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St. Vartan Armenian Apostolic Church

Oakland, CA

GUIDELINES FOR REOPENING

It is with great joy, tempered with diligent precautions, that we announce the reopening of our church doors to the faithful on Sunday, June 28, 2020. This will be a gradual process as we observe all the guidance that has been provided by the Alameda County Public Health Department. Throughout this pandemic, our focus has been on safeguarding the physical and spiritual health and well-being of our parishioners. With that in mind, we ask for your cooperation in following these guidelines:

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Preparation for Attending

  • Face masks are required and encouraged for all attendees.

  • A temporal scanning thermometer will be used to screen the temperature of the attendees.

  • Signs will be posted for congregants on where to sit. The Parish Council will be assisting.

  • Hand sanitizers will be placed around the sanctuary for use upon entering.

  • The pews will be emptied of all books, printed material and cushions.

  • A designated person will clean and disinfect the main door handles and the restroom after someone uses it.

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Divine Liturgy

  • Badarak will begin at 10:30 a.m.

  • Seating is limited to 25% of the capacity of the sanctuary. There will be signs on the pews on where to sit. Overflow sitting in John Marukian Hall with TV Live Stream.

  • Candles will be available for parishioners to light. The floor area where candles are lit will be clearly marked for social distancing. Please observe these markings and do not congregate in this area.

  • There will be no Kiss of Peace.

  • There will be no distribution of communion during the service. At the end of Badarak, congregants will be given the opportunity to take communion. Those willing to receive communion will be able to approach the altar at that time.

  • No passing the plate. Instead of passing the plate, there will be a special donation box/plate at the entrance of the sanctuary.

  • No distribution of Mahs.

  • At the end of services there is no kissing of the Gospel.

  • Parishioners should distance themselves when exiting the church and are requested to not congregate in close groups after services.

  • We will continue to “Live stream” on Facebook.

  • There will be no Fellowship after church.

  • The Church will be cleaned and disinfected every week.

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We are implementing these guidelines out of an abundance of caution and love for our church family. Together, we can begin to come together again with confidence if we all follow these guidelines, not out of compulsion but out of love for one another. We look forward to welcoming you back to church as we are allowed and as you feel comfortable.

 

Prayerfully,

Rev. Fr. Krikor Zakaryan, Parish Priest

And Parish Council

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