ICMQP resumes ‘Mass with the People’ amid MGCQ in Tagum City

June 7, 2020

TAGUM, Davao—Immaculate Conception of Mary Quasi Parish has celebrated the first 'Missa cum populo' or Mass with the people on Trinity Sunday since the implementation of Enhanced Community Quarantine in Tagum City.

ICMQP Administrator Rev. Fr. Jaime S. Ozoa gathered the Ministry of Lectors on Saturday to discuss guidelines on the 'new normal' celebration of the Holy Mass in the Quasi Parish.

Ozoa also instructed staff and altar boys to serve as collectors during Offertory and assist the movement of mass-goers systematically during Holy Communion.

Inter-agency Task Force (IATF) officials, and members of Tagum Diocesan Curia held snap inspections to parishes in the Diocese on June 5 tagging ICMQP as ‘ready for mass gatherings’.

Parish workers placed footbaths, washing stall, and floor markings around chapel premises in order to avoid coronavirus contamination during Holy Mass as instructed by the Diocese.

Staff and point persons gathered contact information of mass-goers required by the IATF upon entering the chapel for contact tracing in case of possible COVID-19 transmission.

ICMQP administrators implemented one-hour intervals on the Holy Mass schedule to provide enough time for disinfecting church pews after the mass.

In Executive Order 2020–47, Tagum City Mayor Allan L. Rellon has placed the city under Modified General Community Quarantine on June 1 allowing religious gatherings in pursuant to IATF guidelines.