By Nel Andrade
ANTIPOLO CITY – With many Catholics eager to go to church and attend the physical celebration of the Holy Mass, the National Shrine of the Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage here has been preparing for what will be the “new normal” in liturgical activities.
The official social media page of the Antipolo Cathedral announced that the church, which enshrines the centuries-old image of the Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage, has started crafting measures that will be implemented once the city is placed under the modified general community quarantine (MGCQ).
Under the MGCQ, church gatherings will be allowed, but only 50 percent of the total seating capacity, with strict physical distancing being observed at all times.
Once the city is placed under the MGCQ, the cathedral will be opened, and markers on the pews inside the church will indicate to guide where the people will enter, sit and exit.
Ushers at the entrances will check the temperature of the churchgoers and will be guided to where they should sit. Foot baths and hand sanitizers will also be made available at the entrances.
Even as the church remains closed under the general community quarantine (GCQ), there were still some people who dropped by and stayed outside the church to pray.
The cathedral also said that live streaming of masses will still be continued, especially for the elderly and the sick people and those aged 21 years old and below, who will not be allowed to go out since they could be at risk during the pandemic.