Immaculée-Conception Parish – Kapuskasing – Hearst

We are going back to ORANGE MODE as of next Wednesday (February 17th) which means that we are returning to 30% of the capacity of our church, i.e. 110 people maximum.

January 13, 2021

Starting January 14, 2021 at 12:01 am, Ontario is putting in force a second provincial emergency to deal with the COVID-19 crisis. This will last 28 days and could also be extended. For more details on the regulations, refer to the website www.ontario.ca

January 8, 2021

On Thursday, January 7, 2021, the Ontario government extended the shutdown in Northern Ontario for another 14 days to Saturday, January 23, 2021, aligning with the shutdown period in Southern Ontario.

December 21, 2020

As most of you have heard on the news, attendance at parish masses is reduced to 10 people. This is in effect as of December 26th for at least a 14 day period.

Therefore, the Masses of December 26 and January 2 are now canceled. However, Masses on December 27, January 1 and 3 will be broadcast on our Facebook page and our YouTube channel.
Let us pray together that the situation will improve.

December 13, 2020

Good news

Mgr. Terrence Prendergast, our new apostolic admin, will preside over the 7:15 pm mass on Saturday, December 19th at our parish. Everything will be available on our Facebook page and YouTube channel.

June 18, 2020

Please note the following poster “Health and Safety Rules to Protect Against Covid-19 At The Entrance And In The Church”, as provided by the Catholic Church of Montreal . (Click on the poster to enlarge)

June 17, 2020

Attention all priests and parishioners of the Hearst-Moosonee diocese.

The Diocese is looking at the possibility of organizing an ecumenical celebration in each area of the diocese once we are freed from constraints of government restrictions. This would be for ALL Catholic and non-Catholic people who have lost a loved one during this pandemic.

For additional details, please refer to the following June 17, 2020 letter from Bishop Robert Bourgon. To show your interest and to better prepare for those celebrations you are invited to contact the Bishop’s office.

2020-06-17 – Ecumenical celebration_English

June 10, 2020 – Parish press release

Following the announcement by the Government of Ontario, the parish of the Immaculate Conception will resume service for Sunday and weekly masses. However, to meet government standards, we cannot fill the church to more than 30% of its capacity, so a total of 140 people at a time. For this reason, we ask people interested in participating in these masses to reserve by calling 705- 335-3473. Only the central doors will be accessible.

A protocol was prepared by the bishops of Ontario. We can ask people who do not respect the protocol to leave the premises.

Clearly identified volunteers will be responsible for specific tasks and will be able to answer questions and concerns from people on site. These people will be reception staff, guide parishioners to the benches and ensure respect for social distancing. It is necessary to wear a mask during mass and sanitation of the hands is compulsory when entering the church.

Unfortunately, this week we cannot offer access to the elevator or washrooms, as is the case in many businesses in the city where there is no access to public washrooms.

Church doors will open at 6:00 p.m. Saturday for Mass at 7:15 p.m. and at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday for Mass at 10:15 a.m.

Sunday morning mass will be broadcast on CKGN starting at 10:15 a.m. as usual. There will be no Facebook transmission this week.

Weekday masses will be celebrated Monday to Friday at 9:00 a.m. and doors will open at 8:30 a.m. The same rules will apply as at weekend masses.

As part of the protocol, people are asked not to sing. However, they are invited to respond aloud.

The guidelines that were in place when the pandemic started last March are still in effect.

There will be no socialization before or after mass, inside or on church property.

We recall that the directives of the bishops are to be followed to the letter. In addition, the Catholic Mutual insurance company will perform occasional checks to ensure that the guidelines are followed. If we do not follow these guidelines, we may lose access to the church for an indefinite period. Let’s not forget that in this time of pandemic, it’s a privilege to be able to come together to pray.

June 9, 2020

Good News!!!

As you have certainly heard in the media, the churches have received government approval to celebrate Sunday and daily masses with social distancing starting this Friday, June 12 at 12:01 pm. The government allows us to accommodate 30% of the capacity of the church with the distance of 2 meters or 6 feet between each person.

More details are provided in the June 14th weekly parish bulletin.

More detailed information concerning “church operations during pandemic emergency situations” is available on

Approved Copy – ACBO Worshipsafe Guidelines

March 19, 2020

As you know, everything is changing rapidly and new clearer directives from the Porcupine Health Unit have been issued on March 17, 2020 concerning churches. Our diocese is therefore following these new directives concerning Masses and all gatherings.

For your information, please review the following most recent directives/communique from the Porcupine Health Unit :

Porcupine Health Unit Covid-19 March 17, 2020 Update

COVID-19 PANDEMIC PRECAUTIONS

March 17, 2020:

Following Premier Ford’s latest announcement this morning to stem the spread of COVID-19, Bishop R. Bourgon wishes to contribute to this common public health effort and act in solidarity with the civil authorities. Consequently, he is announcing the immediate adoption of the following directives until March 31, 2020. Please select the link below for these directives for our Diocese.

17 March 2020 Directives for Preventive Measures from Bishop R. Bourgon