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The Sanitizing Ministry: Ensuring That God’s House Is Clean And Parishioners Are Safe
It is probably safe to say that most of us have spent more time cleaning and disinfecting our homes and work environments in the past few months than we normally do. Tasks that we used to take for granted — getting the mail, grocery shopping, touching an elevator button, a doorknob or light switch — are now occasions to bring out the disinfectant wipes or sprays and hand sanitizers. It is no different here at Blessed Sacrament.
“We have this new ministry that we do as a loving ministry for each other, to keep everybody safe,” says Barb Klein, Director of Music and Liturgy, including our Liturgical Environment. “To do this, we have begun a new Sanitizing Ministry.”
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Our Church Complex is fogged each week by our maintenance staff. This fogging is a safeguard that no particles, viral or otherwise, remain in the air. Ensuring that parishioners can worship safely is a high priority for us. Wearing masks, social distancing in the Church, and disinfection of used areas is important. To do the routine disinfection, volunteers serve after each Mass using a surface disinfectant and spray the areas that have been used. In order to target all these areas in the pews, parishioners are asked to put the kneelers down where they sat to indicate the areas that need disinfecting. This ministry is quite informal, with volunteers responding to Fr. Marty’s invitation after each Mass.
A time in the Mass that is open to easier transmission of the virus, is when parishioners approach to receive the Body of Christ from the Priest or Minister of Communion. In order to increase protections at this time, one of our parishioners built one-of-a-kind Communion stations. These also are sanitized after each Mass.
“It’s an act of love for your fellow man and an act of love for Jesus, helping other people and not wanting recognition, but doing it out of Love,” Barb says. “You’re doing it for Jesus. He knows what you do — He sees what you do. Everyone who does the sanitizing knows how necessary it is to keep everybody safe.”
Barb hopes that the additional safety and sanitizing measures will help reassure those who have yet to return to Mass of the great care and caution our Faith Community is taking.
“Everyone who does the sanitizing knows how necessary it is keeping everybody safe,” Barb says. “We’re trying to do more to get people who are staying at home, watching the livestream, to feel safe to come back.
“You’re most welcome to come back,” she adds. “We’re keeping everyone as safe as possible.”
Barb encourages parishioners to consider spending a few minutes after Mass disinfecting the Church.
“It’s not much a commitment at all,” she says. “It’s just a few minutes, so it doesn’t take much out of your day.”
Many have already responded in generously serving our community.
“Thank you for staying a few minutes afterward to make the Church safe for those coming to the next Mass and for the next Church family who comes to pray and Worship,” she says. “Without you, the Church wouldn’t be safe, and people would be afraid to come. You are there out of love, wanting to keep everyone safe. Thank you for your time.”
Parishioners are encouraged to consider staying after Mass to help disinfect the church. Only a few volunteers are needed after each Mass, and the cleaning process takes 10-15 minutes.
Blessed Sacrament is blessed with two COVID-19 Communion Stations. Greg Rempe, a parish member and very talented carpenter, made them and had them ready for when the church opened back up to parishioners for Pentecost.
