FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

“Until further notice”.  While some places have set a distinct timeframe , our mandate is “until further notice”.  With the situation ever in flux, this recognizes the need for flexibility and reduces confusion.  Setting a certain date or even a clear estimate at this time is very difficult. 

In various details, gathering for public worship various from county to county, parish to parish.  All parishes are to following the Archbishop's guidelines, but how they are practiced are varied.  In accord to Archdiocesan directive, the following should be followed:

Until further notice, waiting upon a miracle, or the development of a cure and/or a vaccine for COVID-19 for parish-sponsored activities, outside of church, on or off of parish property, as well as for non-parish-sponsored activities (graduation parties, wedding receptions, funeral dinners) on parish property, these rules apply:
 
People are asked to stay safe at home if they…

• are sick, or have recently been sick, or have an underlying medical condition.
• are frail due to advanced age.
• are nervous about contracting COVID-19.
• live with and/or care for someone sick, elderly, at risk, or with COVID-19.
• work at or regularly visit high-risk situations, where there are COVID-19 cases.

 
Take safety measures to prevent contagion:
1)Wash your hands, don’t touch your face, and cough into your elbow.
2)Wear a mask.
3)Practice social distancing, and avoid physical contact whenever possible.
4)Sanitize commonly touched surfaces before/after each event.

Are masks mandatory?  How to distance ourselves: do we sit every-other or every 3 pews?  How exactly is communion to be distributed?  

As the Archdiocese encompasses 33 counties of Northeast Iowa, situations greatly vary from parish to parish.  Detailed, diocesan-wide mandates are not given as to give the greatest agency to the parish level.  In collaboration with parish leadership, pastors are to respond to the needs of the parish in light of the demands of prudence.

The Office of Worship is available for consultation on prudent response to both civil and church guidelines for any particular parish needs. 

The following is to be implemented.

People are asked to stay safe at home if they…

• are sick, or have recently been sick, or have an underlying medical condition.
• are frail due to advanced age.
• are nervous about contracting COVID-19.
• live with and/or care for someone sick, elderly, at risk, or with COVID-19.
• work at or regularly visit high-risk situations, where there are COVID-19 cases.

Take safety measures to prevent contagion:
1)Wash your hands, don’t touch your face, and cough into your elbow.
2)Wear a mask.
3)Practice social distancing, and avoid physical contact whenever possible.
4)Sanitize commonly touched surfaces before/after each event.

Livestreaming music protected by copyright requires the appropriate permissions. 
Generally this means:

- Music played (sung, accompanied, or intstrumental) requires permission to livestream.  Failure to comply may result in assessed fees and possibly fines.

- Ownership of printed materials (e.g. books or sheet music) does not provide permission

- Acknowledging the license is necessary, whether embedded in the video, or in the description (e.g. YouTube) or Facebook post containing the video/livestream.

- This applies to Mass settings, excepting the chants in the Roman Missal are free use.

- Generally, this does not apply to music that is more than 75 years old.  However, a new arrangement of an old song, like Pange Lingua, may be protected under copyright.

- For information on licenses: see OneLicense.net/how-it-works

Many obstacles are needed to be overcome for churches to be open without compromising the intent of social distancing.  It is imperative that we avoid compromising these efforts or being lax.  Care must be taken to regularly clean and disinfect common surfaces throughout the day.

Priests are to maintain distances of 6 feet during confessions.  Social distancing is necessary in gatherings, particular care needs to be taken to avoid lines of people gathered closely.  Confined spaces (e.g. confessional chapels!) are to be avoided.  Common surfaces are to be cleansed/disaffected often.  In cases of urgency and danger of death, priests are currently allowed to administer the Sacrament of Anointing and Viaticum, while being intentional of handwashing before and after for the safety of all.  Masks are encouraged to be worn by all.  Pastoral visitors, including clergy, are not to knowingly place themselves in situations that would result in their needing to be quarantined, i.e. in proximity to those sick with COVID-19.

The Elect (those to be baptized) have been dispensed by the Archbishop from the required public scrutinies.  Coordinators have already received guidance, and this video does an excellent job covering RCIA details: Team RCIA  When and how they are able to celebrate their initiation will be determined at the parish level, dependent on the needs of the local community.