In his letter to parishioners in the Sept. 6 edition of the St. Gabriel the Archangel bulletin, Fr. Chad King offered two reasons for hope and excitement.

First, Annunciation School has been allowed to begin in-person classes. The youngest students began classes the week before Labor Day. Grades 4 through 8 returned to the school classrooms the following week. 

“Join me in praying that we will not have another spike in COVID cases that might cause us to take a step back,” Fr. King said in the bulletin.

His other cause for hope is that The Diocese of Phoenix has entered Phase 2 of the COVID guidelines for resuming normal life. That means 50 people will now be allowed to attend mass together and have meetings at St. Gabriel’s in Cave Creek. People who prefer to stay away from group gatherings still have the dispensation of the Sunday obligation, King said.

In order to accommodate up to 50 people, public health guidelines will be followed. Social distancing will be maintained and masks will be required. Cleaning and sanitizing of the public spaces will occur before and after each gathering.

“With the construction still underway and meeting space still limited, we still ask all ministries to be flexible and understanding," King said. "It might not mean that every ministry can begin to meet the way they used to, but we will try to allow as many meetings as possible."