After suspending the in person celebration of mass over the past two months, the Diocese of Kalamazoo has revealed today that they “will resume the public celebration of the Holy Mass” with some capacity limits at parishes across Michigan’s Great Southwest in two weeks.
Officials from the Diocese say that mass will resume at parishes in the region beginning on Wednesday, May 27th, in anticipation of the Feast of Pentecost on Sunday, May 30th. No public mass has been celebrated in person since Bishop Paul Bradley suspended them on March 20th due to the serious health concerns surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.
Bishop Bradley has conducted a series of meetings with all members of the clergy, as well as staff members of the Diocese, to develop a comprehensive re-opening plan. Components of the plan call for parishes to determine proper capacity of church facilities (not to exceed 25-percent) that will fit within the safety and civil guidelines and implement safety and hygiene protocols.
Within the plan, the Bishop is also asking each pastor to convene a “Parish Preparation Team,” to assist in the preparation and planning to welcome back fellow parishioners. Final guidelines for the Catholic Faithful, as well as further liturgical instructions for the clergy, are currently being finalized and will be released in the next few days.
Bishop Bradley says, “We plan to do everything we can to ensure the safety of God’s people and thorough preparedness is necessary,” and adds, “We look forward to celebrating Pentecost with a renewed joy and hope for the future even though the number of people able to participate during our Level 1 return will be reduced due to our adherence to social distancing guidelines.”
Since March 20th, parishes throughout the nine counties of the Diocese of Kalamazoo have adopted new ways of outreach. Many are offering live-streaming of the Holy Mass, as well as updates, daily prayers, and reflections from the parish priests. Currently, there are close to 30 live-streamed Masses available on Sundays, offered in four different languages (English, Spanish, Latin, and Burmese).
Bradley says, “It is important to note that, during this challenging time of dealing with all the significant impacts of the pandemic, the ministries of the Church and outreach to those in need have continued,” and he notes, “Most of our churches and Eucharistic Chapels have remained open and available for our people to come for personal prayer. Several parishes have hosted blood drives, and maintained their outreach to the poor. Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Kalamazoo initiated a major, Diocesan-wide Emergency Food Program (www.ccdok.org), with staff and hundreds of volunteers from across the Diocese, working overtime to provide essential services — including food, clothing and other necessities — to people in need throughout Southwest Michigan.” The Bishop concludes, “I am profoundly grateful for these visible signs of God’s work at hand in our Diocese.”
For updates and current information, you are invited to visit online at the link below: http://www.diokzoo.org
