Office of the Bishop
Diocese of Antigonish
168 Hawthorne Street, P.O. Box 1330
Antigonish, NS B2G 2L7
Chancery 902-863-3335 / Fax 902-863-0037
Residence 902-863-1557
E-mail: bishopkirkpatrick@dioceseofantigonish.ca

(Pastoral note 28 /2021) December 21, 2021 (St. Peter Canisius, Doctor of the Church)

My dear Clergy and My dear People,
In providing a COVID -19 update today, Premier Tim Houston and Dr. Robert Strang, Chief Medical Officer of Health announced that the province will require further restrictive measures effective tomorrow, December 22, 2021. We will need to continue wearing masks and maintain physical distancing and now faith gatherings indoor and outdoors are limited to 25 % capacity to a maximum of 50 people. No choirs or congregational singing will be permitted but there can be one person singing. Wedding and funeral Masses may be celebrated following the same protocols of 25 % capacity to a maximum of 50 people but there can be no receptions. Please find attached the following link. https://novascotia.ca/news/release/?id=20211221004 Such restrictions are a major disappointment for all of us especially as we prepare to celebrate Christmas, but as Bishop, I support these directives and I instruct that our churches follow these provincial protocols.

Fraternally in Christ,
+ Wayne Kirkpatrick
Bishop Wayne Kirkpatrick