~ Please join us for Sunday Worship ~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
9 am - Holy Eucharist Rite II - outdoors
(weather permitting)
10 am - Holy Eucharist Rite II - indoors
10 am service is livestreamed on
our Facebook page at
https://www.facebook.com/stfrancisfields/
and
the St. Francis YouTube channel
Re-Opening St. Francis: Next Steps
Dear St. Francis Family and Friends,Over the last year, the COVID Safety Task Force ("CSTF") of St. Francis carefully guided our parish through the "ups and downs" of this pandemic. Thanks to their watchful leadership, we have maintained the health and safety of our faith community while continuing to engage in worship, study and fellowship, whether that occured separately or together. Now we come to a long-awaited time in this saga when we begin to move toward full re-opening. Although the guidelines for opening outlined below are generous, there will still be some limitations and restrictions, particularly for the safety of those who have not received the vaccine. I ask your patience as we continue to work through these final months.
I also want to thank the members of the CSTF who have been so faithful in their work, and have helped us arrive at this point in our return to gathered community: Diane Faison, Jane Brooks, Sue Lenkaitis, Sherri Lewis, Earl Needhammer, Joe Perry, Connie Scanga, John Stearns, Shirley Warren, & Grace Wingfield.
If you have any questions, please feel free to call or email for clarification. Blessings to all, and I hope to see you soon!
Fr. Kevin+
May 30, 2021
Updated COVID-19 Protocols - effective June 6, 2021
The following updates to our parish COVID-19 protocols are based on current CDC recommendations and in accordance with guidelines from the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania:Indoor Worship
• No limit on indoor attendance capacity.
• Registration is no longer required.
• Congregational singing, including the choir, is permitted.
• Masking for fully vaccinated persons is optional.
• Continued respectful distancing from others is encouraged.
• Worship leaders (e.g., readers, singers) are required to be fully vaccinated.**
• Social-distancing and masking are requested of unvaccinated persons.**
• Unvaccinated adults and families with unvaccinated young adults and children are asked to practice appropriate social distancing or attend outdoor services.**
• Indoor services will continue to be streamed to Facebook and YouTube.
Outdoor Worship
• All prior COVID restrictions and protocols on outdoor worship have been rescinded.
Study and Fellowship (Indoors or Outdoors)
• In-person fellowship is permitted with no capacity limit or pre-registration.
• Serving arrangements will be managed as appropriate to the event.
• Social-distancing and masking are requested of unvaccinated persons.**
At all times, we ask that care and concern be shown toward others who are present for worship. Those who feel sick are asked to remain at home, attend virtually, and seek medical care if necessary. Those who are eligible and choose to remain unvaccinated are asked to especially consider the weak and vulnerable among us, taking all necessary precautions to reduce the potential spread of infection.
** Note: It is the position of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania and the Clergy and Lay Leadership of St. Francis-in-the-Fields that the three primary COVID-19 vaccines available in the United States (Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson) are safe and effective at reducing both the severity and spread of COVID-19. We encourage all eligible, unvaccinated members of St. Francis to consult their physician about receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.
