Our Churches are Reopening: latest information On Tuesday 23 June we heard the announcement that, from Saturday 4 July, places of worship will be able to reopen for prayer and services. Read: Letter from the Archbishops of England - Public Worship to resume Churches that are reopening The following churches have reopened for individual prayer and/or will be for public worship (the latter from Sat 4 July). Please check the details of opening times/days on individual church websites/social media channels/bulletins or by calling direct before you make a journey. - To safely accommodate collective worship the Archdiocese has permitted the social distance of ‘1 metre plus’ in churches subject to the requirement that people must wear face coverings. - You must sanitise your hands on entry and exit. - Please listen to stewards' instructions and follow signs in place. - Keep your personal possessions to a minimum. - You may be asked to provide your contact details upon arrival. Mass is going to be different to what we are all used to, so let's work together to ensure its successful return. - There will be no Sign of Peace or congregational singing. - There will be no Mass or Hymn books. - Holy Communion will also be distributed differently, please follow the instructions at your church. Please DO NOT attend if you, or someone in your household, has: A high temperature or new, continuous cough or loss, or change, to your sense of taste or smell. You must stay at home. Please remember there is no obligation for people to attend Mass on Sundays and live streaming of Masses will continue. Some churches are also offering more weekday Masses to help manage attendance across the whole week. All churches have a maximum capacity of people who are allowed in, and once that number is reached no more can enter. Please understand this is for everyone's safety. The Archdiocese is following both Government, and Church, guidance. Guidance for Acts of Worship - Mass Guidance for Acts of Worship - Confession Government Guidance Banbury Deanery Holy Trinity, Chipping Norton Immaculate Conception, Bicester Our Lady and St Michael, Shipston-on-Stour St Francis of Assisi, Kineton St John the Evangelist, Banbury St Joseph the Worker, Banbury SS Peter and Paul, Brailes Birmingham Cathedral Deanery St Chad's Cathedral The Immaculate Conception (Birmingham Oratory), Edgbaston St Francis, Handsworth St Michael, Moor Street St Patrick's, Birmingham Sacred Heart and St Margaret Mary, Aston St John and St Martin, Balsall Heath St Philip Neri, Smethwick St Catherine of Siena, Birmingham Our Lady of Good Counsel and St Gregory the Great, Bearwood Birmingham East Deanery St George and St Teresa, Dorridge St Ambrose Barlow, Hall Green Holy Family, Small Heath Sacred Heart and Holy Souls, Acocks Green Holy Ghost and Mary Immaculate (Olton Friary), Olton St Thomas More, Sheldon Sacred Heart and St Teresa, Coleshill St Anne's Chelmsley Wood St Augustine's Solihull Corpus Christi, Stechford St Anthony of Padua, Kingshurst Our Lady of the Rosary and St Therese of Lisieux, Saltley Birmingham North Deanery St Gerard's, Castle Vale St Thomas and St Edmund of Canterbury, Erdington St Nicholas, Boldmere, Sutton Coldfield St Augustine of England, Handsworth Holy Cross and St Francis, Walmley, Sutton Coldfield St Teresa of the Child Jesus, Perry Barr St Margaret Mary, Perry Common Holy Trinity, Sutton Coldfield Christ the King, Kingstanding Our Lady of the Assumption, Maryvale Birmingham South Deanery St Dunstan, Kings Heath Our Lady and St Brigid, Northfield Our Lady of Fatima, Quinton Our Lady and St Rose of Lima, Weoley Castle St Mary, Harborne St John Fisher, West Heath Our Lady of Lourdes, Yardley Wood Our Lady of Perpetual Succour, Rednal St Joseph and St Helen, Kings Norton St Peter, Bartley Green St Edward, Selly Oak Coventry Deanery St Elizabeth, Coventry All Souls, Coventry Sacred Heart, Coventry Christ the King and Our Lady of Lourdes Our Lady of the Assumption, Tile Hill St Patrick, Wood End Holy Family, Coventry St Joseph the Worker, Coventry St Stanislaus Kostka, Coventry The Most Holy Sacrament and St Osburg St Mary and St Benedict, Coventry Corpus Christi, Coventry St John Fisher, Coventry St Thomas More, Coventry St John Vianney, Coventry St Anne, Willenhall Dudley Deanery Our Lady and St Kenelm, Halesowen Our Lady and All Saints, Stourbridge