FAQs about worship at St. Paul's
Below are commonly asked questions about worship, both in-person and online
Yes. At St. Paul’s we have two opportunities for in-person worship each Sunday, at 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
Is there in-person worship at St. Paul’s Cathedral?
What will the services be?
Yes! Online livestreamed worship is available for every service on the Cathedral website, YouTube page and Facebook page.
Can I still stay home and participate in the service?
What do I need to do to attend a service?
Everyone is welcome to come to church!
Are there any restrictions about who can come to church?
If you are in any at-risk category or have concerns about your health or safety, or the health and safety of the people in your household, you are encouraged to consider continuing to worship with the Cathedral from home, through our livestreamed worship. We love you and want you to do what is best for you and those you love!
Should I come to church or continue to participate online?
Because COVID-19 continues to be a daily reality, The Diocese of Oklahoma and the Cathedral have prepared guidelines to keep us all safe. At least for a season, in-person worship will look and feel different from the worship to which we are accustomed.
-mandatory mask wearingWhat will our return to in-person worship look like?
-social distancing
-no congregational singing
-singers are masked
-communion in one kind (bread only)
-no contact passing of the peace and offering plates
-frequent hand sanitizing
-sanitizing the Nave after each service
At least initially, attendance will be limited to 60 worshipers per service, so that we can ensure physical distancing guidelines.
How many people can come to church with the distancing guidelines?
Plan to arrive at the Cathedral at least ten minutes before your registered service time. Late arrivals cannot be guaranteed a seat. The doors to the Cathedral will be opened for people to find a seat fifteen minutes prior to the service. This minimizes the time we spend inside.
Please maintain a distance of 6ft or more from others at all times. We know it is difficult, but please do not hug, shake hands, or touch. Keep your mask on at all times (covering your mouth and nose) with the exception of when/if you receive communion.
How will the seating process work?
At the time of the service you are registered to attend, please come to the Cathedral, put your mask on in the parking lot, and check in at the welcome table. Give your name to the usher and have your temperature checked. Once you’ve been checked in, please sanitize your hands and find a place to sit.
As required by diocesan guidelines, we will all wear masks that cover both mouth and nose while on the Cathedral campus, with the exception of small children (age 3 and under). This includes the singers and organist.
Will people be wearing masks?
What about music?
We will celebrate Holy Eucharist, though only bread will be shared. We will not share wine at this time. This is called “Communion in one kind,” and it is a full measure of grace. The Celebrant (the priest presiding at the altar) will consume the Blood of Christ on behalf of the congregation.
Will we have Communion?
The way Communion is administered will be different. An usher will alert you when it is your row’s turn to come forward for communion. Use the hand sanitizer located in your pew back prior to exiting your pew. Please maintain social distancing in the aisle. As you come to the priest, extend your arms to receive the host. The priest will be extremely cautious in avoiding touching your hands. Should touching occur, the priest will sanitize their hands before communing the next person. Sanitize your hands again once you return to your pew.
What safety precautions will be taken at Communion?
Please remove your mask only long enough to consume your wafer after you have walked away from the priest. Replace your mask immediately.
How can I take Communion with a mask on?
Children of all ages are welcome in church, as always. We will not initially offer childcare. Children over the age of 3 are encouraged to wear masks.
What about my children?
All people will need to check in at the welcome table located on 7th street. The ramp accessed through the court yard will be the ramp we use.
How will I get to church with impaired mobility issues?
Adult Formation is in-person and online beginning at 10:10 a.m. The Weekly Announcement email will have all online access details. To attend in person, you need to register. You do not have to be checked in again if you attended worship at 9:00 a.m.
Will we have the Adult Forum Hour?
Formation and ministry with children, youth, and their families is incredibly important. Events and formation activities are currently being planned. Families should look for new information soon, including a survey about the needs of our families at this time.
Contact Children and Family Minister Ashley Ozan at [email protected]
Contact Canon for Youth and Families Tim Sean Youmans+ at [email protected]
What about Church School?
Those at home will encounter worship live alongside those gathered in the Cathedral. Worship is broadcast live (not pre-recorded) at 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. If you choose to watch livestreamed worship on the Cathedral’s Facebook page, an online usher will be present to take prayer requests and help guide you through the service.
What do you mean “livestreamed?”
Even the best technology sometimes doesn’t work perfectly. Sometimes this is an issue with our host sites Facebook or YouTube. If the livestream freezes or doesn’t air as it should on the platform you are watching, we encourage you to switch to another platform. If the Cathedral website freezes, go directly to the Cathedral’s YouTube or Facebook pages. I. Also know that the livestream is retained as a recorded video on the website. You can always watch it after 11 a.m. The recorded video may stream with no problems.
If the livestream has problems, what can I do?
If the Cathedral learns of an exposure to COVID-19 at a service, all people who were in attendance at that service will be communicated with immediately. Our safety protocols are such that an exposure should pose little risk if properly followed. However, it is important to not that there is risk when worshiping in-person, despite our best efforts.
CDC guidelines state that only those who have been in close proximity (6ft or less) for a cumulative total of 15 minutes (with mask on or off) would be at risk and need to immediately quarantine and get tested 48 hours-5 days later. If we all follow the safety protocols then no one should ever be at risk.
If you discover that you are positive with COVID-19 after attending a service, please contact the church immediately so that way we can begin the communication process.
What if there is a COVID-19 exposure at a service? What if I discover I have attended a service while positive with COVID-19?
We will monitor the attendance at each service to determine if more services need to be added. Careful consideration has been taken in determining the number and the hour of services. A return to normal is a long way off and we join you in your frustrations and pray that the virus will ease and allow us to make our way to a more regular and routine life together.
Will we ever have more services or return to the “normal” worship schedule?
The Cathedral is continuing to be engaged in ministry. Our pastoral care, outreach, worship, and program ministries carry on, even if in different ways, and supporting Cathedral ministries is as important as ever. You can make your offering in any of these ways:Supporting the Cathedral
