Important Worship Changes
Important Worship Changes from Christ Church Cathedral, Houston on Vimeo.
Important Worship Changes
As COVID levels in our community decease and vaccination rates increase, Bishop Doyle has announced guidelines for slowly and carefully transitioning back toward our customary, pre-pandemic worship and fellowship. As a result, I’m pleased to announce some adaptations that will take effect this weekend with Easter:
- While still maintaining physical distance and wearing masks, we will increase our worship registration limit from 60 to 120 worshipers. This is still below 25% capacity in our worship space.
- While still wearing masks, we will re-introduce congregational singing of hymns and service music.
- We will return the kneelers and Prayer Books to the pews. (The entire worship service will continue to be printed in the service leaflet.)
- The altar party will process in and out of worship down the center aisle.
- We have entered a period in which parishioners are increasingly fully-vaccinated. For clarity’s sake, “fully-vaccinated” means two weeks have elapsed since one’s final vaccination shot. If fully-vaccinated adult parishioners who don’t live in the same household wish to sit together, non-physically distanced, they must arrive together at the registration table and report that they are a “pod.” In that case, and if seating allows, they will be seated together. Note: If you do not approach the registration table together, we cannot guarantee that you will be seated together.
Fully-vaccinated people and those at otherwise low risk of COVID-19 are encouraged to come to church in-person. If you have concerns about your health or safety, or the health and safety of the people in your household, you are encouraged to consider continuing to worship with the Cathedral from home, through our livestreamed worship. We love you and want you to do what is best for you and those you love!
We plan to make additional adjustments to worship and fellowship as we move through the Easter season. In the coming weeks, the choral ensemble leading our worship music will increase in size. Our childcare center will reopen. We will host outdoor fellowship events, including our spring Neighborhood Gatherings and May Fete. All the while, we will be prudent and careful, taking our cues from the best medical advice and our Bishop. And, of course, if community conditions take an unexpected turn for the worse, we may revise some of these plans.
I know that you share in my joy that our community is slowly but surely returning to health. Blessed Holy Week to you. I look forward to our celebration of Easter!
Grace and peace,
The Very Reverend Barkley Thompson,
Dean
Every Member Canvass
If you have yet to make a pledge commitment for 2021 but are planning to financially support Christ Church Cathedral this year, please know that there is still time to make your pledge online, over the phone, or via email. We are so grateful for the continued support of the Cathedral’s mission in the year ahead!
Ways to make your pledge:
- Pledging online is easy.
- Return the pledge card you received by mail to 1117 Texas Ave, Houston, TX 77002.
- Make a pledge over the phone at 713-590-3338 or by email by contacting Karen Kraycirik, minister for stewardship.
- Go online to make an electronic payment via credit or debit card. You can also set up recurring payments via this form.
- Donate using PayPal via the Cathedral’s website: christchurchcathedral.org/give/
- Text the word “Give” to 888-998-1634
- Send a check to the Cathedral address: 1117 Texas Street, Houston, TX, 77002.
- Make a gift of stock or securities, using our stock donation instructions.
Learn more about this year’s EMC at: christchurchcathedral.org/emc
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