Our Lady of Lourdes

Because we have to comply with the government in that we have to keep occupancy down to 25%, we are only allowed to have 100 parishioners in the church at each Mass. Unfortunately, this means that some people who come to Mass will not be allowed in the church. We will continue to livestream our 10 AM Sunday Mass for the foreseeable future. This is the preferred method of keeping in spiritual communion with each other for those who are 65 or older or are vulnerable due to health.

1. Parking will begin 1 hour before the 4:30 & 8:00 Masses, and only 30 minutes before the 10 AM Mass.  Use the WEST driveway only (other entrances will be blocked)!  There will be a “Check-In” attendant to count people and direct you upon entering the parking lot. Please let him know the number in your party, and if you need handicapped parking.  The porte-cochere drive will not be utilized for those who can walk on their own power.
    
2. Once parked, you will remain in your car until called forth from another usher.

3. Follow instructions of both outside and inside ushers, please!  Be patient and understanding with your fellow parishioners who have volunteered to help.  Cardinal DiNardo writes, “I ask that you be patient and cooperative with your priests and parishes as they work to provide for your spiritual needs while taking the necessary precautions to protect you and the common good.”

4. Bring, and wear, a mask that covers both your nose and your mouth.
    
5. Remember to greet your fellow parishioners verbally from a distance only!  Do not hug or shake hands as you are accustomed to doing.
    
6. Please carry your offering with you when entering the church; a basket will be available by the baptismal font in which you can drop your offering.
    
7. All Catholics (in good standing) will be eligible to receive Communion!  If you haven’t yet done so, please read Fr. David’s letter of May 1, 2020, with specifics on how to properly receive Communion at this time.
    
8. Upon being blessed and dismissed from Mass, please follow usher instructions to leave in an orderly and timely fashion. (We must diligently sanitize the Church after each Mass.) Again, resist the natural urge to linger and hug!
    

Please use common sense and wise judgment in making decisions to better the faith life of your family during this time of uncertainty.
 
Also see the short instructional video, “Pandemic Parking” here.
 
Thank you for abiding by these necessary instructions.

Fr. David will be live-streaming Sunday Mass so that we can still worship even though we are not having public Masses. You can see this on Facebook or here. He plans to do this each Sunday for the duration.

Thank you all for your continued support of your parish. It is greatly appreciated.

We would encourage you to mail in your contributions (so as to limit walk-in traffic at the parish office) or to use Online Giving.

Greetings to you all. I hope this note finds you well and safe given the current situation of the Coronavirus Pandemic.

I want to pass along to everyone some directives received from the Archdiocese this afternoon about how we should move forward with liturgies and other parish activities given the requirements of the federal and local government health officials. 

Here are a few things we are called to do:
Starting tomorrow, Wednesday 3/18/2020

• Until further notice, There are to be no public celebrations of liturgies or devotions.
  • So at this time, out of concern for the safety of the faithful, no public Masses will be held. I will continue to say Mass alone, daily, so as to provide for the Mass intention.
  • Adoration has been suspended until further notice also.
  • The Stations of the Cross are also cancelled for the rest of Lent.
  • I will provide for normal Confession times – however, we will need to be out in the main of the church and not in the confessional to provide for safe distancing.
  • We will keep the church open during office hours for people to pray.
• No Funeral Masses are allowed to be celebrated.
• Distribution of Communion to the sick will only be possible as Viaticum.

At this time we have cancelled any ongoing meetings. The Ignite receptions, as well as any other gathering, will need to be postponed to a later date.

This is all very disturbing and concerning for faithful ears. Please know that Cardinal DiNardo realizes this, but through his consultation with health officials, deemed it necessary for the safety of God's people and for all we meet.

Please continue to pray for the terrible situation. Pray for those who have contracted the virus and for the souls of those who have died from it.

This will more than likely affect our Bazaar and other fundraising events. Pray the Virus Away!

Should you have any questions please feel free to call the office. I will keep you informed with any additions or changes to these directives.

God Bless you                         
Our Lady of Lourdes – Pray For Us!
Peace and All Good
Fr David

CMG Safe Haven Training
 
The CMG Safe Haven online training is replacing the Virtus training. The training consists of three training videos and will include a criminal background check that must be completed. The Archdiocese will no longer offer live training. All training will only be available online.
 
The Archdiocese requires all volunteers in ANY capacity to have training and a background check. This includes members of clubs/organizations who do anything on our property, even if you aren’t working with or around children.
 
You must complete this prior to the start of volunteer service. Even if you are not currently volunteering, please go ahead and do this, so that in the future, you won’t be excluded from something you might want to do.

The online training is simple. There are three videos, each is about 30 minutes in length. After each video, there are a few questions to answer about the video. Then there are a few documents to read, and a link for each document that you must click to say that you have read it. The last step is a background check. Please be sure that your name on the website matches your driver’s license.

Your 5-year anniversary date is still in place. Individuals who attended VIRTUS will not need to complete refresher training until they have met their 5-year anniversary date. There is no longer a year’s grace period after the 5-year anniversary date. You’ll be able to do the refresher training 60 days prior to your 5-year anniversary date.

To check your status, please go to the website at the bottom of this article. To log in, use your previous Virtus user ID. Your new password is 1234. Once you log in, you should change your password.

If you don’t remember your user ID, DO NOT open another account. Please email Paige Persad at the parish office at ppersad@ololchurch.org for assistance.
 
http://galvestonhouston.cmgconnect.org
 
 

Our Lady of Lourdes
Parish Mission Statement:
"We are a people formed by God,
willing to serve each other in His name."

Parish Office Hours:
Monday - Thursday
8:30 am - 4:00 pm

Friday
8:30 am - 12:00 pm

Parish Office Phone Numbers:
409-925-3579
409-925-5094 (fax)

Address:
10114 Highway 6
Hitchcock, TX 77563
 

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