COVID-19

Last reviewed: Monday 4th January 2021

General Information

COVID-19 is a new illness that can affect your lungs and airways. It's caused by a type of virus called Coronavirus and is thought to be spread through human contact. The parish is following the guidance of our diocese, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales and the health authorities.

Services with a congregation present in church continue under the national "lockdown" effective 5th January 2021.

Despite being allowed to remain open we must be careful and extra vigilant. Please do not come to church if you or someone in your household has symptoms of COVID-19, sanitise your hands when you enter and leave, wear a face covering, practice social distancing and do not mingle with anyone outside of your household or support bubble. Please also do not feel obligated to come to church if you are supposed to be shielding, follow us online instead. Remember the obligation to attend Mass is currently remitted.

You can read the new government guidance for yourself at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/national-lockdown-stay-at-home.

All our services are live-streamed on the internet.

Please be assured of our prayers, pray for each other and our priests at this time, and be sure to follow us on social media or call us to keep in touch .

For further information and updates, please follow us using the social media links below. Our Lady, help of the sick; St Kentigern, pray for us.

National Information

Prayers

Parish Resources

For live-streams of Mass and other services from our parish, you can either watch on your PC/Phone/Tablet on the Facebook website or using the Facebook app using the link below, or if you do not have/want a Facebook account, or want to watch on your Smart TV at home, you can watch on YouTube.

We post all our video and audio content to YouTube for those without access to social media. Please subscribe to our channel and press the notification bell to receive a notification when new content is uploaded.

Diocese Links

Local Resources

For Children and Parents

Other resources worth watching or listening to

Read today's readings and Gospel passage for the   from Universalis.

Private prayer

In the Blackpool Deanery, church opening times can be found on the various parish websites, we have linked to them below. Please observe social distancing practices when you visit and follow any signs and instructions given to you by the stewards to ensure we all stay safe.

Confessions are available during private prayer times. Please come to church for the private prayer and ask the steward to contact the priest. We can use the benches, socially distanced, near the pear tree in the Garden, or if the weather is poor, we will use the Sacristy.

If you have any questions, or need further information or advice about your visit to church, please watch the below video or contact us.

Open for services with a congregation

We are open for Mass with a congregation on our normal schedule. All weekday services take place at St Kentigern's currently so we can maintain our weekday live-streaming service for those still unable to come to church. It is likely that this will remain the case until the pandemic passes. The Sunday 11:15 Mass at Christ the King resumed on 16th August 2020 and again on 6th December 2020 after the 2nd 'lockdown'.

These are the regulations which we need to follow during this time, they do not embrace the communal nature of our celebration of Holy Mass, however for the time being, they are necessary precautions that we need to observe.

Before you come to Church

  • If you or someone you live with are exhibiting any of the symptoms of COVID-19 (or other contagious illness), for the safety of others please do not attend any of the services in church.
  • Face coverings are required for those aged 11 and over unless you consider yourself to be in one of the government exempt groups. This is per the change in government policy effective 8th August 2020.
  • Please bring your own missal if you have one - there are no Mass Cards.

When you arrive

  • Sanitise your hands on the way in.
  • Give your contact details to the stewards. We are required by law to collect this information for the government "Test and Trace" scheme. This information will be kept securely and in confidence and destroyed once the pandemic passes. It will not be used for any other purpose.
  • Take a seat in one of the available rows. One household per pew/seats, or if you are in a household of one, then one person at each end of a single pew or take a single seat, ensuring social distance is observed. A steward will help you find an available seat if necessary.
  • If the church becomes full, we will sadly not be able to admit you for Mass. Please rest assured the obligation to attend Holy Mass on a Sunday is still remitted.

    • Ministries

    We ask that where possible the priests are not disturbed before Mass as they make their personal preparations, please see them after Mass if the enquiry can wait or speak to the Sacristan instead. Other than the Altar Servers, please avoid entering the Sacristy where possible to help keep the environment "COVID-Secure".

    You or your parent/carer must sign the live-streaming consent form.

    • Readers
      • Sanitise your hands on approaching and leaving the ambo.
      • The readings will be printed out and placed on the ambo so that you will not need to change pages.
      • Please try and avoid touching the microphone or the paper.
      • There are no Bidding Prayers.
      • You may remove your face covering whilst exercising your ministry.
    • Extra-Ordinary Ministers of the Eucharist
      • A single Extra-Ordinary Minister of the Eucharist is needed at each of the Sunday Masses. A rota is posted in the church entrance.
      • Extra-Ordinary Ministers of the Eucharist must wear a face covering at all times and sanitise their hands after receiving Communion themselves before distributing.
    • Altar Servers
      • For now we can only have 2 Servers or 2 "bubbles" due to social distancing on the Sanctuary and the Sacristy, as such it is necessary to operate a temporary rota.
      • Servers must always stay socially distanced from each other and the priests.
      • At St Kentigern's, please contact Paul Woodhouse via the Parish Office to be included on the rota. At Christ the King, please contact Anne Cowan.
      • We prefer (but not require) that Servers aged under 11 wear an appropriate face-covering.

    During the Mass

    • There will be no singing during Mass per the current restrictions imposed by the Bishops and HM Government.
    • There is no offertory procession. The bread and wine will be on the Credence Table before Mass.
    • There is no collection at the offertory (see below).
    • After the Prayer and response "Behold the Lamb of God... Lord I am not worthy...", the priest will hold the Host aloft and say "The Body of Christ" and the people are to respond "Amen" he will do the same with the chalice, "The Blood of Christ" and the people respond "Amen". The priest will then make an Act of Spiritual Communion for those still isolating and attending Mass via the internet.
    • We are operating a one way, socially distanced route for Holy Communion and this will be explained before the Communion procession at each Mass.
    • The distribution of Holy Communion will take place in silence and is to be taken in the hand only. Please stay in your seats until one of the stewards indicates that you can go to communion.

    After Mass

    • Please do not linger in the church after Mass and leave either by the way you came in or by the Layton door by the Sacred Heart Chapel if you can manage the steps.
    • Leave your weekly offering in the basket in the porch. It is however preferable to make your weekly offering by standing order. Details are on the website homepage.

    If you are still unable to come to church you can continue to participate with our live-streamed services on the Parish YouTube and Parish Facebook page and join in the conversations on our various social media channels.

    Please be assured that live-streaming will continue long-term for the benefit of those still unable to attend for health reasons.