Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken everyone by surprise. The staff of St. Augustine has tried to be present to you in every way possible. Thank you all for your support and your prayers.

On April 29, 2020, His Eminence Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, Archbishop Galveston-Houston issued a letter to the priests and another to the faithful of the Archdiocese offering initial guidelines for re-opening our parishes and churches for liturgies and the sacraments. He has given each pastor the freedom to use the guidelines and apply them according to the needs and abilities of the parish.

Public Masses Resume

We will begin to open the church gradually, adding Masses as attendance increases. Therefore, St. Augustine Church will resume celebrating public Masses, starting with the 5:30 pm Mass on Wednesday, May 13. Initially, the Sunday schedule will continue as we are currently following for our live-streamed Masses, primarily to allow time to sanitize the church between Masses. For more information, please go to www.staugustinecc.org or call 713-946-8968.

 
Weekday Mass Schedule:  (Effective May 13, 2020)
Wednesdays: 5:30 pm
Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays – 8:30 am           

Weekend Mass Schedule (Effective May, 17, 2020):
Sunday: 9:00 am (English), 11:00 am (Spanish)

 Live Streaming
We will continue to live stream both English and Spanish Sunday Masses.

 
Limited Capacity

We are limited to 25% capacity of the church, a maximum of about 100 people. After all of the sectioned-off pews are filled, we are obligated to close the doors. Because of the restriction on space, we are suggesting to those who can participant at daily Mass to consider their fellow parishioners who cannot attend daily Mass. For now, the obligation to attend Sunday Mass remains suspended, and that no one is required to attend Mass during this time of pandemic. Therefore, if you are able to attend Mass during the week and refrain from attendance on Sunday, it opens space in the church for others who may not be able to attend during the week.
 
 
Guidelines for Mass attendance at St. Augustine

• Individuals must sit 6 feet apart.
• Family units may sit together, however spacing between units and others is still 6 feet.
• There will be an empty pew between each occupied pew.
• All surfaces will be disinfected between each Mass. While we are doing our best to keep you safe, we cannot assure you of no exposure to illness.
• As we resume public liturgies, we will offer catechesis on how we can safely participate. We will provide information intermittently along our journey so that everyone has the best and safest possible experience. Please wash your hands well before arriving at the church.
• Entrance into the church is restricted to the narthex. Please bring your own mask, hand sanitizer, or use the hand sanitizer in the narthex before entering the church.
• Exiting the church is restricted to the one west exit, though all exits are available for emergency egress. Please do NOT exit through the narthex. Please use the hand sanitizer as you exit the church.
• We will have only one station for holy Communion. Cardinal DiNardo has restricted distribution of holy Communion to priests only at this time. Holy Communion will be offered in the hand only:
  • Please receive holy Communion in your hand, step aside, pull down your mask, place the Blessed Sacrament in your mouth and then return to your seat.
• A collection basket for your tithes will be at the exit door. We encourage you to participate in our online giving through ParishSoft:
  • If you are able, please continue supporting your parish. One-time and scheduled payments can be set up through this link.  https://giving.parishsoft.com/app/giving/staugustine

• Everyone must always wear a mask.
• Shorts or tank tops are not allowed.
• Opened-toed shoes are not allowed, nor are sandals or flip/flop type shoes.

 
Please note! The obligation to attend Mass remains suspended. If you are over 65, have a compromised respiratory or immune system, are at risk in any way, or are sick in any way, please do NOT attend Mass. We will continue to live stream Mass at 9:00 am in English and 11:00 am in Spanish.
 
Sacrament of Reconciliation

We will offer the Sacrament of Reconciliation, for now, on Wednesdays, beginning May 20 from 6:00 – 6:45 pm, or by appointment. Confessions will be heard in the chapel.
 
Parish Staff/Offices

Our parish was able to receive a loan through the Payroll Protection Plan. With this loan, we can pay our staff for eight (8) weeks. We are hopeful that our collections, by that time, will have resumed and will meet our budget needs.
 
Parish Finances

Because of the amazing generosity of a few of our parishioners, most of our ministries have continued and we have been able to attend to the needs of our parishioners who have reached out. However, our parish can only function by your direct generosity. We continue to discuss how we can, financially, afford ministry to you and keep our staff employed. Daily, we are evaluating our finances. The Finance Council will begin working with our staff to determine our budget for our new fiscal year (July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021). They are working to project our income, which directly determines the size of our staff and the ministries that we can provide. We encourage you to participate in our online giving through ParishSoft:  https://giving.parishsoft.com/app/giving/staugustine  If you are able, please continue supporting your parish.
 
More Information
Always check the website for updates and new information.
 
Be assured of my continued prayers. Meanwhile, let us be in prayer for one another.
 

Blessings and Peace,
Rev. Paul Foltyn, Pastor