NOTRE-DAME CATHEDRAL

Archbishop Prendergast is posting periodic messages to the faithful of the Archdiocese of Ottawa-Cornwall.  To see the latest message go to www.catholicottawa.ca

Click here for the Archbishop's message on the reopening of the churches.

Archbishop Terrence Prendergast and Rabbi Dr, Reuven P, Bulka have composed a National Prayer in the wake of COVID-19. Please click here to read.

The Cathedral is located on Sussex Dr. between St. Patrick and Guigues,
across from the National Gallery.

OFFICE
56 Guigues Ave, Ottawa, K1N 5H5
Phone: 613-241-7496
Fax: 613-241-1627
info@notredameottawa.com

OFFICE HOURS- CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
Monday-Friday 9-12, 1-4

During July and August we will be closed Fridays @ 12 Noon

Before each Mass in the Parish Hall

Confessors understand both English and French

A campaign was launched on May 26th, 2019 to help us preserve one of Canada's musical gems: the organ here at Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica.

It is the first organ to use electric key action in North America and one of the three outstanding organs in the history of the Casavant firm.

Please pick up a leaflet at the main entrance for more information on what the project entailed. You may also click on the picture.

Notice of Reopening

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Greetings from your parish priests and deacons at Notre Dame Cathedral Parish.

We are pleased to announce we can resume the celebration of the Eucharist at Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica! To comply with provincial health regulations, the Archdiocese of Ottawa requires us to adopt some best practices for safeguarding the health of our parishioners and volunteers. Many of these adaptations will be familiar as we have experienced them already for several weeks.

Mass Schedule:
We will begin by gradually offering Masses on a modified schedule.
Saturday Evening Vigil Mass: 5 pm (Bilingual)
                                           The Church will open at 4:30 pm
 
Sunday Morning Mass: 10 am (francais)
                                  The Church will open 09:30 am
                                  Noon (English) The Church will open at 11:30 am
 
Weekdays: 12:15 pm English Mass on Wednesday and Friday;
                                French Mass on Tuesday and Thursday
                 The Church will open at 11:45 am
 
Confessions: Before Mass in the Parish Hall

Physical Distancing and Safety Precautions:
Masks are required inside the church.
Hand Sanitizer will be available at the Entrance and Exits.
To maintain physical distancing, pews are assigned for seating. Please only use pews with a “Reserved” Sign. Families may sit together.
There will be no hymnals, bulletins or other paper handouts.
Holy Communion will be distributed by rows to maintain physical distancing. You may lower your mask to receive the host which you must consume immediately.
Only one washroom for emergency use will be open.
The Entrance will be on Sussex Avenue near the ramp: the side doors will be Exit only.
Please observe physical distancing in the parking lot and exit expeditiously after Mass to avoid congregating in groups (I know this will be hard because we miss seeing each other).

Thank you for your prayers and cooperation in reopening the church. We are looking forward to seeing you soon! May God bless you and your family.
 
Yours truly in Christ,
 
Father Charles Fournier, s.m., Rector
Abbé François Kibwenge, Associate Rector
Deacon Ricardo Santiago
Diacre Gilles Ouellette

The Vatican has published online a new prayer booklet called: “Strong in the Face of Tribulation” for this specific moment in our history. The free 192 page PDF booklet is available for download here:

https://www.vaticannews.va/content/dam/lev/forti-nella-tribolazione/pdf/eng/strong-in-tribulation.-20042020.pdf

Tourism activities (including all visits) are still suspended until further notice.  Please note that it is not allowed to visit the Cathedral during Masses. Thank you for your understanding!

The Cathedral Parking Lot is managed by the Archdiocese of Ottawa-Cornwall and not by Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica. The Archdiocese has entered into a new agreement with a company to manage the parking lot. The new regulations as of October 1, 2020 will be as follows: you will be required to pay for parking at all times with the exception of one-half hour prior to weekend Masses and one-half hour after weekend Masses. We will no longer have the ability to cancel parking tickets. Special arrangements will be made for Baptisms, Weddings and Funerals.
 

There are several options for providing financial support to the people of Beirut, Lebannon, in response to the recent tragic explosion. You can go online to the Canada Helps website – www.canadahelps.org to make an electronic donation. There are many partner agencies including two Catholic agencies: Development and Peace (Caritas Canada) and Canadian Jesuits International. If you use this website, you get a tax receipt immediately from Canada Helps. Thank you for any assistance you can provide.

With the necessity of wearing masks while indoors, the reception of Holy Communion is a little more complicated than usual. Please approach the minister of Holy Communion, stop a safe distance away, lower or remove your mask, extend your hands one on top of the other to make a safe place to receive the consecrated host and then consume the host immediately. You may then replace or readjust your mask. Please do not walk away with the host. It is a little more complicated because of the use of masks but we remind you that the Blessed Sacrament is a precious gift that we receive with reverence as the real presence of our Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you for your cooperation.

Last week the City of Ottawa required all people using indoor facilities to wear masks. Masks are now required inside the Cathedral. There are a few exemptions, such as for young children or people with medical conditions. The physical distancing rules still apply with 2m distance between persons who are not in the same household.
For more information please see: https://www.ottawapublichealth.ca/en/public-health-topics/masks.aspx

We get asked this question often and it is difficult to answer. Because of the requirement for physical distancing between people who are not in the same household, we have determined that the maximum capacity for Mass is around 100 people. If we have many families, who are permitted to sit together, we can accommodate a few more people since they can occupy the same pew. Our weekend Masses with maximum capacity have averaged about 110 people on Sunday mornings. Saturday evening Mass has fewer people in attendance so there is still room to accommodate more people if this is an option for you and your family. We regret having to turn people away when we are full and we are looking forward to the time when the rules for physical distancing can be relaxed, but we are not at that point right now. We continue to follow the rules set by the Public Health Officer. Thank you for your cooperation and to the volunteers who are helping to sanitize the church after each Mass!

As you may know, our revenue from donations has significantly declined due to the Covid-19 restrictions limiting our gathering size and the number of Masses we can celebrate each weekend. Please help support the cathedral by making a donation by cheque, cash at Mass as you leave or anytime online at our Canada Helps link on our webpage: www.notredameottawa.com . If you donate online, you will receive a tax receipt immediately from Canada Helps. Please support the Cathedral community with your prayers and a financial contribution if you are able to do so at the present time. Your donation helps pay salaries, utilities, and costs for cleaning the church among other necessities. The additional precautionary measures such as cleaning the church after every Mass have increased our expenses when our revenue is already falling below our needs so your financial assistance is appreciated. Thank you to everyone who has made a donation!

Many are wondering when we can reopen our churches and what that will look like as the restrictions ease. The Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario (ACBO) is working on a response. A Committee of the ACBO is meeting with the Ontario Provincial Government to look at the various aspects of reopening our churches following the advice of the medical experts. We are awaiting the decision of Premier Ford on reopening, which may take place in stages. What that will look like, we do not know at the present time. The Bishops working with the Provincial Government are figuring out how to best proceed balancing our genuine need to practice our faith together with the overall public good. You may have read various opinions on what will happen when we reopen but the fact is we do not have definite answers right now. When we can reopen, we will most likely see physical distancing restrictions in the church as well as enhanced cleaning protocols and some adaptations to our celebration. These new temporary measures will complicate reopening; we are counting on your assistance and patience as we deal with this new situation as a parish community. We are all eager to return to our Sunday Masses!