I am happy to share that, as of Tuesday, June 16^th, public Masses have resumed at Holy Family Church. As of December, 2020,  Prince George's County is currently in Phase 2 of Reopening, which means that religious services may be held indoors at 25% of a building's capacity. Since our church can hold 800 people, this effectively means that we are able to have public Mass for all our parishioners at the usual times. The only restrictions that remain are the need for social distancing and certain precautions and efforts to reduce the risk of exposure to the virus and to sanitize and clean surfaces and materials.
 
In brief, our guidelines for celebrating Mass during the pandemic are as follows: the dispensation from the Archbishop from attending Mass on Sunday is still in effect, so you are under no obligation to go to Sunday Mass at present; if you are especially at risk, you are encouraged to stay home; adults and teenagers are required to wear a mask when inside the church; enter church and go straight to your pew, staying at least six feet away from the nearest member of the congregation; do not congregate in the aisles or entrances; at the time for Holy Communion, members of the congregation should come forward either to the center or right aisle in the church, and the priest or deacon will distribute Communion to each line, as needed; hand sanitizer is provided in the pews and in the Communion aisles, and we ask that you sanitize your hands before coming up to receive; bathrooms are available for use, but we do not have the staff to clean them after every Mass, so use them at your own risk; cleaning wipes are provided. and we ask that you clean the toilet and sink yourself, after every use; the offertory collection will be taken up as usual during Mass; after Mass is ended, volunteers clean the pews with anti-bacterial spray and rags; you may help clean, but please use a clean rag from the basket at the back of the church, and put your soiled rag in the bucket on the floor next to the basket, when you finish.

In Christ,
Fr. Matt Fish
 
Instructions for Resuming the Public Celebration of Mass at Holy Family Parish

The following guidelines principally pertain to the celebration of Sunday Mass. The following guidelines generally apply for daily Mass as well, unless otherwise noted.

Sunday Mass is offered at the usual times of 4.00pm (vigil) on Saturday and 10.00am on Sunday.

Daily Mass will be offered Tuesday – Friday at 9.00am (with Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament on Friday from 8.00am – 9.00am).

Confession will be offered during Adoration on Fridays in the church from 8.00am to 9.00am, as well as after daily Mass on Tuesdays through Fridays, as needed.

1. Individuals in each pew who would like to receive should come forward, moving down the center or right side aisles.
2. Once the communicant reaches the priest or deacon, who will elevate the Host, saying, “The Body of Christ,” they are to raise their hands up high, at chest level, folded over each other, making a “V” shape (or stick out their tongue, if they wish to receive on the tongue).
3. The priest or deacon will then drop the host in the open hands (or on the tongue) of the communicant. At that point, they are to lift their mask above their mouth, and consume the host.

Archdiocese of Washington response to Covid-19