Holy Apostles Inclement Weather Policy
F-001-P
Last updated: February, 2023
Holy Apostles is dedicated to the safety of our Parishioners and Staff members.
In the event of inclement weather, Holy Apostles will follow the lead of the West Ada
School District and/or the Treasure Valley Catholic Schools. If the schools are closed,
the Parish Office will be closed. All ministry events will be canceled for that day.
In the event of a mid-day weather event, Holy Apostles will follow the lead of West Ada
School District. If after school/evening events are canceled in West Ada Schools,
afternoon/evening events at Holy Apostles will likewise be canceled and the parish
office will be closed.
On weekends, the Pastor will coordinate with the Facilities Manager to determine
whether Masses or other events will take place. Since there will be no school district
trigger, Ada County Highway District (ACHD) travel restrictions will be the primary factor
in making this decision. If weekend events are to be canceled, the Pastor will
coordinate with the appropriate staff members to ensure the notification gets out to
those affected by the closure.
Specific responsibilities are as follows (additional duties may be assigned as needed):
Communications Manager: Communications Manager will publish a closure
announcement on all Holy Apostles Social Media platforms and the parish website.
This policy will also be posted on the Holy Apostles Website, and will be
reviewed/updated annually no later than Nov 1. The Communications Manager will
publish a reference to this policy in the bulletin and Constant Contact newsletter every
year during the first week of November.
Priests: Priests will decide whether Mass (Daily or Sunday) is to be canceled. Mass
will be celebrated unless the Ada County Highway District (ACHD) has issued a travel
restriction for that day, but the final call will be made by the Pastor. If Mass is to be
canceled, the Pastor is responsible for notifying the Communications Manager to
publish a cancellation notice on social media platforms and the website. The Priest
scheduled to celebrate Mass on the snow day will be responsible for contacting the
scheduled Deacon if Mass is going to be canceled.
Facilities Manager: The Facilities Manager will ensure snow removal services are
arranged as needed. On days when Mass will be celebrated, the Facilities Manager will
ensure there is someone to shovel a path to the church doors and put down snow melt
as needed. Facilities Manager will coordinate with the Pastor on any issues related to
the building, courtyard, and parking lot. (See F-001- SOP Snow Removal)
Custodian: The Custodian will check for puddles and will place carpets and “wet
floor” signs in the church foyer as needed. Custodian will check for and remove bits of
snow melt that are tracked into the building. Custodian will alert Facilities Manager to
any issues arising from the snow in and around the building.
Pastoral Associate of Ministries: The Pastoral Associate of Ministries will ensure that
relevant ministry leaders are notified of the closure. Any ministry scheduled to have
meetings or events that day will be contacted and notified of the closure. Ministry leads
will be responsible for contacting their members to notify of the closure. All ministry
leaders should be made aware of this policy and reminded to review it annually no later
than Nov 1st. In the event of a mid-day closure, Pastoral Associate of Ministries will
place signs on the doors regarding the closure for any remaining events that day.
Parish Religious Education Program (PREP) Director: PREP Director will publish
an Inclement Weather Policy that aligns with West Ada School District policies on the
Holy Apostles PREP webpage. In the event of a mid-day snow event, PREP will follow
the lead of West Ada School District. If after school/evening events are canceled in
West Ada Schools, afternoon/evening PREP classes and other events at Holy Apostles
will likewise be canceled. PREP Director is responsible for notifying all catechists and
volunteers of any closure. PREP Director will attempt to notify parents of closure via
email. In the case of a mid-day closure, PREP Director will place signs on the entrance
to the PREP hallway in addition to other notification methods. Duties may be delegated
to PREP Coordinator as appropriate at the discretion of the Director.
Youth Ministry (YM) Director: YM Director will publish an Inclement Weather Policy
that aligns with West Ada School District policies on the Holy Apostles YM webpage. In
the event of a mid-day snow event, YM will follow the lead of West Ada School District.
If after school/evening events are canceled in West Ada Schools, afternoon/evening YM
classes and other events at Holy Apostles will likewise be canceled. YM Director is
responsible for notifying all volunteers of any closure. YM Director will attempt to notify
parents of closure via email. In the case of a mid-day closure, YM Director will place
signs on the entrance to the dining room in addition to other notification methods.
Duties may be delegated to Youth Ministry Coordinator as appropriate at the discretion
of the Director.
This policy will be reviewed annually no later than November 1st, and will be updated as
needed upon review. Changes to this policy must be reviewed by the Facilities
Manager and approved by the Pastor.
Approved by:
Fr. Vitalis Onyeama, SMMM
Date: September, 08 2023
