The two welcomers will ensure that everybody who comes into the church is observing the guidelines issued by the government. They will be in the church during any periods that the church is open, to ensure that social distancing rules are adhered to and that EVERYBODY sanitises their hands both ENTERING and EXITING the building.

The vulnerable should carefully consider the wisdom of returning to Mass too soon. They are not obliged to do so. The Sunday obligation has not been re-instated. Those who are able are encouraged to gather on a weekday rather than a Saturday evening or Sunday, to release the pressure on weekend Masses.

During this period, it must be pointed out that persons (including Clergy) considered ‘Clinically Extremely Vulnerable’, persons shielding (including the Over 70’s), or persons isolating with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 should not be returning to mass, to work or volunteering within a Parish

THE CHURCH CAPACITY WILL BE 70 PEOPLE

Sacred Hearts church will be open at 10am on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays for private prayer.

At 10.30am a mass will be celebrated mass (unless it has been cancelled for a funeral). The church will close at the end of mass with the distribution of Holy Communion

The church will be closed on Wednesdays.

On Thursdays the church will be open from 6.30pm for private prayer and mass will be celebrated at 7pm. Again, the church will close at the end of mass with the distribution of Holy Communion

IF REQUIRED: on Sundays, the mass can be streamed into the hall, if there are additional stewards in place to ensure social distancing is adhered to

Sunday mass times:-

The Church will be open for the Saturday vigil from 5pm, mass will commence at 5.30pm and finish at approximately 6.15pm when the church will close once distribution of Holy Communion has finished.

On Sunday mornings the church will be open from 7.45am, mass will commence at 8.15am the church will close once distribution of Holy Communion has finished and re-open for the second mass at 10am. The Second mass will commence at 10.30am and will close once distribution of Holy Communion has finished.

At the end of each mass the stewards will wipe down all the surfaces.

Anointing of the sick

If you know you are going into hospital, please ensure that you are anointed before you go in, as visits to hospitals have been severely restricted.

ANY and ALL requests for visits within the hospital at this time must go through the Chaplaincy office at the hospital (and not directly to your parish priest)

In an emergency

It is important that on admission to hospital, a patient (or his/her carers) inform the admission staff that they are Catholic. The hospital will not ask for this information, it is up to the patient to make it known and to make sure that a note is made. As of September 2018, Gloucester NHS no longer employ a catholic chaplain. In an emergency, please ask the nursing staff to contact the Chaplaincy Office at the hospital

or

Please ring 03004 222 222 and ask for the on-call Catholic Chaplain.

If you need a priest, other than for the hospital, and you can’t contact the parish priest at Sacred Hearts please contact the Cheltenham Dean at St Gregory the Great, 10 St James Square, Cheltenham, GL50 3PR, on 01242 523737

Join with Fr Mark and pray the Mysteries of the Holy Rosary.

After the initial prayers, he leads the first half of each prayer, for you to pray the second half

Luminous Mysteries

Thursday