The 8:30 a.m. Mass returned to Resurrection Parish in Wausau on Sept. 6, thanks to new trained greeters and sanitizers for worship, Msgr. Mark said in the church's Aug. 30 bulletin.

In-person worship had been suspended since mid-March by the executive order of Gov. Tony Evers, which outlawed gatherings of 10 or more individuals. Msgr. Mark called that order “quite a shock to our sense of our selves as a worshiping people,” although the churches were always open for personal prayer and Holy Communion was available by appointment.

After the state’s Supreme Court overturned Evers’ mandate, churches were allowed to return to Sunday and weekday worship, with some restrictions.

The Catholic Bishops of the state issued 54 guidelines, influenced by the best consensus of medical minds, and the parish is allowed to gather for worship, under a few conditions:

• 25% capacity for attendance;
• One entrance of the church;
• Reducing elements of prayer that could lead to viral spread;
• Suspension of the Holy Communion in the form of the Lord’s Blood;
• Encouraging attendees to receive the Eucharist in their hands;
• Encouraging the use of hand sanitizers and masks;
• Controlling entrance and exit of the space.

To make those things happen, more special helpers were needed, as was special equipment.

On Pentecost, parishoners returned to Sunday worship with two masses at St. Michaels (because the 25% seating capacity meant that 110 could attend each Mass).

The third Mass will be at Resurrection, with the same limitations as those listed above, except that the 25% attendance is 65 worshippers.

“We ask you to continue registering to attend Mass either via the parish website or by phone so we don’t have more people aiming to attend than we can serve,” the monsignor said in the bulletin.