Skip to content
The Catholic Leader
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute
No Result
View All Result
The Catholic Leader
No Result
View All Result
Home News

Faithful rejoice as church doors open again after months of lockdown, restrictions still in effect

byMark Bowling
28 May 2020
Reading Time: 3 mins read
AA

Open again: Missionary Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament Father Dantus Thottahil inside St John Vianney Church, Manly. Numbers on the pews indicate where up to 10 parishioners can sit during Mass. And, inset, Father Thottathil shuts the doors at St Mary MacKillop Church, Birkdale on Brisbane’s bayside in March. Photos: Mark Bowling

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Open again: Missionary Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament Father Dantus Thottahil inside St John Vianney Church, Manly. Numbers on the pews indicate where up to 10 parishioners can sit during Mass. And, inset, Father Thottathil shuts the doors at St Mary MacKillop Church, Birkdale on Brisbane’s bayside in March. Photos: Mark Bowling

CHURCHES across the country are re-opening, with restrictions on public worship starting to ease.

Under an updated COVID-19 Safe Plan for Brisbane Archdiocese, parishes are welcoming a staged return to regularly scheduled Masses.

Stage one allows only for up to 10 people in church and strict social distancing requirements of 1.5 metres between people.

The liturgical season has changed from Lent to Easter, and he has grown a beard during lockdown, but there’s a “thirst in our hearts” for coming back to church, according to Fr Dantus Thottathil at Brisbane’s St John Vianney’s parish, Manly.

“We have opened the pubs and clubs. We need to open the churches,” he said.

“For Christians this is the way we feel comfortable with God.”

As restrictions slowly ease, Masses will continue to be live-streamed from St Stephen’s Cathedral on Sundays and weekdays, and may continue to be live-streamed from some parishes.

Churches may open for private prayer, for up to 10 people at a time.

Visitors must sanitise their hands upon entry and exit, and churches will be thoroughly cleaned after Mass.

From June 12, maximum church attendance may increase to 20 people at Mass, and from July 10, subject to state and federal government, Mass numbers may increase to a maximum of 100 people.

Related Stories

Passion Play is a part of village life for actor who will play Jesus

Christine holds love of music and Church in perfect harmony

Winners and losers for the Church in this year’s budget

Fr Thottathil, a priest of the Missionary Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, said the lockdown had been “a time to come back to God, to think about our emptiness of life”.

“People are interested in God. I mean even if the churches are closed, their hearts are not closed – that’s what I realised during this period of time,” he said.

“They are just looking forward to coming back to church as normal. So there’s a thirst in our hearts.”

Since church doors closed at the end of March, Fr Thottathil, who presides over two parishes, St John Vianney’s and Mary MacKillop Church, Birkdale, said many people said they felt isolated.

“They told me ‘we feel Church as our family’. Now is an opportunity to share happiness and feeling comfortable with others again – celebrating, singing and talking again,” he said.

“It’s very important for our mental health to be supporting each other at this time.”

Fr Thottathil said parish offices were now accepting calls from anyone expressing an interest in attending Mass.

Church attendees are required to record their name, phone number and address as a way of contact tracing if required.

Public health authorities continue to advise people over 70 to remain at home during this time, although it is up to individuals to choose whether to follow public health and advice and attend worship services or not.

And at this stage it is unclear when parishes will be able to resume hospitality after Masses.

“The Australian Catholic Church is adopting a cautious approach to opening churches in order to protect the health and safety of parishioners and the wider community,” Brisbane’s Auxiliary bishop Ken Howell said.

ShareTweet
Previous Post

Former Iona College rector called to lead Wagga Wagga diocese

Next Post

Vinnies set for ‘wave’ of need, a need that was present in Queensland even before COVID-19 outbreak

Mark Bowling

Mark is the joint winner of the Australian Variety Club 2000 Heart Award for his radio news reporting in East Timor, and has also won a Walkley award, Australia’s most-respected journalism award. Mark is the author of ‘Running Amok’ that chronicles his time as a foreign correspondent juggling news deadlines and the demands of being a husband and father. Mark is married with four children.

Related Posts

Passion Play is a part of village life for actor who will play Jesus
Culture

Passion Play is a part of village life for actor who will play Jesus

6 May 2022
Christine holds love of music and Church in perfect harmony
QLD

Christine holds love of music and Church in perfect harmony

2 April 2022
Winners and losers for the Church in this year’s budget
Australia

Winners and losers for the Church in this year’s budget

1 April 2022
Next Post

Vinnies set for 'wave' of need, a need that was present in Queensland even before COVID-19 outbreak

The Ascension is a 'bridge between Easter and Pentecost', a bridge we all stand on in this time

Adelaide archdiocese welcomes new shepherd to St Francis Xavier’s Cathedral

Popular News

  • Pregnant woman

    Queensland election: The pro-life political parties committed to abortion law reforms

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Nationwide rosary event happening for Australia’s patroness this Saturday

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Angel’s Kitchen serves hot meals to the hungry in Southport

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Br Alan Moss remembered for a life of faith and learning

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Answering God’s invitation to us all

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
Search our job finder
No Result
View All Result

Latest News

Gwen has given 15,000 hours of cuddles to sick and premature babies
QLD

Gwen has given 15,000 hours of cuddles to sick and premature babies

by Joe Higgins
20 May 2022
0

BRISBANE grandmother Gwendoline Grant has clocked up 15,000 hours cuddling and caring for sick and premature babies...

Helping stroke survivors earns Ozcare volunteer national recognition

Helping stroke survivors earns Ozcare volunteer national recognition

20 May 2022
Br Alan Moss remembered for a life of faith and learning

Br Alan Moss remembered for a life of faith and learning

19 May 2022
Catholic relationship advisers offer five tips to look after your mental health

Nationwide rosary event happening for Australia’s patroness this Saturday

19 May 2022
Francis offers advice on politics: Seek unity, don’t get lost in conflict

Francis offers advice on politics: Seek unity, don’t get lost in conflict

19 May 2022

Never miss a story. Sign up to the Weekly Round-Up
eNewsletter now to receive headlines directly in your email.

Sign up to eNews
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Jobs
  • Subscribe

The Catholic Leader is an Australian award-winning Catholic newspaper that has been published by the Archdiocese of Brisbane since 1929. Our journalism seeks to provide a full, accurate and balanced Catholic perspective of local, national and international news while upholding the dignity of the human person.

Copyright © All Rights Reserved The Catholic Leader
Accessibility Information | Privacy Policy | Archdiocese of Brisbane

The Catholic Leader acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the First Peoples of this country and especially acknowledge the traditional owners on whose lands we live and work throughout the Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute

Copyright © All Rights Reserved The Catholic Leader

0
    0
    Your Cart
    Your cart is emptyChoose another Subscription
    Continue Shopping