St Xavier Church updates in response to the Coronavirus

Archbishop Schnurr Letter March 2021

November 30, 2020

Christmas Services during COVID

Please know that your health and safety is a major priority to us. People come from near and far to celebrate Christmas at St. X., and the church has more people in attendance on those days.  Due to guidelines established by the Health Department, capacities will be set at 300 people for each of the Christmas Masses.  People will be seated on a first come, first serve basis. There will also be no reserving or saving of seats: to be seated, each person must be present. Also, as the Church celebrates the Christmas Season for 12 days, you may want to consider coming on Sunday December 27 for the Feast of the Holy Family, as an option for your family Christmas celebration.  

July 8, 2020

By order of the Governor, and with the agreement of Archbishop Schnurr, masks are required in all public places, including churches.  Please wear a mask when visiting St. Xavier.

May 31, 2020

St. Xavier Re-opens

Public Masses are resuming this week at St. Xavier Church.  We will be following our regular schedule for both weekday and Sunday Masses.  Welcome back all who decide to come to our church this week!

Because of the pandemic you are NOT obliged to come to Sunday Mass.  The Ohio bishops have removed this rule for the foreseeable future.  If for any reason you do not feel safe coming to church at this time you may stay home and join worship via live-steaming Masses or via your private prayer.  If you want to attend Mass with a small group, you might consider coming on a weekday instead of on Sunday.

If you do come to St. Xavier church for any Mass please observe the following regulations:

--wear a face mask to church

--hand sanitize before entering church

--keep a six-foot distance from others at all times

--sit only in pews that are not blocked off by white ribbon

--receive Holy Communion in the hand

--do not touch others at the Our Father or Peace Greeting

Obviously new rules can feel a bit burdensome to us, but our goal is to keep ourselves and others as safe as possible during this pandemic.  Consider these rules a small sacrifice you are making out of love for yourself and your neighbors.            Fr. Bob Thesing, S.J.

On May 8, 2020 Archbishop Schnurr has called for public worship to resume as soon as Monday, May 25.

Other points in the Archbishop's announcement include: 
   ∙ Each parish should offer at least one public Mass daily.
   ∙ Pastors may determine whether it is necessary and prudent to celebrate more than one Mass on Saturday and Sunday.
   ∙ The Catholic faithful continue to be dispensed from the obligation of attending Sunday Mass.
   ∙ In all circumstances, appropriate social distancing and the regulations put forth by public health authorities must be observed.

St Xavier parish staff is in the process of making decisions and plans regarding the opening of the church and resuming of public worship.
Please watch this site for current updates.

Letter from the Catholic Bishops of Ohio May 8, 2020

Letter from the Archbishop May 8, 2020

Letter from the Pastor to St Xavier parishioners.

Q & A for the Faithful on Matters of Worship in the time of public health concern (Archdiocese of Cincinnati)

Even in this challenging time, we continue to be united in prayer with the Church and all the people of our world. The Cincinnati Jesuit Community in cooperation with the Jesuit works of Cincinnati, including Bellarmine Chapel, Jesuit Spiritual Center at Milford, Saint Xavier Church, St. Xavier High School and Xavier University will provide a live stream of our private weekday Mass (Mon-Fri). These daily masses will be available on YouTube for the foreseeable future.  As well, we will unite with Bellarmine Chapel to offer a live stream Mass on Sundays. 

Mass Schedule Changes
Because there are no public Masses at St Xavier Church, we are cooperating with Xavier’s Bellarmine Chapel to make livestream services available for viewing each day.  The Cincinnati Jesuit Community will livestream a daily Mass from their private community chapel Mon-Fri at 5 PM.
Bellarmine Chapel will also livestream Mass every Sunday morning at 9:00 am. 

In order to prepare for these liturgies, and pray along with us, we encourage you to keep connected and prayerful using the daily readings for each Mass at the US Bishops Daily Readings site.

"Pray At Home" Resources
Here are several resources to use as you develop a manner and method of prayer in your own home, with family, friends, or in private. 

Sunday Offertory Donations
The ​Sunday tithing offertory will now be collected through our online parish giving, or you can call the parish office to support St Xavier Church.  We are grateful for your continued support of the parish in these unusual times.

Archdiocese of Cincinnati
The Archdiocese of Cincinnati Covid-19 web site continues to publish updates related to local events, live streaming from the Cathedral, and advisories for local churches. 

Specific Directives from the Archdiocese
The Archdiocese office of worship has published several guidelines related to Eucharist, Confession, Baptism, Confirmations, Funerals, Weddings, and Anointing.  For particular needs at St Xavier Church, please call us at 513-721-4045