LI Catholic Diocese Readies For Services To Restart On Wednesday

LONG ISLAND, NY — The Diocese of Rockville Centre announced that it is ready to resume Masses at Catholic churches across Long Island once the region enters phase 2 of reopening on Wednesday.

According to the diocese, Bishop John Barres has been talking to Nassau County Executive Laura Curran and Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone about how churches will reopen safely.

"Both county executives have been tremendously supportive and understanding of our deep desire to return to the celebration of public worship, for which we are grateful," diocesan spokesman Sean Dolan said in a release.

Though Masses are resuming, the church said that the dispensation from the obligation to attend Mass is still in effect. Those who are most susceptible to the coronavirus are encouraged to still remain home.

The Diocese of Rockville Centre has not held in-person services since March, when the coronavirus pandemic was growing. Services have been broadcast on television, and many parishes were streaming their own services online.

When services resume on Wednesday, they will be smaller than usual. Places of worship will have to operate at 25 percent capacity for now, according to state guidelines. The diocese is also distributing supplies to parishes to help them operate safely, Dolan said.

Last month, Barres wrote an open letter to the diocese outlining some of the changes that parishioners were likely to see when Masses resumed. In addition to reduced capacity, there will likely be different schedules for services to accommodate cleaning of churches.

According to Dolan, Communion will not be distributed at Masses until further notice. In order to maintain social distancing, only one out of every three pews in churches will be allowed to be open. Families and those who travel to services together can sit together, but everyone else must remain at least six feet apart.

Masks must be warn at all times by everyone in the church. However, the priest leading the Mass will not wear a mask, Dolan said.

In order to stop people from touching the same objects, the Holy Water fonts will remain empty, hymnals will be removed from the pews and bulletins will not be distributed. The Sign of Peace, where parishioners shake each others hands, will also be omitted until further notice.

Churches should also not pass around collection baskets, Dolan said. Instead, the baskets should be left in an open area where parishioners can drop donations.