We are regathering in person and are moving into a period of personal responsibility. Masking and taping off every other pew. Hopefully, the numbers will soon reach a point where masks will become optional. We will keep the parish updated on the website and in the weekly e-news.
For more detailed information, see below.
Once again, this means:
- Live streaming of in-person worship is found on the St. Francis homepage and Zoom Meeting coverage of in-person worship by tapping on the appropriate link at the top of the homepage. The best viewing experience may vary between the live video Stream at the top of the homepage and Zoom, so, experiment and choose which works best for you.
- Worshipping in-person means wearing a mask – either an N95, KN95 or Surgical mask under a cloth mask — at all times while in the building; and being seated in alternating pews. The Ushers have marked off the pews and can guide parishioners to where they may be seated.
- The choir will be masked and socially distanced.
- The readers and homilist may remove their masks while reading or preaching.
- Communion will be the bread only, distributed by the Presider, who will have sanitized his hands prior to the Great Thanksgiving and prior to distribution. The Presider will be masked during the Great Thanksgiving and distribution.
- We will not be having a coffee hour until we have reached the yellow zone as indicated by the CDC and Brown University daily statistical publications.
- Sunday school will continue to be held on Zoom.
We also have some key reminders. Beginning with in-person worship is not a requirement for worshippers. That is why we will continue to stream and Zoom worship. If you are concerned about Omicron, worship online. If you think you are sick or have the symptoms of an upper respiratory infection, join us online. If you are quarantining after contracting COVID, join us online.
REMOVE the second to the last paragraph – that used to be here...
The Omicron variant of COVID-19 in Fairfax County has proven to be relatively mild, as was the prognosis in December when the church renewed streaming and Zooming worship only. In the face of a rapidly increasing caseload on December 19, and leadership determined to be cautious. The new case numbers are declining rapidly, and the system is adjusting. Given these conditions, the leadership is going back to hybrid worship, with the cautions listed above. We want to see you in church and soon but want to make certain you are healthy and careful. We will be here when you arrive.
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