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Re-gathering at CCC
04.15.2021

Christ Church Cathedral

March 25, 2022 • Masks Optional for Vaccinated Individuals

As of Sunday, March 27, face masks will be optional for all vaccinated individuals. We are so very excited to see smiling faces at the church! (Masks are still required for those who are unvaccinated.)

We greatly appreciate the patience and cooperation of everyone over the last two years to ensure the safety of all our members and visitors. We will continue to keep an eye on the transmission and positivity rates in central Indiana, adjusting our guidelines as needed.

December 22, 2021 • Christmas Services Regathering Update

We look forward to safely welcoming you to our Christmas services at Christ Church Cathedral! Given the significant recent surge of the COVID-19 coronavirus in Indianapolis, we are implementing the following policies for the continued safety and health of our members, guests, and staff, effective immediately.

  • Mask wearing, over the nose and mouth, continues to be required at all times in the Cathedral.
  • We will reduce the seating capacity to 65% in the Cathedral for our Christmas Eve services. This means that approximately every other pew will be roped off, though some multiple pews will be available for larger family groups.
  • Once we reach 65% capacity at each worship service, our staff and ushers will invite additional guests to overflow seating in the Parish Hall, where a livestream of the liturgy will be projected, and Holy Communion will be administered by a priest.
  • If you are in a high-risk category, if you feel ill or are experiencing any symptoms, or if you are not yet vaccinated or boosted, please stay home and celebrate with us online at cccindy.org/live.
  • Our clergy will take COVID-19 rapid tests and be required to show a negative result before services.
  • If you are able to take a rapid test before attending services at CCC, please do so.

Loving our neighbors as ourselves is the primary commandment of the Christ-child whose birth we will celebrate. Even though we are weary, may God refresh and strengthen us this Christmas with the joy of hope and peace and love, however we celebrate and worship together.

Yours in Christ,

The Very Reverend Gray Lesesne, D.Min.
Dean and Rector

October 10, 2021 • Regathering Update

As we continue to see a downward trend in Marion County Infection rates, the Dean, in consultation with the Wardens, have made the following adjustments to our Regathering Guidelines.

Sunday Worship:

  • Masks will continue to be required in public worship and in the Cathedral Nave until after a vaccine plan is widely available and implemented for children ages 5+.
  • Choirs will be able to return at full capacity as of October 10, for those members who are willing to return and accept the risks that are inherent with the inability to socially distance during worship. (Note: all choir members must be vaccinated according to the Bishop’s guidelines.)
  • If a choir or staff member is infected, we will ask them to stay at home, and we will notify those whom they were around that there is a risk of infection and that they should isolate and get tested if they experience symptoms. We will not cancel our public worship again unless there is a significant group risk that we cannot mitigate through our ongoing socially-distanced staffing practices.
  • Effective October 10, congregational singing will be again permitted.

Regular Hours & Group Settings 

  • The Cathedral will be open for prayer and sanctuary on weekdays, starting October 3, from Morning Prayer (8:30 a.m.) until Evening Prayer (5:30 p.m.)
  • As of October 10, we will return to offering externally prepared community meals and allowing small groups to meet in the Cathedral building, for those who are willing to return and accept the risks of doing so. Masking will still be required in small group settings when people are not eating.
  • Masking will still be recommended, though not required, for staff members and guests working in the building on weekdays.

September 12, 2021 • Regathering Update

In light of the safe resumption of some formation programs starting this Sunday (9/12), the Dean in consultation with the Wardens, have made slight adjustments to our Regathering Guidelines.

The updated guidelines will remain in effect until after the current Delta variant subsides.

