Parishes in High Risk Areas (Red Zones)

Please note: As of May 29, there is no longer a distinct set of protocols for parishes in the red zones.

From now until May 29, for Parishes in the red zone, only Mass and other worship services are allowed – no indoor meetings and no in-person faith formation is permitted.

Parishes in communities in the red category will be required to:

1. Take the temperature of every attendee as they come to attend all indoor Masses. The infra-red thermometers issued by the Archdiocese, or equivalent devices, should be used. Any temperature of 100.4 Fahrenheit (38.0 Celsius) or greater is considered to be a fever by the CDC. Temperature checks should be done as discreetly as possible, and in a location where the thermometers and the people using them are not left standing in the sun, which could impact the reading. If someone registers a temperature of 100.4 or greater, please show them the respect of taking them aside and informing them quietly that they have a fever, and that they should contact their physician. Direct them to a side or second door to exit, so that they are not crossing paths with others waiting to be checked. This applies to weekday Masses and funerals and baptisms and other worship events as well.
2. Registration for Masses is required. Take (and keep for at least fourteen days) a good list of all people who enter the church for Masses (Sunday and weekday), funerals, baptisms, and any other events, for the sake of contact tracing. This applies to outdoor Masses as well.
3. The current rules for confessions need to be applied strongly – masks, and six feet or more between the confessor and the penitent. Temperature checks and lists should not be taken for confessions.