IMPORTANT UPDATE
MAY 12, 2020

Dear Parishioners of OLOL:

As we resume the public celebration of the Mass, you will observe some differences which have been implemented in order to assist with social distancing and comply with various guidelines we have received.  Please read this letter carefully so that you will know what to expect.

1. BUILDING CAPACITY: we are limited to 25% of the capacity of the building.  This means in practice that a total of 187 persons can be present in the building during the celebration of Mass.  After that capacity limit is reached, others will have to wait outside the church (we have outdoor speakers, so you should be able to at least hear the Mass).  When the distribution of Holy Communion begins, those who waited outside will be able to join the lines in order to receive Communion.
2. ENTERING THE CHURCH: in order to keep track of the capacity limit of 187 persons, you will need to enter the building through the main doors of the narthex.  These are the large wooden doors which face St. Bernadette Hall.  Other doors (the chapel doors and the side doors of the narthex) will NOT be available as entrances.  This is so that an usher can accurately count the number of persons entering the building for Mass.  You may EXIT the church through any/all of the doors, however, only the main doors will be open for entry.
3. PEWS: every other pew has been blocked off.  Do not sit in any of the pews which are blocked off.  Only family members may sit close together in the pews.  Others should try to keep the appropriate distance from their neighbors.
4. HOLY COMMUNION: the distribution of Communion has been temporarily moved to the end of Mass, following the closing prayer, blessing, and dismissal.  After you receive Holy Communion, you may then immediately leave the building. This was done for two principal reasons: 1) to minimize any crowding in the narthex or at the doors as people leave the building; and 2) to enable the priest and extraordinary ministers to wash their hands immediately after distributing Communion, while touching as few other objects as possible.
5. COMMUNION LINES: there will be only three (3) lines for Communion — one in the center aisle and one on each of the two side aisles.  The second line in the center aisle has been eliminated in order to assist with social distancing.  You will also see yellow tape markers on the floor — these are at 6-feet intervals.  Please use these as a guide to maintain the appropriate social distance while standing in the Communion line.  Maintain the 6-feet interval while waiting to receive Holy Communion.
6. ENTRANCE AND OFFERTORY PROCESSIONS:  for the time being, there will be NO entrance or offertory processions.  Baskets will not passed for the collection.  Instead, please leave your offering in one of the baskets placed throughout the church — at the doors to the chapel on either side of the sanctuary, as well as at the statues of St. Michael the Archangel and St. Therese and on the gift table.
7. SIGN OF PEACE: there will be no exchange of the Sign of Peace.
8. MASKS: the wearing of a mask during Mass is not required, however, it is certainly strongly encouraged and allowed.  If you want to wear a mask, please do so.
9. MISSALETTES: books, missalettes, and other worship aids will NOT be available.  As these cannot be cleaned and sanitized, we have followed the strong recommendation that they be removed until the danger of contagion is significantly lessened.
10. SOCIALIZING: please do not linger in the narthex or anywhere else in the building in order to visit with friends and acquaintances.  When you enter the building, please immediately go and be seated.  After you have received Holy Communion, either leave the building immediately or return to a pew to pray.  I know that you’ve missed your friends from church, but until the current danger passes people simply CANNOT gather in groups of any size inside the building to visit with one another.
11. FAMILY ROOM: this is a small, enclosed space and has been closed and locked for the duration of the restrictions under which the parish must operate.
12. WATER FOUNTAINS: the water fountains have been disabled and covered in accordance with CDC and DHEC guidelines.
13. RESTROOMS: the only restrooms available are the main ones in the narthex.  All other restrooms in the church are closed.  Please use the restroom only if absolutely necessary.
14. HAND SANITIZER: a limited amount of hand sanitizer is available as you enter.  However, you know as well as I do how impossible it is to find supplies of hand sanitizer.  Use it if you wish, but please do not waste it.  

