PLANNING CHRISTMAS MASSES 2020
Christmas is a feast of great wonderment! In the tender and touching story of a child born in a stable, we encounter the great mystery of a God who is close to us, who walks beside us accompanying us in any trial. This is a message we certainly need to celebrate in 2020. It is more important than ever that we try to draw people into this joyous news, especially those who hold themselves at some distance from regular church life. Encouragement and hospitality should be the mark of all our Christmas liturgy. We cannot turn people away even for the best of reasons.
With just two months till Christmas, parish planning of Christmas Masses this year requires especially careful consideration. The issues are difficult to resolve. They should be discussed by a group of key parishioners (Parish Council, Liturgy Committee, etc). A large number of volunteer helpers will likely be required.
Estimating Numbers
Do some sums. How many people came to Christmas Masses last year? How many do you expect this year? How many does your church fit under COVID restrictions?
How many Masses would you need to cater for the expected number? What is a reasonable timetable, given the requirements of cleaning the church between Masses?
Extra Masses could be scheduled on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning. Christmas Eve Masses can begin earlier if necessary – some parishes regularly begin Sunday Masses at 4pm on Saturday afternoon.
Planning for Larger Numbers
It is likely that these arrangements will not suffice in many parishes. What possibilities exist – apart from saying ‘we’re full’ and sending people away?
One solution being proposed is scheduling one or more Outdoor Masses. They offer some help:
• The distancing requirement remains at 1.5 metres but the density for an outdoor event is reduced to 2 square metres per person.
• Up to 999 people can gather outdoors with a COVID safe event checklist (external approval is not required).
• Note however that events of 1,000 and more require a COVID Safe Event Plan which must be submitted a minimum of 10 business days before the event to [email protected] for approval by the Qld Chief Health Officer.
Parishes should not underestimate the very many challenges to organising an outdoor Mass.
• At night, lighting needs to be provided.
• During the day, shade needs to be provided.
• Night or day, sound equipment will be required.
• Night or day, seating will be needed, at least for adults.
• Night or day, wet weather plans need to be in place.
• Night or day, the site needs to have controlled entry.
Unless seating is provided and set out with wide aisles and well-spaced rows, it will be very difficult to maintain the required 1.5m spacing. If people were to bring their own folding chairs or blankets to sit on, how would the crowd be organised?
An outdoor Mass may be very expensive if a parish needs to hire seating, lighting, sound equipment and barricades. It will require a good number of volunteers to set up the space, cleanse it, and dismantle it on Christmas Day. It will require professional expertise to set up sound and lighting and such equipment must be protected from the elements.
Review your Parish Site
What facilities do you have to assist you? Perhaps the parish or school has a large assembly hall with a greater capacity than the church.
Perhaps the school has a large covered area which would count as an outdoor space. It may already be provided with lighting and a public address system. The parish may already have chairs and, since it is under cover, it would allow for wet weather. All of these things may make an outdoor Mass a viable proposition.
Alternatively, such venues could be used in tandem with the parish church. A church which has been set up for live-streaming might decide to stream to large screens in a second venue.
A parish without such facilities might like to discuss collaboration with a neighbouring parish (which may be able to take overflow bookings).
Finally a review of the parish area might suggest a suitable venue elsewhere in the district, for example, at a local state school. Note however that the Places of Worship Industry Plan presumes all venues to be places where people already gather for religious ceremonies or faith-based activities. This will generally include halls or assembly spaces in the parish school. Where a venue is not already used in this way, then a COVID Safe Event Checklist must be completed for the place (though no external approval is required).
Choice of a suitable venue would make provision for safe access for the elderly and those with a disability.
People to Help
Consider what help you will need. Volunteers are notoriously difficult to recruit for Christmas because it is prime family time.
• The usual sacristans, servers, readers, communion ministers, musicians, hospitality ministers will be required.
• This year, a parish would need to add sufficient marshals to check records without creating a bottleneck at the entry points. Staggered arrival times might help. Ushers may be necessary to show people to their seats.
• Finally, for a temporary venue, people will be needed for setting up and dismantling whatever is required. This will include not only light and sound, but also chairs, the altar, ambo, and Mass requirements.
