Peace and grace, members of St. Mary Magdalene Coptic Orthodox Church –
NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS:
We have increased seating capacity in the fellowship hall. Registration will now open beginning 2 weeks before each liturgy (a new registration will open each Sunday at noon) and it will close the evening prior to that liturgy (Saturday night at 7pm). If you are allowed to register online (limits are set) - this will be your confirmation and you will no longer receive a confirmation email. This, if you are registering for a household, it is critical that you list the correct number of people and you will be asked to enter each individual's names in the household.
Seating will no longer be specifically assigned. Pews and chairs will be labelled and it will indicate where either households or individuals are permitted to sit to allow appropriate distancing. You should only sit where these signs indicate it is ok, but you otherwise can seat yourself as you arrive. If you are an individual, please only sit where it is marked for individuals so we can maximize available seating within the church. After front door screening is complete and the front door is locked, you may relocate to a "household" pew if seating is still open if you prefer to. We appreciate your understanding in optimizing safety, while also maximizing seating within the church.
PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING VERY CAREFULLY -
INSTRUCTIONS AND GUIDELINES FOR PARTICIPATING IN THESE SERVICES:
(TO ENSURE WE ARE CONDUCTING SERVICES SAFELY AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH DIOCESE GUIDELINES AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH MEDICALLY RECOMMENDED PRACTICES):
1. Registration - Deadline is Saturday night before 7pm (prior to Sunday Liturgy that week)
- If you are registering a household – please indicate the total number of people attending in your household. It will list “Single Reservation” i.e. single reservation for a household and you select the number of people in your household i.e. 4 for 4 people in your household.
- Please do not register for the sake of “reserving a spot in case.” There are online limits to registration. Only register when you are certain you can commit to attending, but go ahead and list all weeks you can commit to attending. We are continuing to space out households to maintain optimal distancing. Thus, it is important to register by household as noted above and to sit where assigned, with you optimizing distancing i.e. sitting towards left or right to optimizing distancing from others.
2. Vespers Services
Vespers Praise & Raising of Incense Saturday at 7 p.m. - typically only the priest and one deacon conduct Vespers to maintain sanitary conditions for liturgy the following day.
3. Guidelines
Besides the governmental guidelines, the following diocesan guidelines apply additionally:
1. First and foremost, if you are sick or have any symptoms, you must stay home or seek medical help if necessary.
- The updated full screening questionnaire is listed at the end of this message (please review). In summary, if you have any fever, cough, cold, difficulty breathing, recurrent sneezing/runny nose, nausea/vomiting, diarrhea, headache, loss of smell/taste; you have recently been on a cruise or exposed to travelers on a cruise; you have come in contact with people that tested positive or you have been tested with concern for COVID – then please do not attend services unless you have quarantined for 10 days, have significantly improved symptoms (nearly resolved), and have no fevers without medications for at least 24 hours (timing is different if you were hospitalized for COVID or if you are immunocompromised - it is then 20 days from onset of symptoms or from positive COVID test, whichever was 1st). Please let us know if this impacts you ahead of time.
2. Church personnel will check in attendees at the door of the church at the following times:
Sundays: Liturgy of the Eucharist - 8:30am-9:10am
- S/he will check the temperature of those attending and help them answer a simple health questionnaire to ensure the safety and health of all those being admitted to the liturgy.
- These church personnel may ask you not to attend the liturgy based on their medical expertise. We ask that you kindly comply with their recommendations in a graceful manner.
- Church personnel will conclude their entrance service at the times noted above, after which the doors of the church will be locked. Anyone arriving after these times i.e. 9:10am on most Sundays (unless otherwise specified) will not be able to attend the liturgy that day nor come into the church building. Matins will promptly begin at 8:45am.
3. Attendees must bring and wear a facemask until time of the Holy Communion and place the facemasks back on again after drinking water after the Holy Communion.
- Please sure to wear the mask before arriving at the church door (when you will be screened by church personnel).
- Please wipe your mouth and area around your mouth with a tissue or wipes after you take off your mask and immediately before receiving the Holy Communion.
- Per diocese guidance, Holy Communion will be administered as it traditionally is given
4. Please stand only in the marked areas of the pews, which will require at least 6 feet between households. Households will all stand together.
5. Please bring your own headscarf [women], handkerchief—if you have one, hand sanitizer, and water bottle (to be used by you after Holy Communion).
6. Even when proceeding to take Holy Communion, households are to maintain 6 feet of distance between each other, as much as feasible.
7. Congregants must leave immediately after the Divine Liturgy after receiving Korban. No agape meal or coffee hour will be held.
Our church is taking the necessary safety measures to ensure the safety of the parishioners and to be in compliance with the guidelines of the CDC and the orders of local county and state government. Therefore, please do your part by fully adhering to the guidelines and by explaining them to your children, teens, and elderly.
May the Lord be with your families and keep you safe.
In Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Church COVID Screening Questionnaire (updated 9/18/20)
1. Do you have any of the following symptoms?
Fever
Cough or Cold symptoms
Sneezing or Runny Nose
Difficulty Breathing
Nausea/vomiting
Diarrhea
Loss of smell/taste
Headache
2. Have you recently been on a cruise or come in contact with others that have been on a cruise in the past 10 days?
3. Have you come in contact with people that tested positive for COVID or are currently being tested?
4. Are you currently being tested for COVID?
- If any of the above questions are positive – the person cannot enter unless they have quarantined for 10 days, they have significantly improved symptoms (nearly resolved), and no fever without medications for at least 24 hours.
- Timing is different if they were hospitalized for COVID or if they are immunocompromised - it is then 20 days from onset of symptoms or from positive COVID test, whichever was 1st.