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Bishop Thomas A. Daly
Guidelines for Ongoing Parish Ministry
October 2, 2020
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Introduction:
As members of the one Body of Christ, we must be united and steadfast in our worship of God, the proclamation of the Gospel, and love of our neighbor. This holds true both in times of relative stability and of great disruption – as we have experienced these past eight months under the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic. With the overarching goal of the salvation of souls, I promulgate these guidelines to promote our essential tasks of the celebration of the sacraments, prayer, and the teaching of the Faith while preserving them from unnecessary disruption brought about by the virus. Furthermore, our actions can contribute to the common good of the broader community, thus manifesting our love of neighbor to a world hungering for the mercy of God. i
Notwithstanding our fatigue with the current situation, the best available scientific information continues to indicate that the coronavirus is significantly more dangerous than the seasonal flu. It is both more contagious and fatal than influenza. ii It stands to reason that we abide by measured, heightened precautions in response to these elevated risks.
Our precautions thus far have proven effective. To date, there have been no instances of COVID-19 transmission, let alone outbreaks, associated with the celebration of public Masses in our diocese. In fact, there is nation-wide evidence that churches following reasonable safety guidelines have not seen any COVID-19 spread, even in cases when individuals unwittingly attended Mass while infectious. iii Nevertheless, we must remember that coronavirus is capable of spreading quickly in church settings in the absence of safety protocols. iv I therefore thank you for your contribution to our responsible and safe return to more active parish life, and I encourage you to patience and perseverance.
These guidelines pertain to sacramental, spiritual, and catechetical activities proper to the parish. This includes the celebration of public Mass, occasions of communal and private prayer, and the holding of religious study classes. Catholic schools should observe the more specific guidelines provided them by the Office of Education.
Basic Practices (the Three W’s):
Parishes are to develop infection control protocols for their gatherings that incorporate these basic practices:
• “Watching Distance” – Individuals should observe physical distancing by maintaining no less than six feet between people not of their household.
• “Wearing Masks” v – Parishioners are required to wear face coverings whenever they are indoors for Mass, excepting the reception of Holy Communion. A mask is not required if it cannot be worn reliably or if it aggravates breathing difficulty or another health risk. Priests are instructed to wear masks during distribution of Holy Communion.
• “Washing Hands” – Hand washing and the use of hand sanitizer upon entering the church / gathering space is strongly encouraged.
Attendance and Sunday Obligation:
• Before attending any parish event, individuals should self-screen for signs and symptoms of COVID-19 .vi Anyone who has symptoms (especially a fever of 100.4 °F) not related to another condition must not attend parish events, including Mass. Anyone with a household member diagnosed with COVID-19 or presenting symptoms not related to another condition must also abstain from parish events, including Mass.
• Vulnerable, at risk, or otherwise concerned persons are advised to remain at home.
• The dispensation from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass remains in place until further notice. However, individuals unable to attend Sunday Mass in person ought to perform some other spiritual practice to mark the importance of the Lord’s Day.
Capacity:
• The primary determinant of the capacity of a space (e.g. church, hall, room, etc.) is its ability to accommodate physical distancing between people of different households
• Pastors should observe capacity limits proper to their county’s phase of reopening.
Environment:
• Hand sanitizer is to be made available at the entrances of the church / gathering space.
• Holy water fonts may be used. vii
• Spaces should be marked or arranged to facilitate physical distancing
• Employ sanitation methods following gatherings.
• Avoid the use of shared, reused items such as pew missals or song books, or be sure to sanitize them between use. Single use items (e.g. bulletins, envelopes, etc.) may be distributed and used by individual households.
• Care should be made to ensure proper or increased ventilation of indoor gathering spaces.
Liturgical Notes:
• Celebrants / organizers should be attentive to limiting the length of gatherings.
• Limited congregational singing is permitted. This assumes the use of face coverings to contain the spread of respiratory droplets.
• Do not pass the collection basket from parishioner to parishioner.
• There is to be no procession/presentation of gifts by the faithful.
• The Sign of Peace is to be omitted.