  • Sunday Worship will continue to be at 75% capacity with social distancing, with no congregational singing.
  • Small groups/committees are still encouraged to meet outside/online. If groups do meet inside, we will not serve meals and everyone must remain masked and distanced at all times. The one exception to this guideline will be the Monday, September 27 Vestry in-person meeting with Bishop Baskerville-Burrows for her annual visitation. We will meet in the Parish Hall and remain masked and distanced from each other, and we will only unmask for a brief socially-distanced dinner.
  • Program/ministry staff will minimize days that we are in the office/building together so that if one of us tests positive, there is a lower chance we will infect each other. All staff meetings are now via Zoom rather than in-person.
  • Sunday Christian Formation will resume this Sunday, September 12, with the following safety guidelines:
    • Sunday Children’s Formation for ages 3-12 will meet in the Parish Hall from 11-12:15, where our children can be considerably socially distanced from each other. Masks are required, and no snacks will be served.
    • The nursery will remain closed until at least October 3.
    • Youth will meet from 11-12:15, on the lawn, socially distanced.
    • Adult Formation (aka The Forum) in English will meet in the Nave after 10 a.m. worship, masked, socially distanced, and with no food.
    • Adult Formation in Spanish will meet in the Lilly Room at 11:30 a.m., masked, socially distanced, and with no food. (Room will be reset as classroom style.)
    • Youth Confirmation Group on Sunday evenings will meet outdoors.
  • Music 
    • 10 a.m.: Our choir of vaccinated adults increases to 8 persons, masked/socially distanced. No choristers will sing.
    • 1 p.m.: Our choir of vaccinated adults increases to 8 persons, masked/socially distanced. (Instrumentalists will move to the floor so we can use both sides of choir for further spacing.)
    • Evensong will resume on Tuesdays/Thursday evenings and will be led by choristers. They will sing on the Nave floor in pews, masked, separated and at great distance from each other. We will offer a small section for the congregation in the back of the Cathedral.
    • Coro Latinoamericano: Rehearsal will resume on Thursday nights. The group will rehearse on the Nave floor in pews, masked, separated and at great distance from each other. (No choir supper will be offered.)
    • 10 a.m. Choir: Rehearsal for adults will resume on Thursday nights in the Parish Hall, masked, separated and at great distance from each other. (No choir supper will be offered.)
  • Weekday Worship:
    • In-person worship begins on Tuesday, September 8 with Morning, Evening Prayer (masked, socially distanced); this will continue to be live-streamed.
    • Noonday Eucharist follows all diocesan protocols and is masked and socially distant.
    • Cathedral remains closed except for daily prayer services.

August 18, 2021 • Online Only This Sunday

Multiple staff members at CCC have now tested positive for COVID-19 and we will remain “online only” for worship this weekend. We continue to check in with and offer support to our staff who have undergone testing throughout the last week. Please keep them and all those who suffer from COVID-19 in your prayers.

To further prevent any community spread and to protect one another, all services at Christ Church Cathedral on Sunday, August 22 will be ONLINE ONLY. We are grateful for the Wardens and Diocesan staff for their consultation and support of this decision.

On Sunday, join us for virtual worship:

Because those volunteers who assist with Sunday morning community breakfast remain unexposed, we will again offer a to-go breakfast Sunday at 7 a.m. for our downtown neighbors. However, the Cathedral building will be closed.

Please continue to mask, encourage your friends and family to get vaccinated, and be cautious in gathering as an act of love for ourselves and our neighbors. Through diligent response, contact tracing, and testing, we hope to regather for worship soon, and we will communicate any updates quickly and efficiently.

Thank you all for your understanding, your flexibility, and your commitment to “Widening the Circle of God’s Embrace” (virtually).

August 14, 2021 • Services Online This Sunday

In an abundance of caution and mindful of our mission to protect one another from COVID-19, all services at Christ Church Cathedral on Sunday, August 15 will be ONLINE ONLY. This decision has been made by the Dean in consultation with our Wardens and the Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis.

We were notified today that a member of our staff has tested positive for COVID-19. Our staff and ministry team have recently had in-person contact with them. We are checking in with them on an ongoing basis to offer our support and prayers.

We have asked staff members to be tested for COVID-19 and ask that you keep the member of our CCC family and all those who suffer from COVID-19 in your prayers.

To keep our community safe and healthy, we are moving all of tomorrow’s services online.

Tomorrow, join us for virtual worship:

Tonight’s concert, Music in Bloom: FORWARD, will no longer be an in-person event. We will record the concert and broadcast it at a later date.

Because those volunteers who assist with Sunday morning community breakfast have not been exposed, we will still offer a to-go breakfast tomorrow at 7 a.m. for our downtown neighbors. However, the Cathedral building will be closed.

Please continue to mask, encourage your friends and family to get vaccinated, and be cautious in gathering as an act of love for ourselves and our neighbor.

