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Given we are on the cusp of a new year of faith formation amid a time marked by COVID-19, the Diocese of Bismarck seeks to provide guidance and resources to assist the Catholic Faithful to participate in a successfully safe and especially fruitful year of faith formation.
What follows are recent Diocesan directives issued by Bishop David Kagan to pastors and parish leadership regarding Fall Faith Formation programs and activities:
- General Directives: The current directives for social distancing must be maintained for all classes and meetings for Faith Formation. All found here.
- Ample amounts of hand sanitizer available in each room or area for the use of teachers, children and parents. The rooms and furniture used are to be sanitized completely after each class or meeting.
- If needed, have extra sessions on the day or days for classes or meetings. If this is not possible then consider shortening the class or meeting period to accommodate all.
- Parents must monitor their child’s health and NOT send the child to class if sick or someone at home is sick. In this case, each Parish must be prepared to send books or class lessons home to be completed and returned.
- Confirmation Preparation: Observe all of the above. Additionally, no overnight or off-site retreats or day of recollection. A day of recollection using the Parish Church is fine and Confessions can be heard but observing the directive for Confessions.
- For the Confirmation itself, the Pastor must decide if his Parish Church is large enough to have it at a regularly scheduled Mass or have another Mass on that day with the current directives for social distancing, families and guests being observed.
- There will be no group pictures taken before or after Mass, but pictures may be taken by a photographer or family member during the actual Confirmation Rite. Provided there is adequate space for social distancing. No reception should be held after the Confirmation unless the small number of persons present makes it possible to maintain social distancing. Again, this is the Pastor’s decision to make.
Additional Resources:-
- Behavioral Health Resources
- Masks: It is strongly encouraged that masks be worn in public settings. See the CDC Recommendations on how best to protect others and yourself.
- ND Government COVID-19 guidelines: Main website and Guidance for Large Gatherings
- To assist parents in monitoring child’s health: Feel free to utilize this form or this parent resource chart to effectively monitor a child’s health.