The Sacred Heart and Holy Souls, Tipton Our Lady and St Hubert, Warley Our Blessed Lady and St Thomas of Canterbury, Dudley St Mary, Brierley Hill St Peter and the English Martyrs, Lower Gornal St Chad and All Saints, Sedgley English Martyrs, Blackheath Kidderminster Deanery Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Redditch Sacred Heart and St Catherine of Alexandria, Droitwich St Mary, Harvington St Ambrose, Kidderminster St Wulstan and St Thomas of Canterbury, Stourport Holy Family, Bewdley Our Lady of Ostra Brama, Kidderminster Lichfield Deanery SS Peter and Paul Lichfield St Anne, Streetly St John the Baptist, Tamworth St Joseph, Burntwood St Bernadette, Brownhills St Mary and St Modwen, Burton-on-Trent North Staffordshire Deanery St Joseph's, Goldenhill St Augustine of Canterbury, Meir St Mary, Norton-le-Moors Our Lady of the Angels and St Peter in Chains, Stoke St Teresa of the Child Jesus, Trent Vale Sacred Heart, Tunstall St John the Baptist, Alton English Martyrs, Biddulph Sacred Heart, Silverdale St Giles, Cheadle Holy Trinity, Newcastle under Lyme St George and St Martin, Stoke-on-Trent St Joseph, Burslem Our Lady of Perpetual Succour, Fenton Sacred Heart, Hanley St Wulstan, Wolstanton St Thomas of Canterbury, Tean Our Lady and St Benedict Abbey Hulton Oxford North Deanery Our Lady and St Anne, Caversham St Peter, Eynsham St Thomas More, Kidlington St Hugh of Lincoln, Woodstock The Oratory - St Aloysius, Oxford Corpus Christi, Headington St Edmund and St Frideswide, East Oxford Our Lady Help of Christians, Oxford St Gregory and St Augustine, Oxford St Anthony of Padua, Oxford Our Lady and St Hugh, Witney St Joseph, Carterton Blessed Dominic Barberi Littlemore Oxford Oxford South Deanery Sacred Heart, Henley-on-Thames St Michael, Sonning Common St Joseph, Thame St Edmund Campion, Watlington Rugby Deanery St Joseph, Monks Kirby Our Lady of the Angels Nuneaton Saint Marie, Rugby Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Bulkington Stafford Deanery St Mary and Thomas More, Cannock Our Lady of Lourdes, Hednesford St Joseph and St Etheldreda, Rugeley The Immaculate Conception and St Dominic, Stone Our Lady of the Assumption, Swynnerton St Austin, Stafford St Anne, Stafford St Mary, Brewood Sacred Heart, Eccleshall Walsall Deanery St Mary of the Angels, Aldridge St Mary on the Hill, Wednesbury Holy Cross, West Bromwich St Joseph, West Bromwich St Peter, Bloxwich St Mary the Mount, Walsall St Thomas of Canterbury, Walsall Holy Name of Jesus, Great Barr St Michael and the Holy Angels, West Bromwich St Francis of Assisi, Walsall Warwick Deanery St Francis of Assisi, Baddesley Clinton St Francis of Assisi, Kenilworth Our Lady and St Wulstan, Southam St Gregory the Great, Stratford Upon Avon St Joseph, Whitnash St Charles Borromeo, Hampton on the Hill St Peter Apostle, Leamington Spa St Mary Immaculate, Warwick Our Lady and St Benedict, Wootton Wawen Blessed Robert Grissold, Balsall Common Wolverhampton Deanery St Joseph, Wolverhampton Our Lady of Perpetual Succour, Wolverhampton St Christopher, Codsall St Anthony of Padua, Wolverhampton St Mary and St John, Wolverhampton St Teresa of the Infant Jesus, Wolverhampton Holy Trinity, Bilston St Michael, Wolverhampton Worcester Deanery Our Lady and St Joseph, Alcester St Joseph the Worker, Bidford-on-Avon St Mary and St Egwin, Evesham St George, Worcester Our Blessed Lady and St Alphonsus, Blackmore Park Holy Redeemer SS Wulstan and Eadburga St Joseph, Upton on Severn Friday 19 June 2020 A letter from Archbishop Bernard Longley regarding Funeral Services Dear Brothers and Sisters, I wish to thank you all for your ongoing prayers during this Pandemic. We continue to pray for those who have died and for all who have been bereaved. One of the sacrifices in this Pandemic is not having funeral services in Church. As our churches begin to re-open safely, with the help of volunteers, those that do open, may from Monday 22nd June host funeral services in accordance with the Guidelines that have been shared with clergy and with the co-operation of undertakers. These funeral services will necessarily involve volunteers to assist in cleaning churches after each funeral. The decision as to whether a funeral service may take place rests with the Parish Priest/Priest in charge. Not all churches will be able to comply with the guidelines