Dear Parishioners of St. Charles Borromeo,

We are 8 weeks into a worldwide tragedy were the lives of every human being on this planet has been changed dramatically. The suffering and crisis are truly catastrophic. The Church throughout the world continues to give the dispensation from attending mass to all of every age and condition. But at the same time, we have the opportunity to come together as a community and celebrate God's gift of Himself in Holy Communion. To this end, we will start Masses May 23, with limited attendance. We must keep in mind that opening the churches for Mass does not signal the ‘end’ of this contagious pandemic. Everyone's vigilance with proper distancing, hygiene, and other measures is necessary whenever we gather.

Below is the list of instruction that must be adhered to for us to begin the initial steps for returning to worship together:

• Vulnerable individuals, those 65 and alder or with underlying health conditions, should continue to shelter in place. Families with vulnerable individuals are encouraged to continue to take special precautions. 
• Those who are illness-free may return to Mass on Sundays in numbers that can be suitably arranged in the church while allowing for 6 FEET of physical distance between individuals or family groups who live in the safe household or who already gather together. 
• At the time we can safely allow 32 family groups or units to attend each mass.
• Because of this limited capacity, please call the office to bet us know the Mass you would like to attend. We would like to avoid turning people away because we have reached our maximum capacity. 
• Please sit in the assigned area designated for the mass you are attending.
• Bring a mask with you to wear during mass.
• Bring hand sanitizer to sanitize your hands before communion.
• All ushers, altar servers, and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion must wear masks.
• We ask that all personal items be left in your vehicle or at home.
• Parishioners are to keep appropriate physical distance between them as they leave the church and return to their cars. There should be no groups gathering before or after Mass.
• Before someone who has had the virus returns to participation at Mass, they should have had 14 days without symptoms or 2 negative tests.

FOR THIS TO BE POSSIBLE WE NEED HELP!!!
Our goal is to return to public worship while adhering to guidelines set forth by the Diocese of Biloxi and the state. Because of the intensity of the cleaning necessary to ensure the safety of our parishioners, we will need lots of nonvulnerable volunteers who can commit to helping with the cleaning and sanitizing of pews and seats after the 4:00pm Mass and Saturday and after the 5:00pm Mass on Sunday. Please call the office if you can make this commitment.