Coronavirus Concern Causes Mass Changes At Los Angeles Churches

LOS ANGELES, CA — Catholic and Episcopal churches throughout Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside Counties are responding to the threat of the new coronavirus with common sense practices during the Lent season, officials say. Though Catholics are compelled to attend mass, weekly, even the Pope was recently sidelined due to illness, Vatican City reported.

In the Catholic and Episcopal churches, communion is shared through a wafer and sip of sacramental wine, prepared by the priest. The wafer may also be placed into the parishioner's hands and dipped into the cup of wine. For believers, this practice is a remembrance of the sacrifice of Christ: the wafer represents the body, and the wine representing the blood, as described in the Last Supper, in the New Testament of the Bible.

The Orange County Register reported that many Los Angeles area churches are suspending wine during communion until COVID-19 concerns have passed.

The Diocese of Los Angeles reminded priests to avoid celebrating mass if ill, as well as to make sure all churches have ready access to hand sanitizers, full soap dispensers in both church and school restrooms, and clean and fresh holy water in all fonts. Prayers for those who were ill would be offered at all masses, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles has said.

At St. Catherine of Siena Parish and school in Laguna Beach, parishioners were asked to stay home if they felt symptoms of illness, or had loved ones who were ill at home, a spokesperson said.
Priests will also wash or sanitize their hands before preparing and giving communion.

Parishioners should expect to keep their hands to themselves, rather than shaking hands with their priest at the close of the service. Similarly, there will be no touching or hugging during the "sharing of the peace." Churchgoers should expect eye contact greetings, a smile, or a nod of the head.

Catholic and Episcopal church leaders in Orange County responded to the Emergency Declaration approved Monday by the Orange County Board of Supervisors. Memos sent out by the church leaders have requested their parishioners to stay home if you are ill, or fear becoming ill.

In the times of COVID-19, the local health emergency has made its way into the church with the mass changes made to ease the minds of the faithful, spokesperson Tracey Kincaid of the Diocese of Orange said.

The Diocese of Orange issued mandatory changes in all services in Orange County, changing both the traditional communion and the method in which greetings are conducted during mass. In Los Angeles County, a memo said that though restrictions were not imposed on the faithful, "common sense and good hygiene" was expected, as was "vigilance and discretion" with whether to come to church.

"A few parishioners are not shaking hands during 'peace be with you,' but are instead sharing the peace, verbally," Stephanie Simpson told Patch.

Pope Francis was recently tested for the coronavirus, reports said Tuesday. He was found to have a cold, reports say.

The same set of precautions are being practiced at other dioceses across Los Angeles County, the Inland Empire, and across the U.S., including those in Texas, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Illinois.