SOME FINAL REMINDERS

    * The dispensation from the obligation to attend Mass on Sundays remains in effect until otherwise announced.  If you are uncomfortable being in a crowd at this time or if you should not be in a crowd at this time (due to age or an underlying medical condition), you are NOT obliged to attend Mass.  No sin is committed by anyone who chooses not to come to Mass until the dispensation is lifted.
IF YOU ARE SICK, ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE A FEVER OR COUGH, DO NOT COME TO CHURCH.

    * Masses will continue to be live-streamed on Facebook and posted afterward on YouTube until the dispensation has been lifted.

    * General Absolution will be offered at the beginning of Mass through the weekend of Pentecost (May 31).  Individual confessions will resume after June 1.

    * While we are resuming Mass and other public celebrations (baptisms, funerals, etc.), all other parish activities (religious education classes, youth group, Bible studies, prayer groups, organization meetings, social events, etc.) remain suspended until further notice.

May God bless you all,

Fr. Tebalt

     Like many people, when all this Coronavirus business first began to be the biggest news around, I assumed a lot of it was media hype.  After all, that's what the media is in the business of doing -- creating interest to fuel ratings to increase advertising dollars, etc.  As things progressed, it began to look like some cancellations and closures would be happening.  Closing schools?  Makes sense.  Dispensing people from their obligation to attend on Sunday if in danger of severe complications from Coronavirus?  Makes sense.  Absolutely.  Making other minor changes (the holy water, the sign of peace, the offertory baskets, the hand sanitizer, etc.)?  Yep, I was down with all that.  But cancelling public celebrations of the Sacraments, especially Sunday Mass? I was most definitely not down with that.  Just issue a blanket dispensation, I thought.  That would be enough -- then those who didn't want to come wouldn't have to, and those who wanted to come would be able to.  That's enough, I thought.

     But then, this past Monday evening, it happened:  the Bishop directed the cancellation of everything, including Sunday Mass, for the next two weeks.  Many accepted the announcement with equanimity.  Some folks were saddened (legitimately so) at not having access to the Mass.  A few folks got aggravated -- I heard from some of them.  Well, maybe it was from my beloved years in the U.S. Army, but I never see the point in fussing or getting upset when the boss makes a decision and issues an order.  You get your orders.  You carry them out.  Negativity and nay-saying are not good for morale in the midst of a crisis or a battle (whether physical or spiritual), especially when the negativity is not grounded in facts or ignores reality.

     You know, if you've been here at OLOL even a little bit of time, that I love history and am always looking back in history to understand the present, to understand how things came to be the way they are, and how that applies to us now.  So I started poking around, as I am wont to do.  So the first question I had was "Is the closing of churches and suspension of the public celebration of Sacraments unprecedented?"  It didn't take long to find an answer to that question -- the answer is no, it is not unprecedented.  One example is that of St. Charles Borromeo (Bishop and Doctor of the Church), who served as Archbishop of Milan from 1564 to 1584.  He shuttered the churches during an outbreak of the plague in Milan.  But heavens, that was almost 500 years ago and all the way in Italy.  What about something in America -- surely it has never happened here?

     Actually, it has, and not just in America, but right here in South Carolina, during the 1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic.  In Spring 1918, the Spanish Flu arrived in South Carolina with soldiers returning from World War I in Europe.  In the spring of that year, it started as mild flu, which returned in the autumn in a more virulent form.  In mid-October 1918, Camp Jackson (now Fort Jackson) in Columbia reported 39 cases.  About six weeks later, at the end of November, cases at Camp Jackson had increased to 8,255 with 412 fatalities.  Elsewhere in the state, the flu spread rapidly.  In nearby Clinton, 600 people got the flu -- out of a population of 3600.  In Greenville, during a four-day period in October, 1000 new people each day fell ill with the flu.  The city of Charleston was especially vulnerable, as it constantly saw an influx of military personnel due to the large naval base there.  The Board of Health in Charleston ordered the closure of all schools and churches (including the Catholic ones) and banned gatherings of more than five persons.  The Citadel closed.  The College of Charleson closed.  Funerals were held entirely privately in homes, for even those were not allowed in the churches.  By the end of 1918, there had been some 50,000 cases of flu in South Carolina (out of a population at that time of about 1.6 millions).  Of those 50,000 cases, 14,250 died.  In 1918, the world population was about 1.9 billion.  Between 17 and 19 million died in that pandemic.

