As I write this in May, we are still under the COVID-19
virus restrictions, but beginning to see some relief in sight. It has been around sixty-five years since I
have gone this long without attending Mass in person. Starting soon, we will be resuming limited
public Masses with certain mandatory precautions in place. Social distancing of six feet between bodies
will need to be maintained. Face masks
will be required. Communion received in
hand only, and the obligation to attend Mass will remain suspended until the
Feast of the Assumption on August 15.
How all of this will be implemented and enforced is still to
be determined. Even getting the word
out to all parishioners will be a challenge.
Our congregation is elderly and not everyone has Internet
access. People over the age of 65 are
still considered high risk and are encouraged to stay at home for the time
being. That would encompass most of our
parish, including me.
Our diocese has issued directives for reopening the
churches, including calculations to determine permitted occupancy. Certain pews have been roped off and markings
placed at measured intervals to maintain proper distancing. No communal singing for now, partly due to
mouths being covered and also because Masses will continue to be live-streamed while
our parish does not have the required license for broadcast.
While being isolated may have protected our physical
well-being, it seems to have taken a toll on our mental health. Strange thoughts can enter minds that have been
idled too long. Friends who I would
normally not consider to be paranoid are now posting odd conspiracy theories
about the virus and the response being orchestrated for nefarious intents.
Folks in this country do not like to be told what they can
and cannot do. People will tolerate a
certain amount of governmental interference when intended for their personal
safety, but there are limits. As the
weather warms, people are tired of being confined. Signs of a revolt are taking place judging
from public protests and comments online.
Even the magisterial authority of the Church has been criticized by some
for kowtowing to civil authority.
Our parish is planning to bring an entire family into the
Catholic faith at the Vigil of Pentecost.
How this will be done with masks and social distancing should be
interesting. I am excited for the
family, but saddened that such a normally joyous celebration will be curtailed
by circumstances.
