Resuming Public Masses and Important Updates from Fr. Sebastian

Dear Parish Family,

I pray this note finds you healthy and safe.  I am happy to announce to you that our Church will be opened the weekend of May 16^th and 17^th for Sunday Mass!  We are diligently working out the many details that are necessary to ensure the safety and well being of all those who choose to attend Mass. 

We will maintain the traditional weekend Mass schedule of Saturday, 5:30p.m. Sunday, 8:00a.m.,.10:00a.m., noon & 5:00p.m.  In order to maintain proper social distancing parameters and to adhere to the guidelines put forth by local and state government, we are limiting Mass attendance to 550 people per Mass.  We have created a sign-up for the above-mentioned Masses and ask that you please sign up for the Mass you would like to attend. The sooner you sign up the better prepared we will be in the event we need to modify the Mass schedule.  The sign up will be located on our Parish webpage and available this weekend. https://stjosephsjax.org/  Please understand that once we reach our capacity of 550 for a Mass, we will have to ask individuals to return for another Mass.

Also, in the Main Church will be the Mass in Portuguese at 7:00p.m. on Fridays beginning May, 22^nd.  On Sunday, May 17^th there will be a Mass in Portuguese at 8:30p.m. The Spanish Mass on Saturdays at 7:30p.m.  The Mass in Latin on Sundays at 2:00p.m. The Mass in Albanian on Sundays at 7:00p.m.

In addition to the weekend Masses we will have daily Mass in the Main Church at 8:00a.m. and 12 noon beginning Monday, May 18^th. Please note there will not be a Saturday daily Mass at noon.

Below are some important points to be aware of when returning to Mass:

• In order for us to monitor the attendance the front entrance doors of the Main Church will be the only point of entry. 
• We ask that you refrain from congregating in the gathering area before and after Mass.
• Maintain proper social distancing when choosing a pew and while walking up for Communion.
• At this time Communion will only be given in the hand.
• In order to help keep a safe environment, we have removed the missals from the pews and recommend you bring a Magnificat or use your phone to follow along if you desire. 
• We highly encourage all those attending Mass to wear a face mask and to have their own hand sanitizer.
• We encourage those in the high-risk category to continue to join us from home via the live stream Mass.
• The Bishop has dispensed the faithful from the Sunday obligation until further notice.

As this phased approach to reopening begins, I encourage you to monitor our social media platforms and check your email for Parish news.  Periodic emails haven proven to be a great way for us to keep Parishioners informed as to the latest happenings at the Parish and will become a primary means of communication.

• If you or someone you know is not receiving Parish emails, please have them contact the Parish Office at 904-268-5422.  

As many of you know our beloved retired Pastor, Fr. Dan Cody was in the hospital and in serious condition.  Thankfully, Fr. Dan has pulled through and has been moved to a care facility.  I know the countless prayers and well wishes from all of you have brought him great joy and comfort.  I ask you to continue your prayers for him. 

I also want to thank the many members of the Parish who have continued to financially support the Parish during this troubling time.  I cannot thank you enough for your generosity which ensures we are able to pay the many bills we are faced with.  Over the past few weeks many Parishioners have chosen to contribute to the Parish electronically through Faith Direct.   To sign up for Faith Direct, please go to www.faithdirect.com and enter church code FL423.  Contributions can always be mailed to the Rectory at 11730 Old St. Augustine Rd. Jacksonville, FL 32258 or placed through the mail slot at the Rectory door.

I encourage you to continue to use the many Faith enrichment sources we have during this time.  As part of our Dynamic Parish initiative there is a link on our web page to a virtual event on prayer hosted by Matthew Kelly.   Another great option to deepen your faith and expand your prayer life is the Formed web page. With FORMED you will find video programs that explain the Catholic faith, explore the deepest meaning of marriage, receive Bible studies on a variety of topics and includes inspiring audio talks. And you will find presenters like Dr. Tim Gray, Dr. Edward Sri, Dr. Mary Healey, Chris Stefanick, Dr. Scott Hahn, Bishop Robert Barron and a lot more.

How to Access Formed:

1. Go to www.FORMED.org
2. You should see the registration box for Parishioners.
3. Type in the Parish code: M8WPH7
4. Set up a username and password
5. You are now all set to use all the great programs on FORMED.org anytime simply by logging in.

Yours Sincerely in Christ,

Fr. Sebastian