St. James Roman Catholic Church

Mask It or Casket! A reminder about the importance of wearing a mask in church.

Please be advised that in accordance with CDC guidelines and our previously announced requirement that all who choose to attend Mass at St. James MUST wear either a mask or other face-covering that covers the mouth and nose is mandatory and no exceptions will be made.

Anyone observed not wearing a mask/face covering will be asked by an usher to either don a mask or immediately leave the church. Should that individual refuse to comply with the usher’s request, the ushers have been directed to interrupt the presider, who will publicly address the situation with the offender.

The wearing of face coverings has been shown to reduce transmission of droplets that may carry the coronavirus or other illnesses.  As such, it is a simple and effective sign of courtesy and respect towards others in our midst. 

Your cooperation is vital in order for us to continue to publicly celebrate Mass during the ongoing pandemic.

From the Pastor’s Desk

 I am pleased to share with you the latest information from our diocese relative to the resumption of public worship in our churches. We have resumed our full schedule of Masses: Saturday at 5pm; Sunday 8am, 9:30am nd 11:30am with   the following restrictions:

•  We are limited to 120 people at each Mass. All in attendance MUST wear a mask or face covering and all are required to practice the current CDC guidelines to maintain social distancing and remain 6 ft apart.  You will find that certain pews have been roped off while others have been marked to indicate where you may be seated. In the interest of safety, please sit only in those pews that are open and appropriately marked.
•  Entrance to the church will be only through the new sacristy entrance, where you will find ushers at the doors keeping count of people entering the church. While we prefer that you exit via the sacristy doors as well, the other doors may be utilized for this purpose. 
• Please feel free to utilize the hand sanitizer stations located throughout the church.
• The 5pm Mass will be live streamed  and taped for broadcast on our website and Facebook pages.
• Daily Mass will continue at 8am, Mon-Fri; no morning Mass on Saturday.
• We have also been given the go-ahead to resume private baptisms (one family at a time), an adjustment to our previous practice of celebrating the sacrament with multiple families; if you are interested in scheduling a baptism, please call the office as soon as possible to discuss the schedule and available dates. Weddings and funerals will also resume, again following CDC guidelines related to masks, social distancing, and reduced attendance in the church.

As I’ve mentioned in earlier communications, the church we are returning to is, in so many ways, different from the church we attended a few months ago. We have endured physical separation from each other and had some of our most beloved traditions upended, specifically surrounding the Triduum days and Easter. Yet, throughout this entire ordeal, our faith has sustained us and we will once again be able to gather around the Table of the Lord within the walls of our church.

Some physical changes to the church include the long awaited replacement of our air conditioning units which took place this week; the  electrical work will not take place until next week, so we ask  for your patience as  the workers make every effort to complete this job as quickly and safely as possible.

In addition, the new/refurbished tabernacle is in place, having been pulled forward from the alcove in which the previous tabernacle was housed. A wall has been installed that now encloses the alcove, allowing us to create additional much needed storage space. The finishing touches on this project will soon be in place, but again, I ask for your continued patience.

Amidst all of this good news, we unfortunately are faced with a deficit of $85,000 in our collections (year to date). These past months have been challenging for all of us, and the financial issues brought about by the pandemic cannot  be taken lightly.  As our economy begins to reopen, please continue to remember how vital your financial support is to the survival of our parish.

Finally, please allow me to not only thank all of your for your support and prayers, but to also ask you to remember that the resumption of in person celebration of Mass and all that is associated with it, is a process, and will, of necessity, continue to evolve as the weeks unfold before us. We will make every effort to keep you informed of additional changes, and invite you to regularly visit the parish website for the latest information on this rapidly developing situation.

Pax et bonum,

~Fr. Jim

Looking for our virtual Masses during the COVID 19 Health Emergency? Look at our banner at the top of this page where you will find links to Holy Week celebrations as well as our weekly Masses.

For your convenience, you will also find above, links to homilies by both Fr. Jim and Fr. Fitz.