With Christmas fast approaching, Montreal’s 192 Catholic parishes and missions are preparing to welcome people to church in great numbers for the Christmas and New Year’s celebrations.

“For many faithful, Christmas Mass will have a special meaning,” says Archbishop Christian Lépine, “since Montreal was in the red zone last year and attendance at Mass was restricted to 25 people. Many people are yearning to commemorate the birth of Jesus once again by taking part in these beautiful and prayerful celebrations.”  

In the course of the pandemic, it became apparent that religious worship was indeed an essential service. For that reason, attending church does not require a vaccination passport. Nevertheless, restricting the number of participants to a maximum of 250, wearing masks and maintaining the one-metre distance rule must be followed.

However, to allow more than 250 persons to attend a given Mass, parishes who choose to do so might in addition include celebrations for which a vaccination passport would be required.

Those intending to attend Christmas Mass are strongly advised to consult their local parish website and/or Facebook page beforehand for the schedule of Masses and for information regarding access to the church and the public-health guidelines in effect.
 

For more details, contact your parish or consult the parish website