Information current as at 2:30 pm, 26 June 2021

This afternoon, the NSW Government has announced stay-at-home orders for the whole for the Greater Sydney area. These are in effect from 6:00 pm tonight until 11:59 pm on Friday 9 July.

As such, all Masses and other liturgical celebrations are cancelled, and the church is closed.

Provided these restrictions do not change, Mass will resume again on Saturday 10 July.

Thank you for your cooperation with these government requirements.

Celebrating Sunday at home

As parishioners cannot attend Mass, we have returned to providing our Celebration of the Word for God for use at home in its original, Sunday-specific format while stay-at-home orders are in place. Our resources for this Sunday are now available for you to use. 11:00 am Mass on Sundays is live streamed from St Patrick’s Cathedral via the Diocesan YouTube Channel. Mass for You At Home can be viewed on Channel 10 (Sunday 6:00 am), or on demand via 10play, YouTube, or the Mass for You at Home website.

Mass obligation

While restrictions remain in place, Bishop Vincent’s dispensation from the obligation to participate in Sunday Mass remains in place in the Diocese of Parramatta.

Information current as at 15 May 2021

Temporary COVID-19 restrictions introduced for last weekend were extended until 12:01 am on Monday 17 May. As such, for all Masses this weekend, the wearing of face masks remains mandatory, and singing by the assembly is not permitted.

Further details are provided in our previous COVID-19 update.

Thank you for your cooperation with these government requirements.

Celebrating Sunday at home

We continue to provide resources for people who wish, or need to celebrate at home instead of coming to Mass. Our resources for this Sunday are now available for you to use. 11:00 am Mass on Sundays is live streamed from St Patrick’s Cathedral via the Diocesan YouTube Channel.

Mass obligation

While restrictions remain in place, Bishop Vincent’s dispensation from the obligation to participate in Sunday Mass remains in place in the Diocese of Parramatta.

Information current as at 7 May 2021
This update reflects the temporary restrictions in place for the Greater Sydney region from 6 May – 9 May 2021.

Face masks must be worn

Singing by the assembly is not permitted

Resources for praying at home are still available

• read more and find links to resources

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More information

Face masks

Until 12:01 am on Monday 10 May, face masks must be worn at all indoor venues, including places of worship. As such, face masks must be worn by everyone attending Mass this weekend.

Singing

Until 12:01 am on Monday 10 May, singing by audiences at public events (eg concerts), or by congregants at a place of worship is not permitted.

Do not come to Mass if you are unwell, or display any symptoms of COVID-19. If you feel in any way unsure or anxious about coming to Mass, stay at home until you feel confident about returning. The obligation to participate in Mass remains suspended.

All other restrictions and procedures remain in place.

Celebrating Sunday at home

We continue to provide resources for people who wish, or need to celebrate at home instead of coming to Mass. Our resources for this Sunday are now available for you to use. 11:00 am Mass on Sundays is live streamed from St Patrick’s Cathedral via the Diocesan YouTube Channel.

Mass obligation

While restrictions remain in place, Bishop Vincent’s dispensation from the obligation to participate in Sunday Mass remains in place in the Diocese of Parramatta.

Information current as at 14 February 2021
This update reflects the easing of restrictions announced by the NSW Government, which took effect from 12 February 2021.

Mass attendance limited to 1 person per 2 square metres

• read more about attending Mass

Face masks are optional, but still encouraged

Resources for praying at home are still available

• read more and find links to resources

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More information

Mass attendance

The number of people allowed in the church is limited to a maximum of 1 person per 2 square metres. This increases the number of people who can come to Mass. Registration in advance for Sunday Mass is still necessary.

The wearing of face masks is still encouraged, but it is no longer a government requirement.

Do not come to Mass if you are unwell, or display any symptoms of COVID-19. If you feel in any way unsure or anxious about coming to Mass, stay at home until you feel confident about returning. The obligation to participate in Mass remains suspended.

Whenever you come to Mass, you must check in on the sheets provided in the parish centre. QR code registration is available as well, providing an additional level of assistance to NSW Health should contact tracing be necessary.

It remains the case that for the time being, only the designated music ministers may sing during Mass.

Celebrating Sunday at home

We continue to provide resources for people who wish, or need to celebrate at home instead of coming to Mass. Our resources for this Sunday are now available for you to use. 11:00 am Mass on Sundays is live streamed from St Patrick’s Cathedral via the Diocesan YouTube Channel.

Mass obligation

While restrictions remain in place, Bishop Vincent’s dispensation from the obligation to participate in Sunday Mass remains in place in the Diocese of Parramatta.

Information current as at 2 January 2021
This update reflects restrictions announced by the NSW Government today, which take effect from midnight.