August 11, 2021 • Regathering Update

As the ground shifts with the COVID-19 Delta Variant and in compliance with our regathering policy, Christ Church Cathedral will move to the following gathering guidelines through Labor Day weekend (September 6, 2021):

  • We will continue requiring masks at all our worship services and limit attendance capacity to 75% of the Cathedral’s seating with social distancing requirements (approximately 80-85 people per service).
  • All staff will return to wearing masks during business hours.
  • Any congregational or community meetings held inside must be socially distanced, remain masked and with no offering of food. We highly encourage groups to meet outside or online.
  • We will refrain from congregational singing and move to having a quartet lead music in our worship.
  • As planned, our Strawberry Festival volunteers will be masked for their entire shift.

Changes to our regathering guidelines are made in consultation by our Dean and Wardens with the Diocese, and determined by the following metrics which have been approved by the Vestry:

  • The number of COVID-19 cases in Marion County has consistently been decreasing downward for the past 14 days.
  • The infection rate in Marion County is less than 1.0%.
  • The positive test rate in Marion County is less than 10%, preferably closer to 3% or less.

As of yesterday, the Marion County infection rate is 1.25 and the positive test rate is 9.6%. There has been an upward trend for 14 days.

God calls us to bear each other’s burdens and love our neighbors as ourselves. Therefore, we will continue to be cautious in our regathering procedures and mindful of our mission to stand with the vulnerable and marginalized.

May 27, 2021 Update

Beginning Sunday, June 6, we invite you to worship with us in-person at 8 am, 10 am, or 1 pm, with no advanced registration required.

The Cathedral’s Vestry approved an updated regathering plan that permits us to worship at 75% capacity (with social distancing) and that joyfully embraces the Bishop’s latest guidelines that allow vaccinated choir members to sing.

Mindful that our mission calls us to stand with the vulnerable and marginalized, we will continue requiring masks for everyone in the congregation, regardless of vaccination status.

April 15, 2021 Update

The Cathedral’s Vestry and staff have been hard at work developing a regathering plan that will allow people to return joyfully and safely to our church building. The Bishop accepted our proposal the second week of April.

We are pleased to announce that in-person Sunday worship resumed on Sunday, May 2, with the following precautions:

  • In-person Sunday worship is limited to 25% capacity at 8 am, 10 am, and 1 pm. The 10 am and 1 pm services also will be streamed online. Services may be moved outdoors to the lawn if COVID positivity rates and 14-day average case numbers in Marion County remain at unadvisable levels.
  • For anyone not ready or able to gather indoors, we will offer a 4 pm bilingual service outdoors on Sundays.
  • The Holy Eucharist will be celebrated, in accordance with the Bishop’s directions and guidelines, with Communion of the people in bread only.
  • The Peace will be exchanged symbolically.
  • Attendees must pre-register for each service. Registration allows us to contact attendees directly and efficiently in case plans change.
  • Attendees should use the St. Francis door (closest to the Columbia Club). Arrival times will be staggered to reduce congestion. Note the arrival time when you select your tickets online.
  • Masks, social distancing, and refraining from singing will be required at all times. Attendees will be asked to confirm they and their household have not experienced COVID-19 symptoms or been exposed to COVID-19 before entering the Nave.
  • The Nursery, Children’s Areas, and Parish Hall will be closed, with the exception of a small changing area/children’s restroom.

This plan is contingent on a continued decline in COVID-19 cases and positivity rate in Marion County.

REGISTER NOW

May through June

To register for a service through June, click on a service time listed below. You then will be prompted to select a date and your preferred arrival time. Tickets must be reserved by the Wednesday prior to any given Sunday. If COVID-19 cases and positivity rate in Marion County do not meet requirements, CCC staff may move all services outdoors for the safety of all attendees. Please watch your email for any updates.

Pentecost Sunday, May 23

On Pentecost Sunday, May 23, we will offer one bilingual live service at 11 am in lieu of 10 am, 1 pm, and 4 pm services. This service will be held outside at Military Park. Attendees must bring their own lawn chairs or picnic blankets. Register for Pentecost Sunday here.

IUPUI has offered free parking at the surface lot on the northeast corner of New York St. and N. Blackford St. Find additional parking options at downtownindy.org. CCC will validate parking at Express Park as usual for anyone who want to walk that far.

Thank you in advance for your understanding and flexibility as we navigate this new stage in our church life.

Canceling Reservations

If you reserved your tickets in advance and find you cannot attend as planned, please log in to your Eventbrite account to cancel your order. Doing so before the reservation deadline (Wednesday night) will make it possible for others to attend in your place.