Many dioceses in the United States have restored the obligation to assist at Sunday Eucharist while retaining a dispensation for those that are not yet vaccinated. In the Archdiocese of Louisville, our Archbishop is maintaining the dispensation for all Catholics in the Archdiocese. I supported this decision serving on the Priest Council because we still have 6-foot distance requirements for all, and it would not be possible for everyone to come to church. This decision will be revisited if the distancing requirements are relaxed by our governor.
Many pastors, including me, are concerned that some of our worshippers have become accustomed to livestreamed Mass in lieu of physical attendance. We noticed larger crowds than normal at Christmas and even larger crowds at Easter, and we noticed an immediate drop off after both of those feasts.
The obligation to assist at Sunday Eucharist is rooted in two thousand years of history beginning with the primitive Church in the decades following the Resurrection. The Church has consistently taught that the sacramental encounter with the Risen Lord happens in person. The livestreamed liturgy is not that same sacramental encounter, although it is a form of participation in our ritual.
We have begun conversations with parish leadership on how we can begin to emerge from the pandemic and its restrictions and return to our regular and faithful attendance at Sunday Eucharist. Our two churches have faithfully followed the CDC guidelines and will continue to do so. Certainly, a fully vaccinated person is safe to worship in our liturgies. We will continue to livestream and archive all of our liturgies as a means of outreach to the homebound, to those not ready for public worship, and happily for those around the country who regularly view our livestreams.
For those fully vaccinated, I urge you to prayerfully consider if this is now the time to return to Sunday Eucharist. You will find us willing to greet you and celebrate our beautiful liturgies with you and your family.
Fr. Gary
