Statement from Staff Team
Re: Covid-19 & Parish Activities
Dear Parishioners
As parish staff team we have been working hard to ensure that our response to the Corona Virus is both sensible and pastoral.
Services this Sunday
9.30 am – Holy Communion in St. Peters Church Carrigrohane
11am – St. Senan’s Church – Reflective Service
Our Associate Minister Robert & Michael Kenning will be experimenting with a live stream from the Carraig Centre in Ballincollig which will begin at 11am during which we will have a contemporary service of the Word. Do check out www.cupcork.ie/hall for more details. This will be online only!
Other things going ahead this week
11am Tuesday 17th March St. Patricks Day – Holy Communion in Blarney Church.
Wednesday 18th March – Gatherings in all our churches for prayer & fasting
DETAILS
Please read on for more information
Bishop Paul yesterday circulated a pastoral letter based upon the current advice from HSE and to which we have points to implement locally. As a parish we have been carefully considering all points in this letter together with our own risk assessments. What follows are our decisions based upon both
Church of Ireland Bishops General Advice – available here
Bishop Paul’s Pastoral Advice – available here.
In light of the news that all indoor gatherings above 100 people are to be suspended, that schools etc are to be closed we as a parish leadership team are being cautious about what we are providing during this period of time.
While most of our services attract a much lower number of participants than this 100 limit – we have identified a potential risk when it comes to suitable ‘social distancing’ in some of our activities prompting some unfortunate but necessary cancellations.
Social distancing aims, through a variety of means, to decrease or interrupt the spread of COVID-19. It does this by minimising contact between potentially infected individuals and healthy individuals. Social distancing is keeping a 2m (6ft) space between you and other people. You should not shake hands or make close contact where possible.
We are treading a line between ministry being provided and also the risk to participants being minimised.
Therefore we are still planning on gathering in some of our churches this sunday – all of which will have sufficient hand hygiene solutions whether this be hand sanitizer and/or washing facilities. We would also want to ensure that parishioners are enabled to make sensible decisions especially if you fall into one of the vulnerable groups. If this applies to you please consider the risk and make your own decisions about attendance.
We would also encourage you If you are displaying the symptoms please do not come to church – it is important that we care for one another during this difficult time.
This information will be reviewed on a weekly basis – please do watch our website for details.
Services this Sunday
9.30 am – Holy Communion in St. Peters Church Carrigrohane
11am – St. Senan’s Church – Reflective Service
Our Associate Minister Robert will be experimenting with a live stream from the Carraig Centre in Ballincollig which will begin at 11am during which we will have a contemporary service of the Word. Do check out www.cupcork.ie/hall for more details. this will be on online only
Other things going ahead this week
11am Tuesday 17th March St. Patricks Day – Holy Communion in Blarney Church.
Wednesday 18th March – Gatherings in all our churches for prayer & fasting – Please see attachment
Cancellations this week and until further notice
- Sunday – Sunday AM – usually held in the parish centre, Lighthouse Messy Church, Sunday PM
- Monday – St. Patrick’s eve Concert in Blarney church
- Friday – Sparks Toddler group and April Gunn’s meal in Blarney.
- Glow, Glow MAX
- Bandon Youth Trip – Cheques and cash will be returned in due course
- YMCA have cancelled their activities in Blarney Church.
Online Meetings
We do have the facilities available for on-line meetings to happen if this is required by any of our groups
Groups
Leaders of Each of the groups in the parish will need make their own decisions about the risks involved – but the advice from the clergy team is not to meet due to the risks of social distancing or to use online meetings
What’s still going ahead & what’s changing & why
| What’s been cancelled | What’s Still happening | Why cancel ? | Why go ahead? | |
| Friday 13th March | Toddlers | Risk assessment with Team Leaders | ||
| Sunday 15th March | Sunday AM Lighthouse Messy Church Sunday PM | 9.30 Holy Communion (St. Peter’s) 11am – Reflective Service in Inniscarra 11am – Experiment of an Online Service of the Word live from the Carraig Centre (online only) | Uncertain numbers and risk assessment of social distancing – Sunday AM in parish centre Hands on nature of Lighthouse and kids risk groups | St. Peters & Inniscarra Good Hygiene, low risk of hand contact & social distancing for both St. Peter’s and St. Senan’s Low numbers normal |
| Monday 16th March | Community Choir Concert | Numbers >100 | ||
| Tuesday 17th March | 11am Blarney Church St. Patricks day Service | Good Hygiene potential, social distancing potential | ||
| Wednesday 18th March | YMCA groups | Prayer & Fasting in the parish | Schools are off | Good Hygiene potential, social distancing potential |
| Friday 20th March | April Gunn’s Fundraising Meal Toddlers | Potential of vulnerable groups being present and also social distance potential. |
We will make a statement for the following week next Friday Morning.
Until then please do keep an eye on our website and social media for updates and also possible online meetings
In all of this please be sensible and be calm
This morning we received this and has helped clarify why we are cancelling Sunday AM, Lighthouse and Toddler groups.
Message from consultant respiratory paediatrician at Cork University Hospital.
I hope you all stay safe during this difficult time . The children will get through this no problem . Paediatric hospitals are empty in Italy at present after 3 weeks of school closure as the usual viruses stopped circulating . Remember with corona, children are vectors not victims . In most epidemics young children are the transmitters . Therefore for school closure to be effective it’s *really important* that the kids aren’t mixing with other kids while out of school. They will give it to each other and silently pass it on to our loved ones. What we do know now will contribute to how this develops in Cork. Avoid situations that the children will interact . If the community respond to this it will shut it down more than anything we do in hospital . From my experiences in the hospital this last week I would say that corona virus is closer to all of us than we realise and the degrees of separation for all of us is getting narrower . I’m not that good at social media but if this could be shared as widely as possible with parents in Cork it will help. This message needs to go viral to stop the virus .
If we as clergy can provide pastoral support please do let us know.
Ian, Robert, Matt & Katie.