Bishop Kalumba reopens Churches

Rt. Rev. Valentine Kalumba, OMI, has lifted the ban on Public Mass gatherings, imposed in the Diocese on 28th March, 2020. This means that, on 31st May 2020, Pentecost Sunday, the faithful in the Diocese will be allowed, for the first time, since March, to go to church, for the celebration of Mass. 

Rt. Rev. Valentine Kalumba, OMI – Bishop of Livingstone

The Bishop reminds the Church in Livingstone, through a Memo that, “Liturgical and Sanitary preparations in readiness for Sunday worship should start immediately”. 

The reopening of Churches comes with strict health and pastoral guidelines, to be observed by all in the Diocese of Livingstone.

Below are the details of the Memo, from the Bishop of Livingstone,  on the reopening Churches in the Catholic Diocese of Livingstone.

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On 14th March, 2020, I wrote to you and shared measures we needed to take in our diocese to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease. Further, on 28th March, 2020, I communicated to you the suspension of public celebrations of the Holy Mass following the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops communique. I hereby lift the aforementioned suspension and announce the resumption of public celebrations of Sunday and Weekday Masses in Parishes of Livingstone Diocese, with effect from Pentecost Sunday, 31st May, 2020. Liturgical and Sanitary preparations in readiness for Sunday worship should start immediately. 

The following measures shall be implemented in all parishes:

  1. Celebration of each Mass shall be done within an hour.
  2. Social distance shall be observed in sitting arrangements.
  3. All parishioners shall wear masks.
  4. The number of people at Mass shall be determined by the size of the Church.
  5. Parish Priests shall consider increasing the number of Masses, depending on the population of the parish; open air Masses and Saturday anticipatory Masses are available options.
  6. Hand hygiene facilities in the form of soap and clean running water or alcohol-based hand sanitisers shall be provided by the Parish, and general health and hygiene standards shall be sustained around the parish.
  7. Communion shall be received on the palms.
  8. There shall be no physical handshake during the Sign of Peace; a wave or bow would be appropriate.
  9. Funeral and Wedding Masses shall be celebrated observing the measures above, and the Parish Priest shall determine how many people are allowed into the Church.

Let us continue praying for the containment of the coronavirus disease 2019, for the souls lost to the pandemic and for patients across the world who are suffering from this scourge.