• Overnight security may be required if the venue is to be used on Christmas Eve and again on Christmas morning.
Registration Process
Many parishes are now using an online booking system which could easily cope with additional numbers. The COVID recording requirements must continue to be followed. Mass times will need to be advertised widely and early. In case of larger numbers at an outdoor venue, it may be helpful to divide the space into areas and to book each area separately.
Because so many people are accustomed to come to the parish only at Christmas and Easter, it should not be presumed that they will have received parish information. Many will turn up without booking and a part of the space should be kept aside if possible for those who register at the door.
Designing the Liturgical Space
Setting up a hall, covered area, quadrangle or oval for liturgy requires careful thought. The whole gathered community join together in offering the Mass. Any arrangement which places the altar, ambo and music on a stage with the people arranged in rows like an audience will be a missed opportunity. Work out a way to place the altar and ambo in the centre with people arranged in a horseshoe around them. The music ministry (cantor and instrumentalist) should be well able to lead the assembly.
Often a temporary space will be quite utilitarian. How will you create a sense of the sacred? Perhaps a large crucifix could be incorporated. Artwork focussing on the Christmas story (prepared by the school children before the holidays?) could create the right atmosphere for the liturgy.
A final consideration might be where and how you will set up the Christmas Crib so that it does not create a place of congestion.
Celebrating the Solemn Christmas Liturgy in the Space
One of the liturgical challenges these days is the safe administration of holy communion. This becomes more challenging with a larger assembly. To maintain physical distancing during the liturgy, it may be best to have the communion ministers go to the people instead of bringing people to the altar in procession. With well-spaced rows of chairs, ministers can walk between them to minister communion to people in their places. This would need to be carefully planned so that there are sufficient ministers and so that they know exactly where they are to go.
A parish might consider additional liturgical gestures such as the use of incense or incorporating a gospel procession in order to emphasise the solemnity of the Christmas Mass especially when it is held outside the church.
If a second space is being used with live streaming and video screens, special attention will need to be given to facilitate people’s participation there. It cannot be treated as an overflow space where spectators just sit passively watching a screen. A liturgical leader, a cantor or a leadership group will be required to ensure that people sing, make the responses and stand or sit as required. The thurifer should go there after incensing those in the church. Lay ministers should be ready to bring communion to these people at the same time as people in the church are receiving communion. Perhaps before Mass a separate cantor might lead the people in singing Christmas carols while carols are being sung by those in the church.
Some Practical Matters
• The usual COVID-19 protocols should be observed for an outdoor event:
o Define the boundaries to help avoid the risk of unregistered people attending; temporary fencing may be needed.
o Clearly identify entry and exit points.
o Station marshals at all entries and exits.
o Set up sanitising stations at entrances.
o Monitor the number of people entering and exiting the site to ensure the site capacity is not exceeded.
o Retain the attendance register securely for 56 days after Christmas to allow for effective contact tracing.
• It may be best not to offer food or drink to people after Mass – focus on the essentials.
• Think through issues of sound, light, shade, water, toilets, etc
• Prepare sufficient newsletters/hymn sheets for everyone; they cannot be reused.
• If the venue is not familiar, signage and path lighting might be necessary. Pathways should be free of trip or slip hazards.
• Will there be adequate and safe parking facilities?
o Consider parking attendants if necessary.
o Mark speed limits and access and exit points.
o Establish safe pedestrian crossing areas (with provision for those with disabilities).
• Allow for emergency vehicle access and ensure that there are designated safe emergency egress routes.
• Be prepared. If an outdoor venue has no shelter, how and when will it be cancelled in the event of wet weather, and how will this be communicated to people? (Check www.bom.gov.au for the weather forecast!)
Written by Tom Elich.
Prepared in collaboration with Work Health and Safety and the Archdiocesan Communications Team, Brisbane.
Images from Unsplash and Pixabay. Used under license/with permission.
Prepared in collaboration with Work Health and Safety and the Archdiocesan Communications Team, Brisbane.
Images from Unsplash and Pixabay. Used under license/with permission.