Seating Capacity of the Main Church
(Drafted by the Mission and Pastoral Council of St. Ignatius Church)
To ensure the safety of the faithful during large gatherings, especially for specific Masses, entry restrictions have previously been put in place. This Christmas season, we have established a unified standard for the seating capacity of the Main Church to ensure the well-being of our community and facilitate smooth liturgical celebrations.
1. Emergency Evacuation Capacity:
In the event of emergencies (such as earthquakes), safe evacuation can accommodate the following:
- Fixed pews: 700 persons
- Auxiliary chairs: 70 persons
- Liturgical ministers including Altar Servers, Ushers, Choir members: Approximately 20-30 persons
- Additional standing space along the walls (1-2 rows to allow safe movement): approximately
100 persons
This leads to a total capacity for seated attendees of 770 persons. While limiting attendance to seated guests enhances safety, completely prohibiting standing attendance is not feasible, especially for foreign-language Masses.
2. Capacity Reference:
The original documentation at the time of the Church’s Dedication listed a capacity of 1,100 persons. The proposed figure of 900 persons remains within this limit and does not conflict with any official records or applications.
Masses Likely to Require Capacity Restrictions
Based on previous experience, the following Masses may require entry control:
- Christmas Eve English Mass
- New Year’s Day English Mass
- Easter Sunday English Mass
- Church Festival Mass
- Masses presided over by the Bishop
For these Masses, entry will be limited to designated entrances, and physical barriers will be used to manage access once capacity is reached.
Second-Floor Seating
- Due to safety concerns (low railings, risk of falling objects, and potential accidents involving broadcasting equipment), the second floor will not be open to the General Congregation.
- Exceptions may be made for designated individuals (such as the Photography Team).
Courtyard Participation
- For Masses with entry restrictions, outdoor speakers will be used to broadcast the liturgy to those in the courtyard, including the distribution of Holy Communion.
- Future considerations will include installing monitors to display video from inside the Main Church.