     Certainly to this point, the Coronavirus has not proven to be nearly as deadly as the 1918 Flu Pandemic.  That is of very little consolation, however, to those who are mourning the death of a loved one.  Are these steps we are being asked to take at this time overreacting?  I don't think so.  Are the sacrifices we are being asked to make worth it?  I believe they are.  We have got to "flatten the curve" so that our healthcare system does not become overwhelmed.  Nobody wants a situation where doctors are having to make decisions like "you get the ventilator; you, on the other hand, have to lie there and die."  Our healthcare system was overwhelmed in 1918.  Let's not let that happen again.  Did our Bishop make the right decision?  You bet he did.  We know a lot more now about how an infectious disease spreads than we did 500 years, 250 years ago, or even 100 years ago.  Because we have that knowledge, we are responsible for it.  MORALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR IT.

     Now you may be thinking, "what's he talking about -- 'flatten the curve'?"  I don't pretend any expertise whatsoever in epidemiology.  But I do offer this short video below (sent to me by friend Fr. Smith at Prince of Peace in Taylors).  I highly recommend it.  It explains the danger we face at this time quite well.  I urge you to watch it.

Fr. Tebalt

IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM THE PASTOR

     Please see the letter below to the faithful issued this evening (March 16) by the Bishop.  I know it may come as a shock.  I must say that I need some time to process my thoughts myself.  After I have done so, I will post some spiritual guidance here for your benefit during this difficult time.  The church will be open for private prayer each day, but the hours it will be open will be posted here on the webpage. Please check here often for updates. The parish office will be closed, effective at Noon on Tuesday, March 17.  All other parish activities, events, and meetings are cancelled.  Please call the emergency number (223-3003) for Last Rites. In the meantime, you all remain in my prayers.

From our Bishop:

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

     The COVID-19 coronavirus continues to spread throughout the United States, and we must take care to protect ourselves and those who are most vulnerable. The Center of Disease Control and various government entities have issued directives to limit the number of people who can gather in one place. As a result of these recommendations, and in collaboration with other dioceses in our province, there are to be no sacramental or other liturgical celebrations anywhere in the Diocese of Charleston effective at 12:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 17 through the end of day on Wednesday, April 1, 2020.

     This directive means there are to be no Masses in the Diocese during this time; therefore, I am granting dispensation for your Sunday Mass obligation for the weekends of March 21-22 and March 27-28. Additionally, all scheduled Confessions are cancelled. Any baptisms planned in the next sixteen days should be rescheduled. All quinceañeras must be canceled or rescheduled. Confirmations will be rescheduled according to each parish’s calendar. Funerals and weddings may occur but will be celebrated privately with just the immediate family present. Unfortunately, perpetual adoration will have to be temporarily discontinued. There will be no regularly scheduled parish activities until further notice. All scheduled penance services are cancelled, and there will be no Communion calls at hospitals, nursing homes, or private homes until further notice.

     The sole exception to this policy is the celebration of the final sacraments for those in danger of death. If you need a priest for the Anointing of the Sick or Last Rites, your pastor will provide a number you can call.

     Parish churches will remain open during their normal hours so that you can come to pray. Parish offices will remain open at the discretion of the pastor.

     The College of Consultors and I will meet again on Monday, March 30, to decide how we will proceed, including whether we will have public or limited Holy Week services. In the meantime, we will update you on our response to this ever-changing health crisis on The Catholic Miscellany and diocesan websites, and on our various social media pages.

     These may seem like drastic measures; however, we must put public safety first. We are dealing with a deadly virus.

