Services at St. Paul's
Frequently Asked Questions About Services at St. Paul's
Yes. At St. Paul’s we have two opportunities for in-person worship each Sunday, at 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
What will the services be?
- 9:00 a.m. Service Schedule
- First Sunday- Holy Eucharist Rite I (traditional Elizabethan language with “thee” and “thous”)
- Second Sunday-Fifth Sunday- Holy Eucharist Rite II (Contemporary language)
- 5:00 p.m. Service Schedule
- First Sunday- Holy Eucharist Rite II (spoken service contemporary language)
- Second Sunday- Choral Evensong (evening worship with music provided by the Cathedral Choristers)
- Third Sunday- Holy Eucharist Rite I (traditional Elizabethan language with “thee” and “thous”)
- Fourth Sunday- Compline (evening worship with varying music)
- Fifth Sunday- Contemplative Service (guided meditations, sampling music and prayers from a variety of sources.)
Can I still stay home and participate in the service?
Yes! Online livestreamed worship is available for every service on the Cathedral website, YouTube page and Facebook page.
What do I need to do to attend a service?
Advance registration is required for all services.
Is there a way to make a reservation by phone?
Yes. You may call the Cathedral main number 405-235-3436
Are there any restrictions about who can come to church?
Everyone is welcome to come to church!
Should I come to church or continue to participate online?
If you are in any at-risk category or have concerns about your health or safety, or the health and safety of the people in your household, you are encouraged to consider continuing to worship with the Cathedral from home, through our livestreamed worship. We love you and want you to do what is best for you and those you love!
What will our return to in-person worship look like?
Because COVID-19 continues to be a daily reality, The Diocese of Oklahoma and the Cathedral have prepared guidelines to keep us all safe. At least for a season, in-person worship will look and feel different from the worship to which we are accustomed.
How many people can come to church with the distancing guidelines?
At least initially, attendance will be limited to 65 worshipers per service, so that we can ensure physical distancing guidelines.
How will the seating process work?
Plan to arrive at the Cathedral at least ten minutes before your registered service time. Late arrivals cannot be guaranteed a seat. The doors to the Cathedral will be opened for people to find a seat fifteen minutes prior to the service. This minimizes the time we spend inside.
At the time of the service you are registered to attend, please come to the Cathedral, put your mask on in the parking lot, and check in at the welcome table. Give your name to the usher and have your temperature checked. If you’ve reserved your seat by calling the Cathedral office your name will be on the list of those registered to attend. Once you’ve been checked in, please sanitize your hands and find a place to sit.
Please maintain a distance of 6ft or more from others at all times. We know it is difficult, but please do not hug, shake hands, or touch. Keep your mask on at all times (covering your mouth and nose) with the exception of when/if you receive communion.
Will people be wearing masks?
As required by diocesan guidelines, we will all wear masks that cover both mouth and nose while on the Cathedral campus, with the exception of small children (age 3 and under).
What about music?
Due to evidence of community viral spread through singing, there will be no congregational hymnody. A soloist or small choral ensemble will provide sacred music, along with organ and other instruments.
Will we have Communion?
We will celebrate Holy Eucharist, though only bread will be shared. We will not share wine at this time. This is called “Communion in one kind,” and it is a full measure of grace. The Celebrant (the priest presiding at the altar) will consume the Blood of Christ on behalf of the congregation.
What safety precautions will be taken at Communion?
The way Communion is administered will be different. An usher will alert you when it is your row’s turn to come forward for communion. Use the hand sanitizer located in your pew back prior to exiting your pew. Please maintain social distancing in the aisle. As you come to the priest, extend your arms to receive the host. The priest will be extremely cautious in avoiding touching your hands. Should touching occur, the priest will sanitize their hands before communing the next person. Sanitize your hands again once you return to your pew.
How can I take Communion with a mask on?
Please remove your mask only long enough to consume your wafer after you have walked away from the priest.
What about my children?
Children of all ages are welcome in church, as always. We will not initially offer childcare. Children over the age of 3 are encouraged to wear masks.
How will I get to church with impaired mobility issues?
All people will need to check in at the welcome table located on 7th street. The ramp accessed through the court yard will be the ramp we use.
Will we have the Adult Forum Hour?
Adult Formation is in-person and online beginning at 10:10 a.m. The Weekly Announcement email will have all online access details. To attend in person, you need to register. You do not have to be checked in again if you attended worship at 9:00 a.m.
What about Church School?
Formation and ministry with children, youth, and their families is incredibly important. Events and formation activities are currently being planned. Families should look for new information soon, including a survey about the needs of our families at this time.
What do you mean “livestreamed?”
Those at home will encounter worship live alongside those gathered in the Cathedral. Worship is broadcast live (not pre-recorded) at 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. If you choose to watch livestreamed worship on the Cathedral’s Facebook page, an online usher will be present to take prayer requests and help guide you through the service.
If the livestream has problems, what can I do?
Even the best technology sometimes doesn’t work perfectly. Sometimes this is an issue with our host sites Facebook or YouTube. If the livestream freezes or doesn’t air as it should on the platform you are watching, we encourage you to switch to another platform. If the Cathedral website freezes, go directly to the Cathedral’s YouTube or Facebook pages. I. Also know that the livestream is retained as a recorded video on the website. You can always watch it after 11 a.m. The recorded video may stream with no problems.
What if there is another surge of the virus?
We will monitor local COVID-19 conditions weekly. It is possible that we may need to suspend in-person worship again in the future.
What if there is a COVID-19 exposure at a service? What if I discover I have attended a service while positive with COVID-19?
If the Cathedral learns of an exposure to COVID-19 at a service, all people who were in attendance at that service will be communicated with immediately. Our safety protocols are such that an exposure should pose little risk if properly followed.
CDC guidelines state that only those who have been in close proximity (6ft or less) for a cumulative total of 15 minutes (with mask on or off) would be at risk and need to immediately quarantine and get tested 48 hours-5 days later. If we all follow the safety protocols then no one should ever be at risk.
If you discover that you are positive with COVID-19 after attending a service, please contact the church immediately so that way we can begin the communication process.
Will we ever have more services or return to the “normal” worship schedule?
We will monitor the attendance at each service to determine if more services need to be added. Careful consideration has been taken in determining the number and the hour of services. A return to normal is a long way off and we join you in your frustrations and pray that the virus will ease and allow us to make our way to a more regular and routine life together.
Supporting the Cathedral
The Cathedral is continuing to be engaged in ministry. Our pastoral care, outreach, worship, and program ministries carry on, even if in different ways, and supporting Cathedral ministries is as important as ever. You can make your offering in any of these ways:
- Visit the Cathedral Give page to find out the many ways you can support our church.
- Mail an offering directly to the church
- Text Stpaulsokc and an amount to 73256. Example - Stpaulsokc $50