Church of Mary Immaculate (CMI) is sanitized after every Mass as part of the protocol issued by Archbishop John Wong on June 24.
By Agnes Chai
Aug 5 2020
BUKIT PADANG – A parishioner who went to the Church of Mary Immaculate (CMI) at Jalan Bukit Padang here for Mass (English) on Jul 19 and 26 has been tested positive for COVID-19. For CMI, parishioners’ safety is of paramount importance.
The result of the case investigation was confirmed on Aug 4 morning. On being informed by the Health Ministry, parish priest Fr Paul Lo immediately sent out a pastoral instruction to halt Masses until Aug 18.
However, the authority did not require the church to close as the church has observed the protocol for reopening of churches with SOP, including social distancing and wearing of masks. In the circumstances, Fr Lo informed that the church’s decision to suspend Mass was the best move to take for the protection of all.
To assist the authority in tracking the contacts, CMI administration has handed over the name lists of some 250 attendees for these two Masses. Meanwhile, over 40 frontliners would be informed by the authority whether they are required to do screening.
Concerns have been raised outside the parish on those parishioners who attended the two affected Masses. “These parishioners should abstain from attending Mass in any other churches, at least for the next two weeks. They must stay home to do self-quarantine,” said a concerned pastor from a nearby parish.
Archbishop John Wong takes up the same concern in a just released letter to CMI parishioners today Aug 5 “to stay home and follow the live streaming Masses” during this two-week period as a gesture of care towards all.
Although reopening church involves taking risk of possible cases, especially when they are asymptomatic, Pope Francis cherished the hope as the lockdown eases that “the people of God can return to communal familiarity with the Lord in the Sacraments, participate in the Sunday liturgy, and resume in their churches the daily frequentation of the Lord and His Word”.
