First Reconciliation (Religious Education Part II) - January 30, 2021

Queen of Angels & St. Matthias Parish will have several First Reconciliation Prayer Services for the students from our Religious Education program. The second opportunity will be at 12:30 pm on Saturday, January 30. The prayer service may have up to 12 families in attendance, but attendance will depend on family size.

To ensure the safety of all parishioners and ministers at the event, there are many new procedures. To prepare for some of the changes you will encounter as come to the church during the pandemic, please carefully read through the list below:

1. You must register to attend. It will not be possible to enter the church if you have not registered in advance. If you have trouble with registration, please call our parish office at 773-539-7510 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday-Friday for live help from office staff. If your plans change and you find you cannot attend an event you registered for, please electronically "return" your ticket so another family can register for your spot.
2. Please arrive at the front of church at your assigned time: Last names A-L arrive 30 minutes prior to the beginning of the event. Last names M-Z arrive 15 minutes prior to the beginning of the event. The only entrance to church will be the ramp door on Sunnyside. The Claremont door will NOT be open.
3. Be sure to maintain safe social distance while waiting to enter the church. You will be greeted by a volunteer at the entrance of church and be checked in via the registration list. To enter the church, you must be wearing a mask, apply hand sanitizer at the door, and not feel sick or have a fever. Your temperature will also be taken. If you are sick, have symptoms, or are especially vulnerable to COVID-19 due to age or poor health, please protect yourself and others by staying home and postponing the date of the First Communion.
4. Once you are checked in, you will go up the stairs and be greeted by an usher who will escort you to a pew. Please remain in the pew with your mask in place for the duration of the event. Please refrain from visiting the statues of saints before, during or after the event. We especially ask that congregants not use the restrooms at church unless it is an absolute emergency.
5. An usher will direct each penitent during individual confessions. You will need to sanitize your hands before you reach the confession station. The children receiving First Reconciliation will be able to go to confession first, followed by the penitent's parents and siblings if time allows. Return to your pew using the side aisles and the gathering space if needed. Follow the markings on the floor.
6. At the end of the prayer service an usher will indicate when you should leave your pew to walk out of the church. The side aisles will be used for exiting the church. Please do not stop inside the church to congregate with other people attending so that the entire assembly will be able to leave the church maintaining safe social distancing. The ushers will not be able to dismiss pews unless the people previously dismissed are moving out. Similarly, please do not congregate on the sidewalk in front of church. Again, we need to provide enough space for all to exit church while maintaining social distancing. Please plan to take any photos outdoors and away from the high-traffic area in front of the church doors.
7. As you move throughout the church, please maintain social distancing and pay attention to floor markings. If you need to wait for a moment to let someone pass or for the Communion line to move, wait on a red X. Our aisles are narrow and are therefore marked for one-way travel. As you move to and from your seat, use the center aisle to approach the altar; the side aisles will be used for movement away from the altar to approach the gathering space at the back.
8. There will be no programs, missals or hymnals distributed to use during Mass. Communicants can use their black or white Mass books they received in February at the Rite of Enrollment. Please do not sing during the Mass. There will be music, however, we ask that for now you use the music as a time of meditation rather than participation.
9. Likewise, please speak gently the spoken responses and again make sure you keep your mask in place.
10. Please review Tips for Worshippers or Consejos para todos los fieles prepared by the Archdiocese.

We would especially like to thank our reopening team for their conscientious work to allow us to return to Queen of Angels Church.

Event Venue

Queen of Angels Catholic Church, 2330 West Sunnyside Avenue, Chicago, United States