As we learn to live safely with Coronavirus (COVID-19), our focus remains on keeping a compassionate and respectful awareness of others when we are in Church and when attending our services. We want to protect the most vulnerable of our parishioners and visitors. COVID-19, along with many other respiratory infections such as influenza (flu), can spread easily and cause serious illness in some people. You may be infected with a respiratory virus such as COVID-19 and not have any symptoms but still pass infection onto others.

If you have symptoms of a respiratory infection, such as COVID-19, and you have a high temperature or do not feel well enough to go to work or carry out normal activities, you are asked to stay at home and avoid contact with other people. Attending Mass on Sundays and Holy Days is the greatest of all privileges however, if it is more sensible to stay at home for ill health reasons, then our Masses can be “attended” via our live-streaming facility.

Face coverings and face masks can help reduce the chance of you spreading infection to others, especially in crowded and enclosed spaces, and may protect you from becoming infected by some respiratory viruses.We continue to encourage social distancing and sanitising of hands.

We will keep the Church as well ventilated as we can but during the winter months we have to balance keeping it warm too so doors will be closed once the service has started. Our Church is an old building and there remains many routes of unplanned ventilation through old doors and windows!

Welcome to St Thomas of Canterbury Church in the heart of the City of Canterbury.

Last updated 11th October 2022