New opportunity!

Dear Parishioners,

I have some exciting news for you. We have been given permission to say Mass for you under very strict guidelines and so we will be attempting to make that available to you, sticking to those guidelines. Those conditions are very simple: we need to have 9 or fewer at each Mass, the proper distancing needs to be respected inside church, and those who attend must be healthy and not at inordinate risk for the effects of coronovirus. Here at St. Marys we are easily able to respect these guidelines so we are going to make an attempt to open up Masses for those who want and are able. Please remember that there is no obligation of any sort and this is simply offering an option for those who wish to do so and who are not at inordinate risk for the effects of the coronavirus. For me, though, I do not feel I can let an opportunity to bring God to you go by, so I want to make this attempt.

The way we will do this will be the following. Please contact the parish office by phone (608-496-1058) or email (info@saintmaryplatteville.com) and ask the secretary or myself to be included on the list for Masses. If you have a preferred day, we will attempt to get you in that day but cannot guarantee anything. We will confirm what day and time you will be on the list for Mass. Many days will fill up fast. Please also let us know if you want to be on the list on a recurring basis. We will attempt to get you in as we can but first-time takers will have preference over those who have already had a chance to go.

Once we have a list of 8 people (8 people + 1 priest = 9 total) for a certain Mass on a certain day, that list will be closed. I will have the list for each Mass and will let the people on the list in church. Once those who are on the list for that Mass are there, the doors will be locked and no others will be allowed to enter. Please do not be late, it could occur that the church doors are locked and you miss out. 

Quite honestly, it feels strange to offer Mass in this way and I know it is not ideal. But it is all we can do in these circumstances and this adheres perfectly to both diocesan and state guidelines.

This is far from "opening up" but it is a tiny step in that direction. 

Please note that the schedule of Masses at St. Mary's will be the following:

Mon-Fri: 8:00 am

Sat: 8:00 am (English) and 4:00 pm

Sun: 9:00 am, 10:30 am, and noon (Hispanic)

Confessions will then be:

Mon-Fri: 7:15 - 7:50 am

Sat: 7:15 - 7:50 am, 3:00 - 3:50pm

Sun: 8:00 - 8:50 am

Fr. John (the other) will be doing something similar at St. Augustine so you have a chance there, too. If I see we have many people for daily Mass, I would consider having a second Mass daily during the week, but let's start like this.

We will still be recording the 9:00 am Mass on Sundays and posting it online for everyone. 

God bless!

Fr. John Blewett