Back to Mass Resources

May 7, 2021      mamuran

This is it: the moment is here when we finally – after more than a year – be able to welcome all Catholics back to Mass.* We know that moment will look different for every parish community, and the timing will vary. For that reason, we’ve compiled flexible (and largely customizable) resources below – from strategy and templates to graphics and event planning.

The theme: Created for Communion, which highlights 1) the Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith, and 2) the indispensable role of the Church as a community.

Use all, use some, adjust to fit your community – and be sure to let us know if we’re missing something you’d find helpful: ocrequest@archspm.org.

NOTE: To ensure access to the most current content, some of the resources below are live documents on Microsoft OneDrive. If you are having trouble accessing content, please try clearing your browser cache, or email webmaster@archspm.org for assistance.

Back to Mass Game Plan

The approach: a welcome back process that incorporates five steps: Preparation, Education, Invitation, Commemoration, and Dispensation*.

Since Gov. Walz’s Executive Order 21-21, parishes have been able to be open for full attendance at Mass and other gatherings. However, it may take time for all parish families to return. Some will need time to change Sunday habits (such as moving from livestream Mass back to in-person attendance), and we will all need to be attentive to the physical and psychological effects of the pandemic on our communities.

For this reason, we suggest a “Welcome Back” event in summer/early fall, in the Commemoration phase, to help mark the significance of the pandemic on your community, offer closure, instill hope and promote community. Event planning resources may be found below.

Planning Calendars

These calendars were developed as a guide to help in your planning. Please feel free to use it (or not) as you see fit for your unique parish. The months themselves are merely guidelines, with May serving as the first month of welcoming parishioners back. You may continue to use this model to complete planning your Welcome Back event planning.

You may also see further calendar examples as you prepare for the Parish Consultation with Small Groups, on the Synod Promotional Materials page.

 

Templates / Print Collateral

Spanish Materials

Graphics / Social Media

Be sure to use the hashtag: #BacktoMassMN

 

Education Phase Resources: Created for Communion

Books

Consider encouraging parishioners to join a summer book club. Possible options include:

Podcasts

It’s a long drive to the cabin! Suggest that parishioners listen to the following podcasts on their preferred platform:

Videos

Digital Downloads/Resources

  • The Mass collection – Word on Fire: DVD, booklets, study guide, leader guide, Spanish version 
  • Eucharist collection – Word on Fire: DVD, booklets, study guide, leader guide, Spanish version 

Where is that in the Catechism?

View the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) online.

  • CCC 671 
  • The Holy Spirit and the Church – CCC 737 
  • Names and images of the Church / community – CCC 751-752 
  • The Church – instituted by Jesus Christ – CCC 763-766 
  • The Church: Body of Christ – CCC 787-796 
  • The Church is communion with Jesus 
  • “One Body” 
  • “Christ is the Head of this Body” 
  • The Church is the Bride of Christ 
  • The Profession of Faith (in brief) – CCC 802-810 
  • Who belongs to the Catholic Church? – 836-838 
  • The participation of lay people in Christ’s priestly office – CCC 901-903 
  • Communion in Spiritual Goods – CCC 949-953 
  • Communion in faith 
  • Communion of the sacraments 
  • Communion of charisms 
  • “They had everything in common”  
  • Communion in charity 
  • CCC 1000  
  • Eucharist and the community of the Christian faithful – CCC 1166, 1400 
  • The Celebration of the Christian Mystery – Part Two of the CCC 
  • Why the liturgy? – CCC 1066-1068 
  • What does the word liturgy mean? – CCC 1069-1070 
  • Liturgy as source of life – CCC 1071-1072 
  • Prayer and liturgy – CCC 1073 
  • Catechesis and liturgy – CCC 1074-1075 
  • CCC 1118 
  • The Sacrament of the Eucharist – CCC 1322-1419 
  • The Eucharistic Sacrifice in the context of funerals/death– CCC 1689 
  • Source and summit – CCC 2031 
  • Truth, Beauty, and Sacred Art – CCC 2500-2513 
  • The Sunday Eucharist / parish as communion – CCC 2177-2179 
  • The Sunday obligation – CCC 2180-2183 
  • CCC 2643 
  • “Give us this day our daily bread” – CCC 2828-2837 
  • Search “Communion” in the index 

Welcome Back Event Planning

Event Example:

 

USCCB’s Eucharist Document

 

Outside Resources

Prenger Solutions Group: Welcome Back Resources

Dispensation to End July 1 in Minnesota

en Español 

As the pandemic subsides, and public gathering restrictions and safety protocols are lifted, it is time to gather as the Body of Christ once again. Therefore, the bishops and diocesan administrators of the Minnesota Catholic Conference have decided to reinstate the obligation to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation beginning the weekend of July 3-4, 2021. 

Even after that time, there remains reasons why a Catholic have a dispensation from the Sunday obligation, including when he or she is ill or serving as caretaker for one who cannot attend Mass. The faithful who do not attend Mass in person are asked to find a Mass on TV, the radio or online and make a Spiritual Communion. Where that is not an option, it would be appropriate to pray the Liturgy of the Hours or the Rosary.   

Read about this decision, and find examples of special circumstances when a dispensation would still apply, in recent letters from Archbishop Hebda (en Español) and the Minnesota bishops (en Español ).