Dear Fathers, Deacons, Rev Sisters, Parish Staff, Parishioners

I wish to advise that based on the advice of the Chief Health Officer, Stage 3 "Stay at Home" restrictions will be reinstated across metropolitan Melbourne from 11:59pm on Wednesday 8 July.   These Restrictions apply to our parishes within the Casey and Cardinia Local Government areas.

The restrictions for City of Casey and Cardinia Shire are as follows:

  • If you live in these areas, parishioners cannot attend a religious service.  Online streaming of a service is allowed and restricted to the priest and those necessary for the ceremony (e.g. deacon, server, reader)
  • Weddings can have a maximum of five people (the couple, two witnesses and the celebrant).
  • Funerals will be restricted to 10 mourners plus the people required to conduct the funeral.   

For all our other parishes within Baw Baw Shire, Wellington Shire, Bass Coast Council, East Gippsland Shire, South Gippsland Shire and Latrobe City, at present your restrictions remain as follows:

  • Places of worship can open for private worship or small religious ceremonies (Mass) for up to 20 people in each separate area
  • Up to 20 people, in addition to the celebrant and couple getting married, can attend a wedding.  If a wedding is held in a private residence, it will be limited to the members of the household, five attendees, plus the celebrant.
  • Up to 50 people can attend a funeral in addition to the celebrant and other funeral staff.  If a funeral is held in a private residence, it will be limited to the members of the household, five attendees plus the celebrant and other funeral staff.

Staff are encouraged to continue working from home.

Please maintain a high level of cleaning and sanitising.

As always we urge parishes to use common sense when carrying out activities.  If you are unwell, you should stay at home.  If you have symptoms of Coronavirus (COVID-19), however mild, you should get tested.  It's up to all of us to make this work.

Fr Denis O’Bryan

Delegate of the Diocesan Administrator
Diocese of Sale
 

Further advice as at 8 July 2020 (extract) 

During the coming six weeks under no circumstances are Diocese of Sale Parishes in the non-restricted areas to book and register Mass goers to their Masses who reside in the restricted area of metropolitan Melbourne, which includes residents of the City of Casey and the Cardinia Shire.  To do so will in fact be undermining, and in some cases, breaching government restrictions. Sadly, parishioners from the restricted areas will not be permitted to attend Masses in the unrestricted areas.

Please note that religious gatherings, such as Baptisms, that are booked for our parishes in the restricted areas are not permitted to be moved to another of our parishes in the unrestricted area.

*** The only exception to these guidelines is for weddings and funerals where celebrants and/or participants (adhering to the restricted numbers) are permitted under the guidelines to travel into or out of a restricted area to attend.

Also we are aware that police will be carefully checking traffic coming in and out of the restricted areas. 

As disappointing as these restrictions are, we have to follow the guidelines for the good of all. 

Further advice to parishes 8 July 2020 (PDF)

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