As mentioned in our virtual meetings, we are working with the Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario to finalize a re-opening resource that will serve as a template for a consistent approach for retuning to Mass in all the dioceses across the province. While we’d hoped the document would be finalized by now, it is close to completion and is currently being reviewed by legal, medical and church representatives. Be assured that as soon as our plans for re-opening are finalized they will be shared with you.
We are also meeting this week with key provincial contacts regarding re-opening. As you’re likely aware, the number of positive Covid-19 cases in Ontario has not declined to levels identified as benchmarks by the Chief Medical Officer of the province. This may delay the loosening of restrictions and the ability to move to the next phase of the province’s re-opening plans.
Recognizing that you are likely receiving inquiries from the faithful regarding timing and logistics around re-opening, we’ve attached a frequently asked questions resource that provides an update as of May 27, 2020. While it does not provide specific re-opening dates (we are relying on the direction of local medical authorities on timing) it does provide information on the work that has taken place and key expectations that will be part of our re-opening plans.
Feel free to share the FAQ resource in your own communication channels. We will be providing this update through the parishioner email list as well to ensure as many people as possible are aware of the most current updates.
Thank you for your continued patience and assistance as we work through the many details involved in our re-opening plans.