St. John the Beloved Parish

Church and School 

The Most Reverend W. Francis Malooly, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington has issued the following statement on the killing of George Floyd in Minnesota and the resulting demonstrations and violence that has erupted across the United States.

“I express my sincere condolences to the family of Mr. Floyd. I pray for the repose of Mr. Floyd’s soul, and that God will send comfort and consolation to his family. While I support those who seek justice through peaceful demonstrations, we must keep in mind what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. taught us about non-violence. It is easy to lash out in anger when confronted by injustice, but the easy thing to do is often not the right thing to do. Please join me this Pentecost weekend in prayer that the Holy Spirit will guide us to lasting, peaceful solutions to the problems we face as a society. Racism, brutality, murder, violence, bigotry, and disenfranchisement are not Gospel values and must be condemned in the strongest terms. Let us proceed as brothers and sisters, beloved children of God.”

For the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ statement, click here.

St. John the Beloved Parish will resume celebrating public Masses in accord with Governor Carney’s recent reopening of the state of Delaware, and the guidelines set by the Diocese of Wilmington on Monday, June 1, 2020.

• Daily 8:00 a.m. Mass will resume Monday, June 1^st.  Due to the needed disinfection of the church between Masses, there will be only one daily Mass at 8:00 a.m. Monday through Saturday.  No 6:30 a.m. Mass for now.

• Sunday Masses will resume on Saturday evening, June 6^th at 5 p.m. and on Sunday at 7:30, 9:30 & 11:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Please note that due to the Dicoesesan COVID restrictions on gatherings, we have seating for 127 guests per Mass inside SJB Church.

• Individuals assume that risk for themselves in these circumstances.  Those who are symptomatic or who have been exposed to the virus within 14 days are not permitted to enter the church.   All attendees are asked to check their temperature at home before coming to church for any reason. Likewise, anyone with a persistent cough or who otherwise does not feel well should not come to church.

• Parishioners who are particularly vulnerable (e.g. over the age of sixty, existing heart or lung conditions, diabetes, or otherwise immuno-compromised) are STRONGLY ENCOURAGED, for their own health, to avoid the risk of attending public celebrations of the Church until all restrictions have been lifted.

• The Sunday Mass will continue to be videoed from our parish for the faithful who remain homebound.

• Limited seating, of no more than 127 people, is permitted inside St. John the Beloved Church at one time. Any overflow will remain outside.  Members of the same household may sit together, but there must be at least 6 feet of separation otherwise.

• Face Masks are required for entrance into the church.  All members of the assembly and all ministers, except the priest-celebrant, are to wear face coverings at all times while in church. The faithful are asked to bring their own.  Toddlers are exempt.

• All members of the assembly and all ministers are to sanitize their hands upon entering the church. 

• Pews and other surfaces in the church are to be thoroughly disinfected initially and then disinfected again after each time the church is used.

• The Offertory Procession is eliminated, Holy Water Receptacles will remain empty, Missalettes will be removed.   No other materials may be left in the pews.  The Sign of Peace is presently suspended.

• Altar Servers and Eucharistic Ministers will postpone their ministry for now.  The choir is suspended until further notice.  Limited Music will be provided at the 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. Sunday Masses only.

• Holy Communion will be under one form.  Receiving in the hand is preferred.  Those receiving on the tongue must remain until the end of the Communion line.  At present, the Eucharist will be communicated at the end of Mass, after the final blessing by the clergy only.  This will allow an orderly and distantly controlled recession of the faithful from the church.  The collection can be placed in the provided baskets upon leaving the church.  The flow of dismissal must be steady.  Gatherings before and after celebrations are prohibited.

• The restrooms will not be open.

• Reconciliation (Confessions) will be available in the side Minister’s Room after the 8:00 a.m. Daily Masses and at the regular 4:00 p.m. Saturday time.  Masks and social distance must be observed.

These new guidelines are a start.  They are only temporary until COVID-19 is less threatening to the public. Visit SJBDE.org/Covid for more details, please refer to the guidelines of the CDC website.

• Sunday Mass at St. John the Beloved  www.youtube.com/channel/SJBDE

• Daily Mass with Bishop Robert Barron online www.wordonfire.org/daily-mass/

• livestream Saint Patrick's Cathedral, NY, Daily Mass at saintpatrickscathedral.org/live 

• EWTN Daily Mass is live-streamed every weekday at 8:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., and 7:00 p.m.

• Weekly Catechetical Video Series for Families with Frs. Rich Jasper and Carlos Ochoa

Make a Spiritual Communion when you listen and participate reverently in Mass online and televised. This is the act of unifying yourself with the Eucharistic Lord, like: 

“My Jesus, I believe that you represent in the Holy Sacrament. I love You above all else, and I desire You in my soul. As long as I can’t receive You sacramentally, at least enter spiritually into my soul.” 

To help, please donate non-perishable food directly to our Outreach center at Community of Christ Church (1205 Milltown Rd. Wilmington, DE 198080.)

To make a monetary donation online in any amount go to SJBDE.org/Give. Anything you can do is helpful and greatly appreciated. To learn more about the St. Benedict Outreach program visit SJBDE.org/Outreach.

“Gracious and loving God, we understand that you call us to be stewards of your abundance. Help us to always use your gifts wisely and teach us to share them generously.”

We are thankful for all the generous gifts that you provide to our parish. While you cannot be with us at Mass on Sunday, please consider contributing via our secure online giving program via ParishSOFT. This is a convenient and safe way to make a one-time, or recurring donation. Click here learn more. SIGN UP TODAY!