Dear Immaculate Heart of Mary Families,

I am communicating with you today because there has been a confirmed case of COVID-19 at our parish. Medical privacy laws limit the information we are able to share, but I can tell you this individual was last in church on Thursday, October 22, 2020. The IHM Business Administrator immediately contacted the Minnesota Department of Health to report the case and we are working with their team to make sure we are doing all we can to limit the spread of the virus.  

MDH has directed that anyone with close contact to the person begin a voluntary 14 day quarantine. We are closely following their directives and have contacted eight parishioners we determined to have had prolonged contact with this individual. If you have not been contacted, you DO NOT need to do anything. In addition to the parishioners, I also had close contact and will be quarantining in the rectory for 14 days. To be clear, I DO NOT have COVID, but am following guidance from MDH because of my prolonged contact with a COVID positive individual. In my absence, daily Mass and weekend Masses will be celebrated by visiting priests. However, the Sunday, 12:30 p.m. parking lot Mass will be suspended for the next three weekends, resuming November 15^th. Reconciliation on Saturday morning will also be suspended until November 14^th.

IHM will continue to enforce the protocols of mask wearing, social distancing, hand washing and sanitizing surfaces frequently as directed by the MDH and the CDC. The current surge in cases throughout the state reminds us all to stay COVID prevention vigilant. We will continue to live stream Mass daily at 9:15 a.m., Saturday at 4:30 p.m. and Sunday at 8:30 a.m. to keep you connected to our parish community.
Let us together trust in Jesus, who throughout the ages in times of uncertainty and trial, never fails us.
Our Lady, Comfort of the Sick, pray for us!
Peace and every good,
Fr. John Bauer
 

Though three months have passed since the unrest in Minneapolis, the need has not stopped. We continue to be in close conversation with our partner organizations and accordingly update our list of most-needed items to reflect their communities' needs. Donate to ICA and we will distribute the appropriate items to each location.


 

Donation Drop-Off Site
ICA Food Shelf | 11588 K-Tel Drive | Minnetonka, MN 55343

Tuesdays from 12:00 - 2:00 pm
September 22; October 20; November 24

Saturdays 10:00 - 12:00 pm
September 26; October 24; November 28

We’ll also keep our website updated with any additional needs requested by the greater community. View the list here: icafoodshelf.org/current-needs

Volunteers Needed
Sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080e4aa8a62ca7fd0-community4

We need volunteers on each collection day as well volunteers to transport the items to our partner organizations. 

Note: We will be taking temperatures of all volunteers upon arrival. Volunteers must also wear masks during their shift. And, we will ensure that all logistics of the day include proper social-distancing.

Reopening Mass:
Welcome to Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church. We are excited to have you back! Here are a few procedures that will help keep you and those around you safe during Mass. Please be patient with each other as we learn these new procedures. Good humor, understanding, and patience will add to our joy as we welcome each other back.
 
Remember:
Please follow CDC recommendations regarding your own health. If you are at higher risk for severe illness according to the CDC we strongly encourage you to stay home and join us via live stream on Facebook at the 4:30pm Mass on Saturday, the 8:30am Mass on Sunday and the 9:15am Masses Monday through Friday or via the IHM website shortly after each Mass. We are encouraging you to stay home because we love and care for you!  If you are sick or symptomatic, taking care of someone who is ill, or living with a sick or symptomatic person you must stay home.  As a reminder, Archbishop Hebda has dispensed the obligation to attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation.  This is so that anyone who chooses not to attend Mass or is not able to attend Mass because of the novel coronavirus or for any reason may be serenely free.  We are continuing to consider other safer options for distribution of communion for those who are at greater risk or for other reasons will not be able to come to Mass.  Please pay attention to the website and e-mail blasts for further information. 
 
Before you arrive at Church:
We will celebrate public Masses at no more than twenty five percent of the capacity of our church. This means we can accommodate 50 households per Mass. One household includes only those people living under your roof.  If you have more than five people in your household, please sign up for two spaces.  Please sign up for a Mass on our “sign up genius” page which you can access through our website or by calling the parish office at (952) 935-1432.  Please, pay close attention to our website and email blasts as a Mass may be added if we fill up right away.
 
