Our churches shall remain closed during this month of June

3 June 2020 Feast of the Martyrs of Uganda.

Dear People of God,

The peace of the Risen Lord Jesus be with you all.

Re: Our churches shall remain closed during this month of June

After consulting with the parish priests of all the parishes of the Diocese of Tzaneen, it became clear to all of us that we are not yet ready as a diocese to reopen our churches for community worship. We need the time of this month of June to prepare ourselves properly in accordance with all the necessary regulations which need to be understood and implemented so as to ensure that all worshipers will be safe from the threat of Covid-19  when we gather together in our churches. The document of these regulations for the Diocese of Tzaneen was sent to all the parishes with the title: Protocols regulating community worship in churches during the Covid-19 pandemic.

It is vital that in each parish an informed and well- trained team of people be established for organising all the necessary preparations as well as for ensuring that everyone knows their specific roles before, during and after the community worship in church. Also, everyone in the team needs to be committed to this important task because the pandemic will be with us for quite a long time.

It is important that the Parish Finance Committee make an arrangement for the people to contribute financially  for purchasing the material resources needed for cleaning, sanitizing, screening (infra-red thermometer), demarcating for social distancing, refuse bags and bins and so on.

I have therefore decided that the churches of Tzaneen Diocese shall remain closed during this month of June. I will continue to engage with the parishes of the diocese so that I can see how the preparations are progressing.

I urge all of you to continue with your family time of prayer and Bible sharing and use of social media for spiritual sharing. Although we cannot celebrate physically together in our churches this month, we are still able to practice spiritual communion with Christ as we recall the words at Holy Mass: “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.”

May God bless and protect you.

Sincerely in Christ,

+Joao Rodrigues

Bishop of Tzaneen