at present, so please be aware that may be the case and please respect that situation. The Government does not permit the celebration of public Mass at present. So these funeral services may not be funeral Masses. I realise that will cause upset to mourners and clergy alike. The Bishops’ Conference is co-operating with the Government and we all hope that guidelines for the safe celebration of Mass will be agreed by the Government soon. At a different time to the funeral service, priests are encouraged to celebrate Mass alone for those who have died. This Mass may be live-streamed for mourners, if the Church has that capacity. A Mass in Memoriam may be offered for the deceased with the family present at a later date, when we are able to gather again for Mass. I anticipate that there will be further guidance agreed by the Government concerning Baptisms, Marriages and Mass in the future. These will be shared with our clergy in a timely manner. Be assured of my prayers for you all, Yours devotedly in Christ. Archbishop Bernard Longley Latest guidance - Funerals Friday 12 June 2020 Churches planning to reopen A number of churches across the Archdiocese of Birmingham are intending to reopen for individual prayer from Monday 15 June (or on the following days). You are advised to check your local church’s website, or call, for opening details before making a journey. More churches are likely to open in the coming weeks. Before any church can open it must undertake a thorough Risk Assessment, following guidance from guidelines issued by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, agreed with the government. Parishioners will still not be able to come to Mass at this stage and this must still be accessed via live stream. Parishes with live streams Wednesday 10 June 2020 Cardinal Vincent Nichols: Opening Catholic churches for private, individual prayer a "big step forward for society". Sunday 7 June 2020 Cardinal thanks Catholics for their patience as churches prepare to reopen on 15 June for private, individual prayer Cardinal Vincent Nichols’ Statement I am grateful to the Prime Minister for his decision that our churches may now open again for individual prayer. I thank the Secretary of State for Communities, Mr Robert Jenrick and the Minister of State, Lord Stephen Greenhalgh, for their leadership of the Task Force which helped bring about this important step. This is a first, measured step in restoring the more normal practice of our faith and will be welcomed by so many, who have waited with great patience since 23 March when our churches were closed, by Government decision, as part of the fight against this pandemic. I thank everyone for that patience. It is important that every care is taken to ensure that the Guidance given for this limited opening is fully observed, not least by those entering our churches. Our preparation is taking place with thoroughness. Visiting a church for individual prayer, benefitting from the sacredness of that space, can be done safely and confidently. Not every Catholic Church will be open on 15 June. Local decisions and provision have to lead this process. But it is a great blessing, for individuals and for the benefit of all in society, that church doors will again be open to all who long to pray there for the peace and grace we need today. This first step enables us to learn and prepare for those that will take us to a fuller use of our churches, for the celebration of Mass and other sacraments. We await that time with deep longing but patient understanding that the protection of the health of our society, especially of the most vulnerable, is a proper cause for caution and care. Cardinal Vincent NicholsPresident, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales The Government's Press Release: Places of worship to re-open for individual prayer Archdiocese Update The Archdiocese is currently considering which parishes can be safely opened for private prayer from 15 June and how this will be effectively managed. Before they can open, these parishes must undertake a thorough Risk Assessment, following guidance from guidelines issued by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, agreed with the government. Parishioners will still not be able to come to Mass at that stage and this must still be accessed via live stream. Parishes with Live Streams