Please use the restroom before coming to Church. Our restrooms will be available only in case of emergency and will be cleaned before and after each Mass.  If you do need to use the restroom, please allow for only one household occupant at a time.  We will have signs by the doors to signify occupancy status.
 
Arrival at church:
Before you arrive for Mass, please wash your hands for 20 seconds with soap and water. Please remember to provide and wear a face covering. If you forget to bring a mask, we will have a limited supply available at the entrance of the Church.
 
Please park in the west parking lot and enter through the main entrance.  The east parking lot entrance will not be open. The Church doors will be open 20 minutes prior to the start of Mass to ensure time to sanitize and clean the church. This also allows us time to have the Ushers ready to serve you. Please remain in your vehicle until the Church doors have been unlocked and opened. As you approach Church please keep a six-foot distance from members of another household.
 
Please bring your own hand sanitizer to use during Mass. Ushers will spray sanitizer on your hands at the entrance of the Church.
 
In the Church, every third pew will be available for seating. Please note this important change: For now, each family will be seated by an usher who will be responsible for filling the Church beginning from the front and finishing in back. If proper social distancing can be maintained, you may be sharing a pew with another household. Ushers will be available to help.
 
If the seating in the Church becomes full for any reason, you may either return to your car and listen on your car radio at 98.3 FM, return for a later Mass, or watch live on Facebook. Our sign-up genius registration for Mass should help to eliminate this problem.  Ushers will be checking people in and asking those who have not registered to wait to see if a seat is available.
 
During Mass:
 
Please keep your face mask on for the duration of Mass. A collection will not be taken during the offertory, but a collection basket will be placed close to the entrance before and after Mass for your convenience.
 
We have been informed that singing expels significantly more droplets into the air and therefore increases the risk of spreading COVID-19. In response to this, the diocese has determined that it is best to temporarily suspend congregational singing; however, the cantor will still sing.
 
The cry room is an enclosed space that does not allow for social distancing and will be closed until further notice. Please continue to bring your families, our parishioners celebrate vocal children!
 
Especially during the pandemic, if you have not already, we strongly encourage you set up your donations through online giving. Online giving is dependable, safe, and of course much lower risk for possible transmission of COVID-19. Contact the parish office if you need help setting up your account for online giving.
 
There should be no physical contact between different households before, during, or after Mass. There will be no sign of peace, and we ask that you do not hold hands with members of different households during the Our Father. During the Communion Rite of the Mass, only Fr. John or a visiting priest will receive Communion. However, Holy Communion will be distributed immediately following the final blessing.
 
Reception of Holy Communion:
 
After the final blessing and dismissal please remain in your seat and kneel or be seated when Fr. John directs you. There will be two communion stations at the back of the Church near the baptismal font. Following the direction of the ushers, exit the pew heading toward the outer walls.  Approach the communion station, keeping 6 feet from members of different households.
 
Reception of Holy Communion will take place in this way:  Ushers will spray your hands with sanitizer before you approach the communion station.  Fr. John or the Eucharistic minister will hold up the host and say through their face mask, “The Body of Christ.” Please reply “Amen,” and then remove your face mask. Extend your hands at a distance with your hand flat and the other underneath it.  Please do not wear gloves as they are unbecoming of the Blessed Sacrament.  Receive communion.  After receiving,  please depart immediately.
 
Gluten free hosts will be available at the Communion stations for those who need them. You will not need to put a gluten free host out before Mass. Just let Father or the Communion minister know that you need a gluten free host when you approach them to receive Communion.
 
If a minister has touched the hand of a communicant, they will re-sanitize their hands before distributing to the next communicant.
 
The Archdiocese has said that communion should be received on the hand during this time.  If that is not possible for you, please contact Fr. John before Mass.
 
Departure:
 
Please do not linger outside the Church or in the parking lots. We know everyone is excited to be back and see each other, but we need to continue our social distancing efforts as we slowly re-open.
 
Let us continue to pray for one another in preparation for the day when COVID-19 is a far less threat and all of us can be reunited (physically) in prayer and worship.
 
We are greatly looking forward to seeing many of you again!

Weekly Bulletin Link