     In the coming weeks, I encourage you to pray. Watch Mass on your computer or on your television. Gather your family and pray together. We are still on this sacrificial journey of Lent. We must mark these turbulent times with prayer asking for the Lord’s boundless mercy as well as showing His love through kindness and care for our neighbors.

     These are days when we truly must care for one another by taking the appropriate precautions and providing needed help. Let us pray that the virus is dispatched quickly as we look forward to celebrating the resurrection of our Lord on Easter Sunday.

In the Lord’s Peace,

Most Rev. Robert E. Guglielmone

Bishop of Charleston

En Español

Queridos hermanos y hermanas en Cristo, 

     El COVID-19 Coronavirus continúa extendiéndose en los Estados Unidos y debemos cuidar de nosotros mismos y de aquellos quienes son más vulnerables. El centro de Control de Enfermedades y varias entidades del gobierno han dado indicaciones de limitar las reuniones en donde se junta un número grande de personas. Como resultado a estas recomendaciones y en colaboración con otras diócesis, no habrá ningún Sacramento u otra celebración litúrgica en ninguna parte de la Diócesis de Charleston efectivo a las 12:00 pm del martes, Marzo 17 hasta el Miércoles, Abril 1, 2020. ​
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     Esta directiva implica que no habrá más misas durante este tiempo; así es que, estoy dispensando a los feligreses de su obligación de ir a Mida los domingos por los fines de semana de Marzo 21-22 y Marzo 27-28. Adicionalmente, todas las confesiones quedan canceladas. Cualquier bautismo planeadoen los siguientes 16 días debe ser reprogramado. Todas las quinceañeras deben ser canceladas o reprogramadas. Las confirmaciones serán re agendadas según cada calendario de la parroquia. Funerales y bodas podrán llevarse a cabo, pero deben ser celebradas de forma privada y con solo la familia inmediata presente. Desafortunadamente, la adoraciónperpetua será temporalmente descontinuada. ​
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     No habráactividades parroquiales hasta un futuro aviso. Todos los servicios penitenciales son cancelados y no habrá llamadas para llevar la comunión a hospitales, ni casas de enfermos, ni a casas privadas hasta un futuro aviso. ​
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     La única excepción a esta póliza es la celebración de los sacramentos finales para aquellos en peligro de muerte. Si se necesita un sacerdote para atender a los enfermos para los últimos rituales, el párroco dará un número a donde se pueda llamar en estos casos. Las parroquias se mantendrán abiertas durante horas normales, para que la gente pueda ir a orar. Las oficinas se mantendrán abiertas a discreción del párroco. ​
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     La comisión de consultores y yo nos reuniremos nuevamente el lunes, Marzo 30 para decidir cómo procederemos, incluyendo si tendremos servicios de semana santa públicos o limitados. Mientras tanto, les mantendremos informados de nuestra respuesta a esta crisis de ​salud por medio de nuestras páginas web de la diócesis y The Catholic Miscellany y también por medio de nuestras páginas de redes sociales. ​
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     Esto pudiera parecer una medida drástica; sin embargo, debemos poner la seguridad de las personas primero. Estamos lidiando con un virus mortal. ​
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     En las siguientes semanas, les pido que recen. Miren la Misa en la computadora o en su televisor. Junten a su familia para orar juntos. Estamos en un camino de sacrificio para la Cuaresma. Debemos marcar estos tiempos turbulentos con oración pidiendo a Dios por su eterna misericordia al mismo tiempo que reflejamos su amor a otros por medio de un trato amoroso a nuestros vecinos. ​
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     Estos son los días en los que de verdad debemos cuidarnos los unos a los otros tomando las precauciones apropiadas y brindando ayuda al necesitado. Oremos para que el virus desaparezca pronto mientras esperamos la resurrección de nuestro Señor el día de la Pascua. ​
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Que la paz del Señor este con ustedes, ​
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Reverendísimo Robert E. Guglielmone Obispo de Charleston