23.1 F
Saint Paul
Friday, March 29, 2024

Sunday Mass dispensation to lift July 1 across Minnesota

Back to Mass
iStock/wideonet

Minnesota’s Catholic bishops have reinstated Catholics’ obligation to attend Sunday Mass and holy days of obligation, beginning the weekend of July 3-4.

In March 2020, the state’s bishops suspended public Masses and granted a dispensation from Catholics’ ordinary Sunday Mass obligation, due to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in Minnesota. Many parishes pivoted to livestreamed Masses and prayers during this time to continue ministering to parishioners.

In May 2020, the state’s bishops permitted public Masses to resume for those who wished to attend in person, but retained the general dispensation of the Sunday obligation, meaning Catholics were not obliged to attend Mass on a weekend or on holy days of obligation.

“Parishes have done an amazing job creating safe spaces for worship and the sacraments during the past year,” the bishops said in a joint statement issued through the Minnesota Catholic Conference June 3. “Now, as the pandemic subsides, and public gathering restrictions and safety protocols are lifted, it is time to gather as the Body of Christ once again.”

The state’s bishops emphasized that attending Mass in person and receiving the Eucharist “are vital” to Catholics’ lives.

“We were created for Communion,” they wrote. “Whether you are returning to your home parish, or seeking a local parish on vacation, your participation in the Mass unites you with the Church — the Body of Christ. This communion transforms us as persons and enables us to make manifest the Kingdom of God in our world. The celebration of the Eucharist truly is the source and summit of our faith.”

- Advertisement -

In a June 3 letter to Catholics in the archdiocese, Archbishop Bernard Hebda of St. Paul and Minneapolis shared the news of the dispensation lifting and encouraged Catholics to read the bishops’ statement. He also reflected on the past year.

“Many of you have generously shared with me over the past 15 months stories of how difficult the pandemic has been on you, your loved ones, your jobs, your parishes, your communities and beyond,” he said. “So many have lost so much, including family and friends. Please join me in remembering those who have died and those among us who continue to grieve their loss.”

He applauded the work of doctors and other health care workers “who risked their own health and safety to help others in the midst of the pandemic,” noting that his appreciation has grown for people who work in health care and emergency services.

“These women and men continue to exemplify real charity and courage as they move from treating COVID-19 patients to resuming their assigned roles in our clinics, hospitals, nursing homes and other care facilities,” he said. “I am truly grateful to them and to their family members, who also endured heightened risks to health and safety.”

He also thanked all the faithful in the archdiocese.

“Some of you have sacrificed Sunday and daily Mass attendance for more than a year to minimize the risk to the loved ones with whom you live, and often for whom you care, and to the healthcare personnel who would have to care for you in the event that you became ill,” he said. “You have shared with me the heartbreak you experienced by not being able to receive our Lord in the Eucharist. Many others, thankfully, have been able to safely return to in-person Mass since the end of last May due to the diligence and extraordinary coordination and safety protocols put into place by our dedicated priests, parish staffs and volunteers.”

He continued: “These same teams also worked creatively, instituting parking lot Masses and initiating efforts to make the Mass available through livestreaming and digital ministries. The generosity of so many has kept our parishes open and operating — providing support and services to our sisters and brothers who count on them for spiritual assistance and accompaniment and even social services.”

He also thanked parish and school staffs, whose “hard work and flexibility during constantly changing conditions and directives made it possible for the work of Christ to continue.”

“The hard work of our parishes and school staff have allowed us to gather safely throughout this year,” he said. “That safety has only increased as we gratefully see so many signs that the pandemic is receding.”

With these “positive developments,” he encouraged people who have stayed away from in-person Mass to return.

“We know that we need the strength that comes from the sacraments in order to live our Christian life and we know that our parish communities are not complete without you,” he said.

While the general dispensation of the Sunday and holy day obligation has been lifted, “the Church has always recognized that certain circumstances can excuse a person from the requirement to observe the obligation,” the bishops noted in their joint statement.

Those circumstances include:

  1. You have reason to believe your health would be significantly compromised if you were to contract a communicable illness (meaning, you have underlying conditions or are in a high-risk category).
  2. You exhibit flu-like symptoms.
  3. You have good reason to think you might be asymptomatic of a contagious illness (for example, you were in recent contact with someone who tested positive for a contagious illness such as COVID or influenza).
  4. You care for the sick, homebound or infirmed.
  5. You are pregnant or you are 65 years of age or older (per the Centers for Disease Control’s recommendation for high-risk individuals).
  6. You cannot attend Mass through no fault of your own (no Mass is offered; you are infirm; or, while wanting to go, you are prevented for some reason you cannot control, such as your ride did not show up).
  7.    You have significant fear or anxiety of becoming ill by being at Mass.

“If situations 1 through 3 apply to you, prudent concern for your neighbor should lead you to stay home,” the bishops said. “If you fall within situations 4-7, please exercise good judgment, consider the common good, and know you would not be held to the obligation of attending Mass. For further questions about the application of any of these situations, please contact your pastor.”

The bishops said that the categories that excuse a person from their Sunday Mass obligation will be reviewed and revised as needed.

Catholics who are not obligated to attend Mass for the reasons above must still observe the Lord’s Day, the bishops stated. They “are encouraged to spend time in prayer on Sunday, meditating on the Lord’s passion, death, and resurrection,” they said, adding, “an excellent way to do this is by praying the Liturgy of the Hours and participating in a broadcast/livestream of the Sunday Mass.”

More information is available at backtomassmn.org.

“The return of our faith family to Mass is a joyous occasion,” the bishops said. “With that in mind, we also encourage the faithful to post on social media about their return-to-Mass worship experiences using the hashtag #backtomassmn. Wherever you may be, welcome home!”

The statement from the state’s bishops was signed by Archbishop Hebda; Bishop Andrew Cozzens, auxiliary bishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis; Bishop John Quinn of Winona-Rochester; Bishop Donald Kettler of St. Cloud; Bishop Daniel Felton of Duluth; Bishop Richard Pates, apostolic administrator of Crookston; and Msgr. Douglas Grams, diocesan administrator of New Ulm.

 


Related Articles

SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -

Trending

- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
12,743FansLike
1,478FollowersFollow
6,479FollowersFollow
35,922FollowersFollow
583SubscribersSubscribe
- Advertisement -