29 December 2021

Dear Friends in Christ,

I want to thank everyone who worked so hard to make our Christmas worship so beautiful. The acolytes, servers, altar guild, flower guild, candle guild, ushers, lectors, and musicians deserve our praise. Also, our Christmas offering request for livestreaming enhancements has done well considering the understated appeal. Approximately $3,240 has been raised, and some have yet to give. Donations may be made through the parish website, and Christmas giving envelopes remain in the church.

With the new surge in COVID cases, houses of worship are being advised to assess their COVID protocols due to the evolving situation. I am grateful that most of our congregation has been vaccinated and boosted. If you have not received your booster yet, please get boosted immediately for the sake of yourself and others.

The following changes are being implemented immediately for the short term.

Attendance at Solemn Masses and Sunday Evensongs will require evidence of vaccination for those 12 years and older. We will not be dealing with COVID tests – only vaccination records.
The 8:30 am mass on Sundays will be a Low Mass without music. This service will not require evidence of vaccination.
The mass on New Year’s Day will be a low mass, and the New Year’s Day post-mass reception has been cancelled.
On Epiphany Day, the Solemn Mass will be celebrated at 6:15 pm, but the Epiphany Party following the mass has been cancelled. Attendees at the Epiphany Mass must show evidence of vaccination.
Many of our services will continue to be livestreamed for those who are unable to attend in-person.

My hope is that these requirements strike a balance regarding the health of the community and the practice of our life-giving faith. If one is not vaccinated, one may still access the Sacraments of the Church which are necessary for our health. These requirements also allow us to continue having music, the language of the saints and angels in heaven. We know that for those who have been vaccinated and boosted, the risks of omicron are mostly minimal.

I am grateful that an overwhelming majority of the congregation has been vaccinated and boosted. Our percentages are much higher than the general populace of Oahu. My sense is that the above changes will not affect most of the congregation. As we continue to celebrate the days of Christmas, let us do what is necessary to begin the new year in a healthy way. We pray for the safety of all - especially for the unvaccinated, for medical professionals, and for frontline workers.

Blessings to you and your loved ones this Christmastide,
Father Paul Lillie +
Rector of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Honolulu