Laudetur Iesus Christus!  Tomorrow is Laetare Sunday, the halfway point of Lent, and the Rose colored vestments give us hope that Lent will give way to the joy Easter and the Resurrection of our Lord.

In that spirit, we are pleased to share Fr. Reid’s announcement that Sunday Mass will proceed tomorrow (Deo Gratias!) with a twist. Please read to fully understand the protocols. As a reminder, the obligation to attend Sunday Mass is lifted, and if you are feeling ill or have frail health, you are not advised to not attend Mass.

St. Ann is maintaining its normal Sunday schedule, including the 12:30pm Latin Mass.  Mass will be offered in private (no attendees allowed) from the 2^nd floor Allen Center Conference Room which overlooks the plaza (and visible for some of the parking lots).

How to attend Mass at St. Ann tomorrow

• You are invited to watch 12:30pm Latin Mass from the St. Ann parking lot inside your car but you must stay in your car (IMPORTANT)
• Arrive, pull into a parking space, stay in your car, and watch Mass from your car or stream it.
• If can’t attend, or can’t view Mass from your parking space, Ann will stream their Masses from the parish’s Facebook page (it is now viewable for non-Facebook users*): https://www.facebook.com/StAnnCharlotte

Reception of Holy Communion

Holy Communion will be distributed to attendees – but it will be one car at a time. Here are the protocols:

• Kneelers will be set up in 3 places in the parking lot. During Holy Communion, Father Reid (and the Deacon?) will come outside to the Station
• Communicants must drive up to the nearest station, exit their car, approach the kneelers and receive normally just like at any Latin Mass
• After reception, you & your family must quickly re-enter your car and drive back to your parking space
• Then the next car will pull up and receive.
• Seminarians and parish staff will be around to direct traffic

Sunday Collection & St. Joseph Book (please note!)

• At each Holy Communion station, there will also be a table with the Sunday collection basket, Sunday bulletin, and a St. Joseph booklet
• Communicants can place their Sunday tithe in the collection basket immediately before or after receipting
• Please take a bulletin and the St. Joseph booklet before returning to your car

A note on tithing: Fr. Reid & St. Ann parish is probably one of the few parishes in the Diocese (or the western world) allowing the faithful to attend Sunday Latin Mass and receive Holy Communion. Think about that. Fr. Reid deserves our prayers. However, we also encourage you to think about tithing generously this Sunday so that this special parish can continue to meet its obligations and support its parishioners during this crisis. You can give in person as noted, or give online: https://www.stanncharlotte.org/home/giving/#stewardship  or by texting 704-360-5305.

Restroom Access

The church restroom will be open during before or during Mass, but please note only 10 people or less can be inside any restrooms total at one time.

Facebook: It is possible for non-Facebook users to watch the St. Ann Mass on your phone from the parish Facebook page. You don’t need an account. When you pull up the page, you can minimize/cancel the login screen, and then scroll down to the live stream post. It may take a minute or two for the page to download. You may want to test it before you arrive: https://www.facebook.com/StAnnCharlotte

Places to watch Latin Masses online

• LiveMass.net (run by FSSP) live streams Latin Masses throughout each day from across the world. Please see broadcast schedule at: http://livemass.net/
• The Latin Mass/FSSP parish in Rome will live stream its Latin Mass every day at 1:30pm Eastern time: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClAtfCutuTEauRbJIUCVlcA
• John Cantius parish in Chicago will live stream their Latin Masses daily. Click here to see schedule and stream:  https://www.cantius.org/go/news/detail/live_stream_of_masses/
• Institute of Christ the King parish in Pittsburgh will live stream a Sunday Latin Mass Sunday at 3pm: https://www.institute-christ-king.org/pittsburgh-news/929-sunday-march-15-3-p-m-live-stream-of-mass
• Institute of Christ the King Seminary in Gricigliano, Italy, will live stream Sunday Latin Mass at 5:45 AM EDT: http://www.icrsp.org/direct/mass.htm

If you’re new to Latin Mass, and will watch it online this weekend, we link a “beginner’s guide” courtesy of the Latin Mass Society of U.K. (click here)

Other news items

NEW plenary indulgence issued for the coronavirus: If you can’t attend Sunday Mass, the Vatican has a new plenary indulgence for those quarantined, healthcare workers, and patients:  http://catholicnewsherald.com/145-news/usworld-header/5591-church-grants-special-indulgence-to-coronavirus-patients-and-caregivers

Statements by Cardinal Burke and Bishop Schneider: Both Cardinal Burke and Bishop Athanasius Schneider have released some reflections on their concerns about the current crisis, how to maintain a spiritual life and about the closure of the Masses. You will hopefully find them edifying.

• Cardinal Burke spiritual reflection: https://www.cardinalburke.com/presentations/combat-against-coronavirus
• Bishop Schneider comments on the closure of Masses: https://onepeterfive.com/we-glory-in-tribulations-living-the-faith-when-public-worship-is-prohibited/

Lastly, if you cannot attend Mass, we link to a PDF of prayers for a domestic Sunday holy hour that are suggested by Bishop Schneider if you cannot attend Mass.