The Holy Family Cathedral Parish Kuwait in Kuwait City is slated for a possible opening on 1 August, 2020. The number of faithful allowed to attend masses is limited to 175 people in the Cathedral, 80 in the Holy Family Hall and 30 in the Padre Pio Hall.
Masses will be organized on Fridays from 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm at the Cathedral with extra people going to the St. Padre Pio Hall.
Important instructions for the reopening
1. A sterilization machine for disinfecting hands will be kept at the entrance and is activated by placing one’s foot on the pedal. There will also be a foot-bath at the gate entrance to disinfect the feet before entering the church compound.
2. Wearing of proper face masks, gloves and temperature checks are mandatory. Anyone refusing to comply with the safety methods will be denied access to the church.
3. Always wear face masks. No mask No entry.
4. Sanitizers are provided at the church, but everyone is advised to bring their own sanitizers.
5. Children below the age of 15 and adults above 65 will not be allowed to attend Masses.
6. Number of faithful attending language Masses will be decided by the respective spiritual directors.
7. Advance booking should be made through an app or whatsapp to attend Mass.
8. Rear gate (at the Grotto) will be used exclusively for entrance.
9. Entry will be at the main door of the Cathedral, Holy Family Hall and Padre Pio Hall. Ushers will be there to help and assist everyone.
10. Main gate will be used exclusively to exit.
11. The Sacristy is for the Priests and servers only. Public entrance and exit is not permitted.
12. The Liturgical services should be short during the pandemic period (45 minutes). Some
responses will be sung and others to be recited.
13. Choir singing will be limited to four (4) members only. Additional choir member subject to approval of the priest who will celebrate the mass.
14. Lectors and choir members will wear surgical face masks until satisfactory sanitization of the microphone is figured-out.
15. There will be no confessions in the church but priests are allowed to decide on individual confessions.
16. Ushers will be present. Follow the markers on the benches and floors while adhering to the physical distancing policy.
17. Avoid touching and wiping the images of the saints inside the church.
18. There will be no offertory processions.
19. Collection bags with long handle will be used to gather love-offering, tithes and donations.
20. No handshake or touching hands when greeting “Peace be with you.” A bow or wave is good.
21. Eucharistic Ministers to apply alcohol/sanitizers on their hands and wear face mask before the communion rites.
22. Approach the Priest/Eucharistic Minister with stretched arms and receive communion with bare hands (without gloves).
23. After dismissal, parishioners are requested to head home (avoid gathering in the church premises).
24. Restrictions
Prayer meetings, condolence meetings and other gathering are not allowed.
House visits and blessing are not allowed
The adoration chapel will remain closed.
Conferring on the sacraments of baptism and marriage are allowed with limited numbers.
Rest rooms will be closed for one month.
Parking must observe at least one meter distancing as directed by the head of police.
25 Implementations
Formal re-opening of the church is subject to the orders of the Kuwait Council of Ministers in accordance to the Kuwait Re-opening Phases.
Volunteers from each community will be called upon to form a committee to clean the church areas / benches after each Mass.
Pastoral helpers and volunteers from each community will be invited for a meeting by Fr. Monching to plan and schedule.
Prior to the re-opening of the church, a dry run to implement the guidelines of the church shall be scheduled by the Pastoral Helpers and volunteer ushers.
The National Evangelical Church in Kuwait (NECK) was recently permitted to open for prayer services with 20 percent capacity on weekdays, but not on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Jacklein Hannah, a church official, revealed that NECK asked the ministries of awqaf and health for permission for hosting worshipers, which was granted from today (Thursday), but only on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
Several congregations of various nationalities used to attend church services at the National Evangelical Church, which houses a number of worship halls. However, all church services were suspended following the outbreak of the coronavirus.
Churches in Kuwait were encouraged to shut and end gatherings on its premises in March as a measure to halt the spread of the coronavirus in Kuwait.