Covid-19 pandemic is around
Dear brothers & sisters,
Glory to God for all things! We have resumed weekly Matins & Divine Liturgy.
As we are still in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, we seek everyone’s help to adhere strictly to the following healthcare guidelines:
Pre-registration for all Services
To maintain records (name & contact details) of all visitors attending Church Services. Members/visitors must pre-register your attendance via HROC Eventbrite web link. If you are registering for your family members, pls indicate the number of persons with individual names and contact details. Only members/visitors who have registered for services will be allowed into Church premises.
Please reach out to us if you like to be added to the HROC Whatsapp chat group to receive updates on weekly services registration link.
Registration for services will be available from every Monday and closes by Friday 2330H.
Vespers (Saturdays) 5pm
-Registration from 4.45pm: Temperature screening and Safe Entry check in at main entrance of Catholic Archdiocesan Education Centre. Main entrance will be closed at 5pm
Matins & Divine Liturgy (Sundays) 9.30am
-from 9.15am: Temperature screening and Safe Entry check in at main entrance of Catholic Archdiocesan Education Centre. Main entrance will be closed at 9.30am
If you are feeling unwell/flu/sore throat/runny nose/fever/shortness of breath/on medical leave; pls do not attend the services.
If you have come into close contact with someone on stay home notice/in quarantine; pls do not attend the services.
Upon entering the premise of Catholic Archdiocesan Education Centre, pls sanitize your hands with alcohol rub or with water and soap available at the wash rooms.
Face masks must be properly worn at all times when attending services; except when receiving Holy Communion.
Do not mingle with other members/visitors. Pls ensure your children do not mingle with others as well.
Refreshments/coffee will not be served after Services. Parishioners/visitors are requested to vacate from the Church premises once the Services have ended.
When attending Services
Congregational singing is not allowed during Services. There will be no shared copies of service books. Do refer to the digital copies of Matins/Divine Liturgy from your mobile device or you may listen attentively and follow the Services.
Parishioners may venerate the holy icons/Holy Gospel/Chalice/ Holy Cross with bow(s) or prostrations but without kissing/touching the holy objects.
When receiving a blessing from the bishop/priest, pls do not kiss his hand.
wear your mask all the times
remain safe
With COVID-19 cases remaining low, Singapore will move to Phase 3 of its reopening, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced today (Monday, Dec 14).
Phase 3 will see the permitted group size for social gatherings increase; pilots for busking and live performances in outdoor venues, karaoke and some nightlife settings; and an increase of capacity limits in public places such as malls, attractions and places of worship, the Ministry of Health announced.
HOW PHASE 3 WILL IMPACT CHURCHES
1. Worship services can increase to 250 members in zones of 50
The Health Ministry announced that all religious organisations with suitable facilities will be able to increase their capacity for congregational and other worship services to up to 250 persons, in zones of up to 50 persons each for congregational services. Churches that wish to progressively ramp up to allow 250 into their worship services before Dec 28 can apply to do so by emailing cpro@mccy.gov.sg.
2. Worship leaders allowed to sing unmasked, with safe management measures
Worship leaders will be allowed to sing at congregational worship services, with specific safe management measures in place, such as a limited number of unmasked singers and wind instruments. Since October 3, a handful of churches have been part of a pilot where live singing has been allowed. In the pilot, participating churches were allowed a maximum of 10 musicians or singers on stage, with up to five people unmasked – or two unmasked in an indoor venue. Those on stage had to maintain a safe distance of 1 metre, or 2 metres for those unmasked, with a 3 metre gap between the singers and the congregation.
In addition, during the pilot, the preacher on stage also counted towards the number of those unmasked. No need for a mask or faceshield while preaching.
3. Churches reopening will need to adopt TraceTogether soon
TraceTogether-only SafeEntry, where the TraceTogether App or Token is required for SafeEntry check-ins, will be enforced early next year. The implementation has been delayed as collection from Community Clubs or Centres continues to be rolled out across Singapore. Until TraceTogether-only SafeEntry is enforced, visitors to churches can still perform SafeEntry check-in via the TraceTogether App, SingPass Mobile, or QR reader apps, or use their identity cards with barcodes such as NRIC.
4. Up to 8 people allowed at social gatherings, home visits
Good news for smaller cell groups and after-service fellowship: From Dec 28, social gatherings will be allowed to have up to 8 people, up from the current 5. Households can also welcome up to 8 visitors at a time, also up from 5.
5. Changes to marriage solemnisations guidelines
For marriage solemnisations held in the home, in Phase 3, the hosting household will be able to invite up to 8 visitors – not counting members of the hosting household, the solemniser and vendors – even if this exceeds the existing cap of 10 persons.
In addition, marriage solemnisations in indoor venues, as well as funerals and funeral-related activities, will also be allowed to have live instrumental music (except for wind instruments) with the necessary safe management measures in place, the Health Ministry announced.
Some of these changes, including the increase to congregation sizes of 250 and live singing, have been piloted over the last few months by selected churches and other religious institutions. The Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth said it will release an advisory with more information of the new safe management measures later this week.
If the local COVID-19 situation remains stable, the Multi-Ministry Taskforce will consider allowing further resumption of activities, over the course of Phase 3, the Health Ministry added in its press statement.