March 19, 2020
Catholic Yokohama Diocese Sueyoshicho Church
Parish Priest Joseph Akihisa Hamada
Dear Sueyoshicho Church Faithfuls
New Corona Virus Response until Easter 2020
In response to the spread of the new Corona virus and the need to continue the necessary measures to prevent the spread of the infection, the Parish Priest, and the four members of the Standing Committee of the Parish Council (Church chairman, Vice Chairman, General Affairs Committee, Finance Committee) held a meeting last March 17, 2020 at 6:30pm.
The continued measures against the new Corona virus at Sueyoshi-cho Church until Easter 2020 are as follows:
1) Cancellation of Liturgical Events
· Way of the Cross on during Sunday.
· Washing of the Disciples’ Feet during the Mass on Holy Thursday’s Supper.
· On Good Friday, the traditional kissing and touching of the cross for veneration is prohibited,
and instead the faithful is encouraged to genuflect and make profound vow during veneration acts.
· Sacraments of Confession until Easter (April 12)
· Way of the Cross on Sunday’s (in all language) until Easter (April 12)
· Chinese Mass on April 5, (Sun) 8:00 AM (There is no Chinese Mass on April 12 for Easter)
· Chinese Mass on April 7, (Tue) 19:00 PM
· Chinese Mass on April 28, (Tue) 19:00 PM
2) Cancellation of Church Events
· Legion of Mary on March 22 & 29 (on both Philippine and Chinese Community)
· District Steering Committee Meeting on March 29, 13:00 PM
· Stefano Society Meeting On March 29, 13:00 PM
· Sunday School Lenten Recollection on April 04 – 05
· Philippine Community Block Rosary on April 05
· Yokohama Diocese Legion of Mary Assembly on April 05
· Easter Mass Party and distribution of Easter eggs on April 12
3) Cancelation on Weekdays Masses (because the time of transportation to come to the mass is crowded)
• March 24 (Tue) 8:00 mass – cancelled
• March 27 (Fri) 8:00 mass – cancelled
• March 31 (Tue) 8:00 mass – cancelled
• April 03 (Fri) 8:00 mass – cancelled
4) Change of location for Weekday Masses
(From the Blessed Sacrament → To the Church Main Hall)
· April 07 (Tue) 8:00 mass (Church Main Hall)
5) Preventive measures for Japanese Mass and English Mass.
The following will be temporarily extended until Good Friday, April 10:
· No Reader & Lector (The priest conducts all recitations)
· No Commentator (The priest conducts all responses)
· No Psalmist (The priest will recites the psalms)
· No organ and no songs.
· On saturdays, there is no sacristan for the mass (priest prepares and clears)
· The priest enters the church to the main altar, without procession.
There is a collection box on the table in front of the organ;
collections to be put, before and after the mass.
· Up to two altar servers allowed on Sundays.
Altar servers shall seat on the opposite sides of the altar.
6) Coronavirus Counter-Measures in the Church Facilities.
The following will be temporarily extended until Good Friday, April 10:
· New arrangement of chairs inside and in front of the church hall,
and securing a large space around each chair.
· Removal of the holy water basin.
· Thorough disinfection of places where human hands touched . Must be done before and after every masses.
· Thorough hand disinfection by handing one alcohol tissue to each person at the entrance of the first floor of the church hall.
· Half-open of the windows in the Church and the front hall. Ventilated at all times!
· For the entrance on the first floor of the church, double doors are locked, only the single door is opened. Thorough hand disinfection is required!
· Set the heating temperature to 25 degrees.
-End –