Mass attendance limited to 100 people

• read more about attending Mass

Face masks must be worn inside the church and parish centre

Resources for praying at home are still available

• read more and find links to resources

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More information

Mass attendance

The number of people allowed in the church is limited to a maximum of 100 people. This will limit the number of people who can come to Mass. Registration in advance for Sunday Mass is essential – please do not come with registering, hoping there will be spaces available.

The wearing of face masks is now mandatory.

Do not come to Mass if you are unwell, or display any symptoms of COVID-19. If you feel in any way unsure or anxious about coming to Mass, stay at home until you feel confident about returning. The obligation to participate in Mass is currently suspended.

Whenever you come to Mass, you must check in on the sheets provided in the parish centre. QR code registration is available as well, providing an additional level of assistance to NSW Health should contact tracing be necessary.

Only the designated music ministers may sing during Mass.

Celebrating Sunday at home

We continue to provide resources for people who wish, or need to celebrate at home instead of coming to Mass. Our resources for this Sunday are now available for you to use. 11:00 am Mass on Sundays is live streamed from St Patrick’s Cathedral via the Diocesan YouTube Channel.

Mass obligation

While restrictions remain in place, Bishop Vincent’s dispensation from the obligation to participate in Sunday Mass remains in place in the Diocese of Parramatta.

Information current as at 23 December 2020

All Masses are booked out

• read more about attending Mass

Face masks should be worn inside the church and parish centre

Christmas resources for praying at home are available

• read more and find links to resources

Christmas Day is not a holy day of obligation in 2020

• read more about the suspension of obligation to participate in Mass

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More information

Mass attendance

The number of people allowed in the church has returned to the 1 person per 4 square metres rule. The tighter restrictions put in place earlier this week affects the number of people that can attend Masses for Christmas.

Only those who are already registered may attend the Christmas Masses. There are no remaining places available.

Do not come to Mass if you are unwell, or display any symptoms of COVID-19. If you feel in any way unsure or anxious about coming to Mass, stay at home until you feel confident about returning. The obligation to participate in Mass is currently suspended.

Everyone who comes to Mass is strongly recommended to wear a face mask.

Only the designated music ministers may sing during Mass.

Registration

Only those who are already registered may attend the Christmas Masses. There are no remaining places available.

Please do not come to the Church without registering, hoping there will be places available.

Whenever you come to Mass, you must check in on the sheets provided in the parish centre. QR code registration is available as well, providing an additional level of assistance to NSW Health should contact tracing be necessary.

Celebrating Christmas at home

We continue to provide resources for people who wish, or need to celebrate at home instead of coming to Mass. Our resources for Christmas are now available for you to use. Midnight Mass and 11:00 am Mass on Christmas Day will be live streamed from St Patrick’s Cathedral via the Diocesan YouTube Channel.

Mass obligation

While restrictions remain in place, Bishop Vincent’s dispensation from the obligation to participate in Sunday Mass remains in place in the Diocese of Parramatta. This same dispensation applies to Christmas Day. As such, Christmas Day this year is not a holy day of obligation in our Diocese.

Information current as at 12 December 2020

Mass attendance is restricted to the 1 person per 2 square metres rule

Registration in advance to attend Sunday Masses is essential

Registration in advance to attend weekday Masses is no longer required

The wearing of face masks is essential when singing

We are proudly COVID safe

Sunday Mass obligation remains suspended

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More information

Mass attendance

Mass attendance is now regulated according to the 1 person per 2 square metres rule. This means that, church and parish centre combined, more than 200 people can attend each Mass.

Everyone who comes to Mass is strongly recommended to wear a face mask. Wearing a face mask is required of all people who are singing (music ministers excluded).

Registration

You must register in advance to attend Sunday Mass. You can register here on our website, by phone, or if necessary, in person at the parish office.

Online registrations for Sunday Masses must be completed by midday on Friday.

Please do not come to the Church without registering, hoping there will be places available.

For weekday Masses, advance registration is no longer necessary. Please ensure that you register your attendance on arrival.

Whenever you come to Mass, you must record your attendance on the sheets provided in the parish centre. QR code registration is available as well, providing an additional level of assistance to NSW Health should contact tracing be necessary.

COVID Safe

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish is a COVID Safe Business, and has a COVID-19 Safety Plan. So that we can adhere to this plan, your cooperation with our directions when attending Mass is essential. Police and NSW Health officers are randomly visiting churches to inspect plans and ensure that people are complying with requirements. The COVID-19 Safety Plan is available to view in the parish centre.

The Parish must keep a record of name and contact details for all staff, volunteers, visitors and contractors who have visited the parish for a period of at least 28 days. This information will be stored securely and confidentially, and must be presented to authorised government officials on request.

Mass Obligation

While restrictions remain in place, the obligation to participate in Sunday Mass remains in place in the Diocese of Parramatta. Similarly, the Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord (Christmas Day; 25 December) will not be a day of obligation.

