At the end of Mass you will be orderly dismissed row-by-row with the assistance of an usher/greeter and must exit the church immediately following Mass and proceed to your vehicle. No congregating in the church, our gathering space or outside the church is allowed for safety and so that we can sanitize prior to the next service.
- With regard to our weekly collection, we encourage you to continue to give online or by mail for the safety of our ministers and money counters. For those who cannot do so, we will place a collection basket near our worship area exit for you to drop off your offerings upon entering or exiting the church. Thank you for your continued support of St. Bernard's!
- Finally, we ask that you be considerate of other parishioners who are also ready to return to Church and only reserve one Mass at this time. Please note that we will begin to have a recorded version of Mass from St. Bernard's beginning June 21st posted on our website. Please consider alternating your in-person attendance with continued online viewing of Mass to accommodate as many parishioners as possible for the opportunity to attend in-person Masses until our Diocese and State of Illinois guidelines allow larger Mass capacities.
"We Are St. Bernard's - Together We Are Church"
We realize that this return to Mass is not what any of us are accustomed to. Reservations? Wearing a mask? Keeping 6 ft. from the people we socialize with, share community with, and love our God with each week will seem foreign, for a while. However, we are grateful for your patience and charity at this time. And, grateful for the opportunity to gradually return to our Masses and way of life. We remain hope-filled for the day when we can return to all that we are accustomed to and celebrate with our rich traditions here as parishioners of St. Bernard's.Thank you and God Bless us all.