Saint John Church Building Opens for Daily Private Visitation

Saint John the Evangelist Catholic Church is blessed to be able to provide times for our Parish Family and Friends to pray again in our Church building, which we are calling “Visitation”, beginning May 4, 2020, to correspond with the State of Florida’s Phase 1 of Recovery from the COVID-19 Pandemic Response.

Hours of Visitation

• Monday – Friday: 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM
• Saturday and Sunday: 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM

It has been a challenging time for all of us in meeting the needs of safety of our community, so we will be taking measured and incremental steps to ensure the continued health of all who come to our campus. We will be following the Florida Plan for Recovery, the White House Phased Recovery Guidance, and Directives from the Diocese in order to recover from the COVID-19 Pandemic. We ask that you respect the below policies and procedures if you wish to pray at Saint John as a “Visitor” during this Phase 1 of the Recovery. If you do not, you may be asked to leave the campus by our “Monitor”, who will be present at all time to ensure the policies are being followed to keep everyone healthy and safe.

Visitation Policies and Procedures

• If you have any illness of any kind, or are exhibiting any symptoms, please stay home.
• If you are “at risk”, including over the age of 65, have an underlying health condition, or are taking care of a loved one that is at risk, please stay home.
• By entering our church, you are acknowledging the potential risk for you to be in a public location. You will be praying at your own risk and accept that you will not be able to hold Saint John the Evangelist Catholic Church, the Diocese of Venice, or any party within those organizations accountable for any illness or injury that may befall you.
• Access to and from the church will only be allowed through the main front doors. Do not use the side doors, even to exit.
• You must bring your own Personal Protective Equipment to church. You must minimally wear a mask at all times while inside the building.
• You must utilize our hand sanitizer stations in the Narthex prior to entering the Sanctuary.
• You will be greeted by our Monitor. This staff member will be wearing their name badge and a Saint John shirt. You must respect any and all directions provided by the Monitor.
• Any questions you may have about the church, the processes, or any other topic should be directed to the Front Office of the Church and the Business Manager or Pastor, not the Monitor. They will refer you to the Front Office.
• Only 9 Visitors will be allowed within the church at any one time. If there are 9 visitors within the building, other visitors will be asked to wait in line with the 6-foot social distancing on the taped/decal locations
• Please use the central aisle only for accessing the Sanctuary.
• The front 10 central pews will be the only locations where you can pray. Specific pews and locations within the pews will be marked for appropriate social distancing. Please respect the personal space of other faithful visitors. Do not attempt to walk, sit, stand, or kneel in any other location.
• Please be respectful of other visitors who may be waiting to pray by keeping your time within the church to 30 minutes or less.

Reconciliation

We want to continue to provide enhanced opportunities for the healing Sacrament of Reconciliation. While the use of the Confessionals would not be appropriate for social distancing or the health of our Parish Family and priests, you will be able to receive the Sacrament at the below updated days and times to correspond with Visitation and still receive Confession in your vehicle in our Middle Lot at our new Homeless Jesus Statue location:

• Monday: 9:30 AM until all are heard
• Wednesday: 9:30 AM until all are heard
• Saturday: 4:00 PM until all are heard

We appreciate our entire Parish Family and all the struggles we have gone through in dealing with the Pandemic and its impacts on our lives and our community.  We still have a long road of recovery to walk together, and with your continued engagement in our virtual Masses and social services, we will come out of this stronger than ever.  We will keep you informed every step of the way.