St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church
Outdoor Mass Schedule
Outdoor Masses Have Begun
Dear Parishioners of St. Elizabeth Seton,
I do apologize for allowing frustration to get the better of me earlier this week. We are now fully engaged in our outdoor worship services. We began mass outdoors on Wednesday morning, to very enthusiastic reviews, and all has gone well so far. We have a worship space on the plaza that will seat 200 people, with appropriate physical distancing, and I am eager to see how you all respond to our new space this weekend.
We will have a celebration of First Communion on Saturday morning at 8:30 am and a full schedule of masses on Saturday evening and Sunday. After some experience and consideration, I have decided to go ahead and offer mass at 11:30 am on Sunday morning as well as at our other times, that way you can choose for yourself whether you would like to attend given the amount of direct sun. I recommend that you wear a wide-brimmed hat on Sunday and bring a personal size umbrella if you choose to keep the direct sun off.
Sunscreen is also advised for those who are sensitive to the sun. The plaza has a nice breeze but the direct sun can be hard to bear for some. Masks and the use of sanitizer are still required at all masses. Our services will be about 45 minutes long. If you notice there is moisture in the air (morning dew) you may want to bring a cushion to sit on as your seat may be damp.
To begin our outdoor masses the schedule will be:
Daily Mass (M-F) 8:30 am
Vigil Mass for Sunday 5:00 pm
Sunday Morning Mass 7:30 am (the least amount of sun, maybe dew)
Sunday Livestream Mass 9:30 am (no congregation, livestream only)
Sunday Morning Mass 11:30 am (most amount of direct sun)
Sunday Evening Mass 5:00 pm
The dispensation from the obligation to attend Sunday mass is still in effect. If you are not comfortable with an outdoor mass you can watch the Livestream mass or its recording on Sunday morning. Kneeling will not be recommended and you are invited to be seated during the Eucharistic Prayer. Please maintain your physical distancing during the communion procession.
I am deeply grateful to all of our staff and ministers who are helping us to prepare our altar and tabernacle for mass each day and our young people who set up our chairs on the plaza. Our ushers will be at the top of each set of stairs with a basket, before and after mass, for you to place your Sunday offering envelope in. There will also be a sanitizing station there and some masks. Thank you for your help and support in stewardship to our parish and in the love of our Lord who gives us so much. The church bathrooms will be open for use during mass. Bottles of water will be available in the kiosk if you need hydration.
At this time we are not taking reservations as we hope there will be enough room for all who want to attend. If there is ever any overcrowding we will again instigate a reservation system. Thank you for your patience, cooperation, and understanding during this time that demands special efforts from us all.
Blessings and prayers,
Fr. Michael
St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church
Website: www.seschurch.org
Location: 6628 Santa Isabel Street, Carlsbad, CA, USA
Phone: 760-438-3393
Facebook: facebook.com/SESchurchcarlsbad