As St. James Catholic Community, we welcome and serve all people as disciples who celebrate and love as Jesus taught.

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NEW COVID-19 LITURGICAL PROTOCOLS:

• Those who are fully vaccinated may wear a face-covering and social distance but are no longer required to do so in churches.

• Those who have not been fully vaccinated are to continue wearing face-coverings and to practice social distancing to protect themselves and others in churches. Because a parish community – and our society – requires mutual trust and a commitment to the common good, each individual is asked to make the best decisions for himself as well as for others. Parishes do not have the responsibility to verify who is and who is not vaccinated.

• Each parish is to provide a portion of the church – with a size to be determined by the pastor – where social distancing and face-coverings are consistently maintained.

• All unvaccinated Catholics are encouraged to consult with their doctor about the vaccines. Resources to assist Catholics in understanding the moral use of COVID vaccines can be found at aod.org/vaccines.

• The Sign of Peace may resume with the normal wording, “Let us offer each other the sign of peace,” allowing parishioners and families to make their own determinations about how widely to share some sign of peace.

COVID LITURGICAL PROTOCOLS WHICH REMAIN IN PLACE:

• Parishes should continue to provide signage about current COVID protocols.

• Parishes should keep doors open to ventilate churches as they are able.

• Parishes are encouraged to continue the COVID arrangement of vessels for bread/wine on the altar.

• Clergy and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion should continue to wear masks while distributing Holy Communion.

• Parishes are encouraged to maintain sanitation stations at the locations of the distribution of Holy Communion.

• Parishes are to continue to refrain from the distribution of the Chalice to the faithful (except for a Bride and Groom on their wedding day).