Holy Communion:
• The Precious Blood will not be distributed.
• Those administering Communion are to wear face coverings.
• Parishioners are encouraged to receive Holy Communion on a flattened hand.
• Households approaching for Holy Communion should be separated from other households following the six-foot separation guideline.
• If extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion are necessary, they should be kept to a bare minimum number.
• Wearing gloves and using tongs are not permitted.
Adoration and Prayer:
• During this Year of the Eucharistviii, pastors should be attentive to providing opportunities for Eucharistic Adoration while observing the above guidelines, especially those of physical distancing.
• Even when Eucharistic Adoration is not available, churches should remain unlocked, to the extent possible, for the faithful to make individual private visits to the Blessed Sacrament.
Faith Formation:
• Parishes may host activities with an explicit faith formation purpose such as Bible studies, youth groups, and classes for sacramental preparation.
• These gatherings ought to observe the applicable guidelines described above.
• Refreshments may be provided given that they are individually packaged or portioned (i.e. no self-service). Hand washing or sanitizing ought to be employed, and physical distancing should be observed when consuming refreshments.
NOTES
i Making effort to mitigate the spread of disease within our own parishes has obvious implications on the physical health of the broader community. Doing so helps protect the vulnerable members of the population, whose lives are no less valuable because of their susceptibility. Also, leaders from our Catholic hospitals have advised me that they can still quickly find themselves in a precarious position if there is a sudden and persistent increase in cases. While the initial, successful efforts to “flatten the curve” provided our health care systems necessary time to cope with this new disease, ongoing vigilance is necessary to preserve a sustainable equilibrium between the activity of COVID-19 and our hospitals’ ability to treat patients of all conditions. Additionally, the current framework of public health policy has made further economic and educational reopening dependent on keeping disease activity in check – effecting both Catholics and non-Catholics alike. While people of good conscience can debate and challenge the soundness of these policies, this can in no way be grounds for reckless behavior. Indeed, the increasing prevalence of violence and notions of radical revolution within our public discourse would seem to warrant an increased effort to uphold public order and civility, even at the risk of experiencing humiliation or finding ourselves “as the last of all” (c.f. 1 Cor 4:9).
ii This article (2020, Aug 10) published in the academic journal of the Catholic Medical Association includes a useful overview of scientific terms and current understanding of COVID-19. The coronavirus appears to be “markedly more contagious than both seasonal and pandemic influenza” (pg. 4). Studies attempting to compare the Case Fatality Rate (CFR) of COVID-19 and seasonal influenza estimate that COVID-19 ranges from 14 times to up to 44 times more deadly than the flu (pg. 5).
iii This article (2020 Aug 19) summarizes the experiences of Catholic churches across the United States and argues for the effectiveness of safety protocols in preventing the spread of the virus. It includes the descriptions of several “close call” cases documented in the Archdiocese of Seattle in which the presence of infectious individuals at religious services did not result in additional apparent infections.
iv At the start of the outbreak, two cases demonstrated the potential for the coronavirus to spread easily in church-related settings in the absence of safety measures – a choir practice in Skagit County and services at a church in Arkansas. More recently, as communities began to reopen from shut downs, a Pentecostal church in Union Country, OR was the source of an outbreak that prompted local officials to regress from Phase 2 to Phase 1 of reopening. This church did not appear to observe infection control measures.
v The matter of face coverings has unfortunately been a flashpoint for conflict and concern. As the Bishop of this diocese, I adopt this infection control measure while relying on the input of reputable Catholic sources, including guidelines promulgated by the Thomistic Institute and the Catholic Medical Association and direct conversations with leadership at Providence St. Joseph Health.
vi COVID-19 symptoms include:
• Fever (100.4 F °or higher) or chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea
vii In the May 27 Diocesan Principles for Reopening, the use of holy water fonts was forbidden in an abundance of caution. Since that time, there has been no evidence of the spread of coronavirus through water, and we gladly welcome the return of holy water fonts in consultation with local health authority.
viii More information on the Year of the Eucharist promulgated in the Diocese of Spokane can be found on this webpage.