Ave Maria Immaclata!
December 2, 2020
Our requests to you when you attend our traditional masses - Measures to reduce coronavirus infection risk
To our beloved brothers and sisters,
Since Japan started to experience the coronavirus epidemic, we have taken, with your cooperation, various measures to avoid coronavirus infection risk. For that reason, we have caused you many inconveniences for an extended time. Thanks to God, we have not had anyone who got infected with coronavirus because of their attendance at our masses.
As reported by the media in the past several days, a record number of positive cases have been reported recently - last Saturday, for example, there were 561 new cases in Tokyo, 463 in Osaka, and a total of 2,684 in Japan.
Therefore, in order to keep our precious masses, we need to review our anti-infection measures one more time, strengthen them where necessary, and brace ourselves where we may have become too loose.
Though we have asked everyone to take various measures for some time, I would like to ask for your special cooperation regarding the following points:
(1) Make sure to wear a mask (or something equivalent)
Wearing of mask has been shown to be effective, not only for reducing your own infection risk, but also for preventing the risk of infecting people around you. Therefore, we ask you to wear a mask when you attend the mass, especially for the consideration of the health and lives of the brothers and sisters around us (except for those who have difficulty wearing a mask due to medical reasons and small children).
Please wear a new, or cleaned mask, though this may already be common sense. Also, take care of yourself to avoid lack of oxygen. Breezing through your nose is effective for prevention of infection as nostrils are equipped with various barriers against viruses.
In the chapel or mass center, I ask everyone except the priest to always wear a mask, including the faithful, servers and choir members (except for the time of holy communion). Also, please continue to wear a mask all the time, from entering the building to exiting the building, even when you are outside the chapel where the mass is offered, as there may be other people in the front areas, corridors, restrooms, etc.
(2) Make sure to ventilate the room
As the winter begins, the temperature is going to go down. However, ventilation is deemed very important as a measure to avoid coronavirus infection. I wish all our beloved brothers and sisters can attend masses in a warm room, but going forward, we need to continue the necessary room ventilation by keeping the windows open. Therefore I would strongly recommend that you wear very warm clothes when you come to mass.
(3) Make sure to avoid chatting before and after mass
I understand very well that you wish to talk with your friends before or after mass, but I have to request you to refrain from having unnecessary talks, especially in a chapel which houses the Holy Eucharist.
Please make sure, once again, to minimize your conversations and, even when you need to talk with someone, not to raise your voice, for the consideration of those brothers and sisters who are praying, or preparing for confession.
(4) Make sure not to voice your prayers during mass
All the responses during mass will be made by the servers and the choir, and so the faithful attending should not sing or voice their responses.
Also, during the Leonine prayers after low mass, the prayers after mass, Angelus prayers, etc., it will only be the priest or the precentor and the servers who should voice those prayers, and so the faithful attending should not voice their responses but rather pray them in their hearts.
(5) Make sure to wash (or sanitize) your hands when you enter the mass center
When you arrive at the mass center, please make sure to wash (or sanitize) your hands and fingers. We recommend washing your hands with ordinary soap, as it is deemed most effective. Gargling with ordinary water is also deemed effective for prevention of infection.
(6) Please rest assured that everything is in the hands of God. St Paul clearly states, "we know that to them that love God, all things work together unto good, to such as, according to his purpose, are called to be saints." (Romans, 8) It is also said that feeling uneasy leads to weakening of one's immune system.
Holy Mother, pray for us!
St. Joseph, pray for us!
St. Pius X, pray for us.
Holy Japanese martyrs, pray for us!
Rev. Thomas Onoda
