To Our Parishioners,

Please see updates below from The Diocese of Covington - EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY.

We have been following very closely the information that the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has been providing for us. I have also spoken to fellow bishops, have established a Coronavirus task force to study the situation and make recommendations in how we should address it locally, have met this morning with our Deans and Vicars, have asked for and received from almost every pastor their experience and that of their parishioners from this past weekend Masses. Taking all this into consideration and especially having taken it to prayer, the following is our response.

1. Public weekday and Sunday Masses in every parish church, in every chapel and oratory, in every religious house, in any of our institutions are suspended effective Friday, 20 March 2020. Since the situation is so fluid, this suspension will be in effect until further notice. There are no exceptions to this suspension.
2. Public celebration of the Sacraments and other public forms of worship are suspended indefinitely. This includes Lenten Penance Services, other Lenten devotions, celebrations of First Holy Communion, Communion Services, etc. Obviously, this is not an exhaustive list.
3. The Sacrament of Reconciliation (confession) and Anointing of the Sick are permitted on a private basis upon request.
4. Funerals, burial services, and already scheduled weddings are permitted but attendance must be limited to a maximum of 10 participants. This includes the celebrant.
5. Parish priests are advised to provide the faithful with Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament for a brief period each day. Attendees are directed to practice social distancing.
6. All parish office activity is to be suspended for a period of two weeks beginning on Friday, 20 After that date, parish office activity should be limited to a few days a week at most with a minimum number of staff.
7. All parish meetings of any kind are likewise to be canceled.
8. All parish socials of any sort are to be canceled. This includes, but is not limited to, fish frys (eat-in or carry-out) and bingo.

All previously published diocesan protocols addressing the COVID-19 remain in force. 

The St. Barbara Adoration Chapel will remain open for meditation and personal prayer (limit of 4 persons), with the exception of Wednesday and Saturday from 10am-Noon for sanitizing.  The code is 1234*.  We would advise all those who use the chapel to practice social distancing per the CDC guidelines. Hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes will be made available for your use.

Our weekly bulletin and homily will still be made available online for your reading and listening pleasure. The printed bulletin will not be made available at this time.

While sanitation and cleaning routines are already part of our parish protocol for the St. Barbara campus, we will be closely monitoring advisories from federal and state health officials as we move forward. Since conditions are changing rapidly, we will keep you updated on any changes regarding COVID-19 and how it relates to our parish activity. For official country and state up-to-date information regarding COVID-19 please visit  www.cdc.gov/coronavirus  or www.kycovid19.ky.gov

This is an unprecedented time for all of us. Please continue to remember your family, friends, neighbors, and those who are directly affected by this pandemic. Many people are out of work due to office, restaurant, and retail closures. If you wish us to help others by making an additional financial contribution please donate electronically thru our website at https://stbarbaraky.weshareonline.org . One-time donations can be made to the Sunday Collection or St. Vincent DePaul tabs. As always if you wish to continue your Sunday donation, please use the We Share link above to contribute or mail your weekly envelopes to the office.

Please note since parish activities are cancelled, we are changing our office hours to BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. If you have questions, need to make an appointment or contact Fr. John Sterling please call us at 371-3100. Any elderly parishioners who have specific questions please contact Fr. Sterling for assistance. If no one is available select the appropriate extension to leave a message. Your call will be returned as soon as possible.

Take care and God bless.

Fr. John Sterling