Creating a Safe Environment for Growth in the Faith

Parish Religious Education and RCIA
COVID-19 Response

The novel coronavirus, COVID-19, has been declared a worldwide pandemic and is extremely contagious.  As a result, in order to resume in person parish religious education and RCIA programs, social distancing and other essential safety measures have been established by St. Luke the Evangelist Parish.  The parish has put in place reasonable preventative measures and standards of behavior to reduce the spread of COVID-19 at in person parish religious education and RCIA activities.

Students, RCIA participants, staff and volunteers must stay home for any one of the following criteria:

1. Positive test for COVID-19
2. Individual or any member of the household experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 whether they have a positive test or not
3. Known close contact (within the last 14 days) with a person who is lab confirmed to have COVID-19.  Close contact is defined as within 6 feet for a period of over 15 minutes.

Student and RCIA participant absences for the above reasons will be counted as excused.   

If a religious education student develops symptoms or suspected symptoms of COVID-19, the parent/guardian will be contacted by parish staff and will make immediate preparations to have student picked up from school. In the event of a medical emergency, parish staff may call 9-1-1 and have student transported to a hospital or healthcare facility.  

If a staff member, volunteer, religious education student, or RCIA participant suspects or knows they had COVID-19, and had symptoms, they may return to in person parish religious education or RCIA after:

1. 14 days past the onset of symptoms (or test if no symptoms)
2. Symptoms improve, and
3. Fever free for 24 hours without fever reducing medication. 

In the case of a staff member, volunteer, religious education student, or RCIA participant who has symptoms that could be COVID-19 and does not get evaluated by a medical professional or tested for COVID-19, the individual is assumed to have COVID-19. The individual may not return to in person parish religious education or RCIA until the individual has completed the same three step criteria listed above.

If the staff member, volunteer, religious education student, or RCIA participant has symptoms that could be COVID-19 and wants to return to in person religious education or RCIA before completing the above self-isolation period, the individual must obtain a medical professional’s note clearing the individual for return based on an alternative diagnosis or receive two separate confirmation at least 24 hours apart that they are free ofCOVID via testing at an approved COVID-19 testing location.