Pastoral statement by Bishop Brian on temporary Mass changes as a result of the increasing risk of coronavirus
March 4, 2020
COVID-19 archive, COVID-19, Parish life, Bishop Brian Mascord
My Sisters and Brothers in Christ
As you are aware, the spread of coronavirus, COVID–19, continues to present challenges to health authorities around the world, including here in Australia.
As a result of the increased spread of coronavirus and what we know about its transmission, many dioceses around the world and closer to home have temporarily altered certain practices in the Mass to ensure the health and safety of parishioners.
With this precedent—and with the wellbeing of all parishioners of our diocese in mind—I am issuing the following directives (effective immediately) to all clergy, religious and the lay faithful in the Diocese of Wollongong:
In those parishes and communities in the diocese where holy Communion is distributed under both kinds, this practice will cease. Communion of the Precious Blood will be for the celebrant only.
Given that one of the easiest ways to transmit a virus is by the transmission of saliva, Communion will be received only in the hand.
Clergy and parishioners are not to shake hands during the sign of peace, but should acknowledge each other at the exchange with the words, “Peace be with you.”
All ministers of holy Communion (both ordinary and extraordinary) are to use hand sanitisers before the distribution of holy Communion commences, and are not to physically touch anyone in the act of blessing.
Holy water fonts are to be emptied or removed.
These directives are informed by the latest advice from the Australian Government Department of Health which states that everyone should practise good hygiene to protect against coronavirus infection, including “avoiding close contact with others, such as touching”.
These directives will remain in place until the need for them ceases. We are closely monitoring the situation and will provide further advice as necessary. In the meantime, everyone is encouraged to monitor local and national health advice, and to practise good hygiene, including washing hands often with soap
and water.
Please join me in praying for all those who have passed away or been affected by coronavirus; for the women and men working tirelessly to care for those affected; and for the development of a vaccine to keep us all safe.
Yours in Christ
Most Rev Brian G Mascord DD
Bishop of Wollongong
4 March 2020
Account means the account held at your financial institution from which we are authorised to arrange for funds to be debited.
Agreement means this Direct Debit Request Service Agreement between you and us, including the direct debit request.
Business day means a day other than a Saturday or a Sunday or a listed public holiday.
Debit day means the day that payment is due.
Debit payment means a particular transaction where a debit is made, according to your direct debit request.
Direct debit request means the Direct Debit Request between us and you.
Us and we and our means the Catholic Development Fund.
You means the customer(s) who signed the direct debit request. Your financial institution is the financial institution where you hold the account that you have authorised us to arrange to debit.
Debiting your account
By submitting a direct debit request, you have authorised us to arrange for funds to be debited from your account according to the agreement we have with you.
We will only arrange for funds to be debited from your account:
As authorised in the direct debit request; if the debit day falls on a day that is not a business day, we may direct your financial institution to debit your account on the following or previous business day. If you are unsure about which day your account has or will be debited, please check with your financial
Changes by you
If you wish to stop or defer a debit payment you must write to us at least 5 business days before the next debit day.
This notice should be given to us in the first instance.
Your obligations
It is your responsibility to ensure that there are sufficient clear funds available in your account to allow a debit payment to be made.
If there are insufficient clear funds available in your account to meet a debit payment:
you or your account may be charged a fee and/or interest by your financial institution;
you or your account may be charged a fee to reimburse us for charges we have incurred for the failed transaction;
you must arrange for the payment to be made by another method
Please check your account statement to verify that the amounts debited from your account are correct.
Dispute
If you believe that there has been an error in debiting your account you should call us on 1800 047 703 and confirm the details in writing with us as soon as possible so that we can resolve your query quickly.
Accounts
You should check:
with your financial institution whether direct debiting is available from your accounts offered by financial
your account details which you have provided to us are correct by checking them against a recent account statement; and
with your financial institution before completing the direct debit request if you have any queries about how to complete the direct debit
Warning: if the account number you have quoted is incorrect, you may be charged a fee to reimburse our costs in correcting any deductions from:
an account you do not have authority to operate; or
an account you do not
Confidentiality
We will keep any information (including your account details) in your direct debit request confidential.
We will make reasonable efforts to keep any such information that we have about you secure and to ensure that any of our employees or agents who have access to information about you, do not make any unauthorised use, modification, reproduction or disclosure of that information.
However, we may use your contact details to provide information about the fund. Should you wish this not to be the case, please advise the fund in writing.
Our diocesan logo is theologically rich and very succinct. As a hand, it depicts our mission as a diocese and as individuals within the diocese, of bearing (bringing, carrying) Christ’s love to one another and to the world around us. In this, we are the hand of Jesus Christ, and we are offering ourselves to him so that he might work through us.
We can be the bearers of his love only as a response to his call and in the strength of his grace. We are reminded of this in two ways—through the symbol of the dove (the Holy Spirit) also present in the logo, and by the incorporation of the cross that segments the logo. The presence of the cross is a reminder that bearing the love of Christ will inevitably cost us if we live it authentically. However, in the way that the Cross is the portent of redemption and life—an echo of the tree of life in the book of Genesis—so becoming bearers of the love of Christ will also bring us to life.
The four fingers of the hand also represent the four regions of our diocese. The first is bluerepresenting the beautiful water of the Shoalhaven. The second is a blue and green combination representing the waters and escarpment of the Illawarra. The third is greendepicting the hills and plains of the Macarthur. The fourth is dark green illustrating the forests of the Southern Highlands.
My Sisters and Brothers in Christ