Information current as at 6 August 2020

Mass attendance is restricted to 100 people

Registration to attend is essential

The wearing of face masks is strongly recommended

We are proudly COVID safe

Sunday Mass obligation remains suspended

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More information

Mass attendance

Given the recent rise in outbreaks, the NSW Government has now restricted Mass attendance to 100 people, plus the priest and ministers.

Church doors will be locked once the maximum attendance is reached.

Everyone who comes to Mass is strongly recommended to wear a face mask, in accordance with NSW Health and Diocese of Parramatta advice.

When you come to Mass, there will now be separate tables for checking in, manual registration for Masses, and hand sanitising. This will hopefully reduce entry delays.

Registration

You must register in advance to attend Mass. You can register here on our website, by phone, or if necessary, in person at the parish office.

Online registrations for Sunday Masses must be completed by midday on Friday.

Please do not come to the Church without registering, hoping there will be places available.

COVID Safe

In accordance with government requirements, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish is a COVID Safe Business, and has a COVID-19 Safety Plan. So that we can adhere to this plan, your cooperation with our directions when attending Mass is essential. Police and NSW Health officers are randomly visiting churches to inspect plans and ensure that people are complying with requirements. The COVID-19 Safety Plan is available to view in the parish centre.

The Parish must keep a record of name and contact details for all staff, volunteers, visitors and contractors who have visited the parish for a period of at least 28 days. This information will be stored securely and confidentially, and must be presented to authorised government officials on request.

Mass Obligation

While restrictions remain in place, the obligation to participate in Sunday Mass remains in place in the Diocese of Parramatta. Similarly, the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (15 August) will not be a day of obligation.

Information current as at 25 July 2020

Mass attendance is restricted to 100 people

Registration to attend is essential

We are proudly COVID safe

Sunday Mass obligation remains suspended

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More information

Mass attendance

Given the recent rise in outbreaks, the NSW Government has now restricted Mass attendance to 100 people, plus the priest and ministers.

Church doors will be locked once the maximum attendance is reached.

When you come to Mass, there will now be separate tables for checking in, manual registration for Masses, and hand sanitising. This will hopefully reduce entry delays.

Registration

You must register in advance to attend Mass. You can register here on our website, by phone, or if necessary, in person at the parish office.

Online registrations for Sunday Masses must be completed by midday on Friday.

Please do not come to the Church without registering, hoping there will be places available.

COVID Safe

In accordance with government requirements, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish is a COVID Safe Business, and has a COVID-19 Safety Plan. So that we can adhere to this plan, your cooperation with our directions when attending Mass is essential. Police and NSW Health officers are randomly visiting churches to ensure that people are complying with requirements.

Mass Obligation

While restrictions remain in place, the obligation to participate in Sunday Mass remains in place in the Diocese of Parramatta. Similarly, the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (15 August) will not be a day of obligation.

Information current as at 31 May 2020

Dear Parishioners,

Thank you for your patience during the enforced closure of our parish church along with all other churches around Australia.

Permission has now been given for Mass to be celebrated in the church. From 1 June, the maximum number of participants is 50. This includes children, but does not include celebrant and ministers.

We plan to re-commence all Masses beginning with the 6:00 pm Mass on Saturday 6 June.

As a new initiative, we plan to open the church for private prayer from Tuesday to Friday mornings from early to 12 noon, commencing Tuesday 9 June.

If you would like to attend Mass or visit the Church for private prayer, please follow this procedure:

We can only re-open the church if we comply with the following Government protocols:

• You will need to book a day and time for attending Mass. You can book with the parish office preferably by completing this form, by telephone, or if not, in person. We need to have your contact details for two reasons: We need to let you know if you were successful in obtaining a place. Secondly, if someone does attend who proves to be infected with Covid-19 then health authorities will need to contact all those who were in attendance that day. ONCE THE PERMITTED NUMBER OF REGISTERED PEOPLE ARRIVE, THE DOORS WILL BE CLOSED. TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT, PLEASE DO NOT ARRIVE WITHOUT YOUR REGISTRATION BEING CONFIRMED WITH YOU BY THE PARISH OFFICE
  
• You need to maintain social distancing in the church. The exception is for families and household groups
  
• You may only seat in the spaces provided
  
• Hand sanitiser will be available and must be used
  
• Communion strictly only on the hand
  
• No Holy Water in the church, but Holy Water will be available for you to take home.

In addition, there are some extra aspects to take note of. We are now required to clean the church at least once a day, which will be an extra expense for the parish so please continue to support us financially.

Please do not attend if you are sick.

Sunday Mass obligation remains suspended for the time being.

Over time, there will likely be further changes to restrictions. We will endeavor to keep you informed with further developments.

Denis Andrew OCarm
Parish Priest