Attending Mass during the current pandemic
Entry to Mass is contingent on the following:
- If you are not feeling well please do not attend the Mass.
- All attendees must sign in and provide their name & phone number at a minimum. It is helpful but not required to provide an email address & home where possible. Please do not provide fake details. Attendees must also stipulate they are not ill and/or suffering from flu like symptoms and that to their knowledge they have not been exposed to COVID-19.
- All attendees must sanitise their hands when entering and leaving the church with sanitiser provided.
- All attendees must sit in the designated seating. Seats may not be moved in any way. Do not sit in the pews marked no seating.
- Please take your bulletin with you when the Mass is ended.
- When entering and exiting the churches as well as when lining up for Holy Communion please maintain a distance of 1.5m from others. Please do NOT congregate outside the church before and after Mass.
- All attendees should follow the direction of the volunteers on duty.
- Volunteers are not to be abused or ill treated in any way. If you have a complaint please direct these to Fr Paul Ghanem or Ruth Rawlinson at the Parish Office by calling 9331 4043.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: Do I have to reserve my space in advance.
A: You do not have to reserve you space however we are requesting where possible you do still book in advance. This both avoids disappointment on the day if the church is full and also makes the check in process faster, easier and safer for everyone.
Q: How many spaces can I reserve at a Mass?
A: Online you can only book four tickets however you can call the Parish Office and we can facilitate larger bookings where space is available. Please note you will need to supply the contact information of all people attending the Mass when you reserve the tickets. We cannot reserve spaces without a name provided.
Q: Why do I have to provide so many contact details?
A: We are legally obligated to record the contact information of all people who enter our churches at this time and are following the template provided by the Archdiocese of Sydney in regard to collection of data. By receiving the contact information at the point of booking we are seeking to receive this information at the point of booking to reduce the administration on the day. If you are concerned about providing specific details please speak to the Parish Office when you reserve your Mass space.
Q: What will you do with the registration sheets containing my personal information after the Mass has concluded?
A: These will be kept securely in the Parish Office for four weeks. After four weeks has passed these sheets will be destroyed. Note: We will NOT add personal information received in this way to our own database or mailing lists. If you want to join our mailing list and stay up to date please click here.
Q: Can I come on the day and see if there free spaces at a weekend Mass Time?
A: Yes, you can absolutely come on the day and ‘try your luck’ however we would encourage you to book in advance – it both helps our volunteers greatly and avoids potential disappointment for you.
Q: Mass times are now back to normal – why is there no Mass in the Double Bay Chapel?
A: Due to the size of the chapel and the fact we don’t control the building (and the cleaning) it was not possible to resume Mass there straight away. We are hopeful to resume Mass soon at Double Bay as more restrictions are lifted.
Q: I heard we can have a hundred people per Mass – why aren’t a hundred tickets available?
A: We have made the decision to reduce Mass numbers to ensure adequate social distancing at our Masses. After careful consideration there will be thirty (30) spaces at Edgecliff including volunteers and fifty (50) spaces at Paddington including volunteers.
Q: Can I book for more than one Weekend Mass?
A: No. Duplicate bookings will be deleted. Please only register for one Mass.
Q: What should I do if I can’t attend the Mass?
A: If you become aware you cannot attend the Mass prior to the 3pm on Friday please email administration@stfrancis-stjoseph.com or call the Parish Office on 9331 4043 and let us know. After Noon please call Ruth on 0410 470 678. Please let us know as soon as you are able so we can offer the space to another parishioner.
Q: What about weekday Masses? I can only see reference to weekend Mass times on your website.
A: Our intention at this point is to run Weekday Mass to the usual schedule at both St Joseph & St Francis and we are currently working through the best way to do this in line with the government regulations and the resources of our community. We will advise you via email through our mailing list and via this website when we have more information. To join our mailing list please click here.
Q: Will you be continuing the live-stream?
A: Our live-stream is currently on hiatus however the intention is to return in August – we will publicise the new dates and times of the live-stream soon.
Q: Can I attend the live-streamed Masses in person?
A: Live-streams are currently on hiatus. We will let you know the new dates and times soon and whether these will be open to attendees.
Q: Why did I receive an email from Eventbrite?
A: We are using a third party provider called Eventbrite to run our online booking system. Using this system helps us ensure that Masses are not overbooked and ensures that we can manage bookings in an efficient way. Without this system 100% of bookings would need to be taken manually over the phone and via email which we cannot do in a cost-effective way as this increases the time taken to manage each booking substantially.
