For Deacon Roberto Corpuz, it's time to add the finishing touches to preparations for Sunday mass.
It will be the first proper Sunday mass at Our Lady of Dolours Catholic Church in Sydney in nearly three months.
"Having been cooped up in the home for many weeks and now, finally, we are able to meet face to face with each other, it's really wonderful," he tells SBS News.
Deacon Corpuz has been holding an online rosary for friends and family around the world, an idea that started after a cousin tested positive to COVID-19 in the United States. And while virtual masses and sermons have done the job in the interim, he says he simply can't wait to seeing people in-person again.
Deacon Roberto Corpuz at Our Lady of Dolours Catholic Church in Sydney. Source: SBS
"What I miss are the smiles of people, to greet them, to say how are you?" he says.
"Even if we can't shake hands with them, just literally seeing them face to face, eye to eye and saying 'hey, welcome, it's good that you are around'."
In line with current state restrictions, attendance this weekend is limited to 50 people. Only two people will be allowed at each pew, and only every other pew will be used.
Deacon Corpuz and the parish priest will deliver communion to worshippers, to avoid people queuing up.
One of those worshippers is Monalisa Balverde.
A Filipino mass in busier times (Facebook) Source: FCCP Facebook
Ms Balverde usually attends Mass with her husband and two sons, and while that will still be the case, she knows many other things will be very different for the time being.
"Filipinos are very cuddly and very touchy, and they hug, cuddle," she said.
"That's something that I think I'm going to miss a lot. I can't kiss my titos and titas [uncles and aunties] and make conversations with them, so that's something I'm going to miss a lot."
Monalisa Balverde with her sons Marco and Madden (Supplied) Source: Supplied
Deacon Corpuz, Ms Balverde and choir leader Giselle Goloy are all part of the Filipino Chaplaincy Chatswood Parish (FCCP) - a network of local Filipino Catholics.
Filipino Australians are the fifth-largest expat community, accounting for 232,384 people in Australia at the last census. Of them, three quarters identify as Roman Catholic.
According to the census, Catholicism is the largest Christian grouping in Australia, accounting for 22.6 per cent of the population.
The church, and its community, plays a huge role in allowing expat Filipinos to develop their network when they arrive.
"Coming in from the Philippines, the first thing you want to find is a church that has a Filipino community," Ms Goloy said.
"It's a bonus if you find a church with a Filipino community that's looking for choir members."
An FCCP gathering in Sydney (Suplied) Source: Supplied
But while Ms Goloy loves to sing, the choir won't be back at church for some time yet. The FCCP has decided that, in the interests of public health, singing won't return until greater numbers are allowed at mass.
The choir members have also decided they won't attend this Sunday's mass either in order to give others the opportunity to be there. But while they've been apart, they've been practising via video in preparation for their eventual return.
"We're going to pull out all the stops and sing all the amazing songs that might be technically difficult, but we want to go in with a bang," Ms Goloy said.
FCCP choir leader Giselle Goloy (SBS) Source: SBS
The Our Lady of Colours Church usually holds about 500 people, but with the appropriate social distancing measures in place, its new maximum capacity is fewer than 100.
That means that even as restrictions continue to be relaxed, it will still be some time before a full congregation can attend.
But when it does happen - everyone will be welcome.
"The norm is really 'everyone is welcome', so that is the church," Deacon Corpuz said.
"No-one is not allowed, everyone is welcome, and that's what we want to have happen."
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