As of Sept 5, priests in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis have a third — and familiar — option for distributing Communion at Mass during the coronavirus pandemic.

They can now offer Communion in the usual manner — at the usual time during Mass to parishioners in Communion lines at the altar or other stations in the church, said Father Tom Margevicius, director of the Office of Worship, in a Sept. 4 memo to parishes and other institutions in the archdiocese.

Since public indoor Masses began in late May after a mid-March suspension to minimize the risk of spreading the novel coronavirus, Mass attendees either received Communion after the final blessing as they exited the church, or they remained in their pews as ministers walked to them with the Eucharist. Each of these two methods has benefits and drawbacks, but for theological, liturgical and pastoral reasons, neither is ideal, Father Margevicius said.

Most priests at a meeting following the archdiocese’s July 30 Chrism Mass expressed their desire to return to distributing Communion in the usual manner, he said.

And because parishes have been faithfully cooperating with pandemic protocols such as wearing facial coverings, washing hands and social distancing, with churches by-and-large not becoming “COVID hotspots,” parishes can return to the usual practice, he said.

“People are behaving,” he told The Catholic Spirit. “They’re keeping their masks on for the most part, they’re using hand sanitizer, keeping social distance, so they’re able to engage in public activity in an interior space in a safe manner.”

But priests who are not comfortable with having parishioners return to the usual practice of Communion distribution are not required to offer it, Father Margevicius said. The other options remain legitimate, at the discretion of the pastor, he said.

All other hygiene practices to prevent spread of the virus remain in effect, including ministers and communicants wearing masks, using hand sanitizer and keeping 6 feet of distance.

The usual obligation to attend Sunday Mass also remains suspended, to help protect people 65 or older and those with underlying health conditions, as well as those who care for them.

Public health officials and Gov. Tim Walz have been monitoring the pandemic in Minnesota, at some points shutting down businesses and incrementally allowing them to reopen.

The archdiocese also has been taking incremental steps toward pre-pandemic norms since public Masses were suspended March 18. Archbishop Bernard Hebda issued a directive April 1 that celebrating Mass outdoors was a possibility if the faithful continued to practice social distancing, but such Masses could not include public distribution of Communion.

Indoor Masses returned with up to 10 people in the church May 18, but not all churches participated. By May 27, public Masses could be held for up to 25 percent church capacity, or up to 250 people, and by June 10, attendance could reach 50 percent capacity, up to 250 people.

On July 27, Archbishop Hebda said that parishioners, when at church and other church gatherings, should take into consideration Walz’s July 24 mask mandate for indoor public places.

In addition to guidance for distribution of Communion, the Sept. 4 memo from Father Margevicius covered four topics:

• Effective Aug. 29, per the Minnesota Department of Health, long-term health care facilities with no active COVID cases the past 28 days can allow non-essential personnel to visit. Each facility decides if it will allow non-essential personnel, and if so, who that would be. Some facilities meeting that status now permit pastoral care visits and Communion distribution on a more regular basis.
• Walz’s July 24 executive order requiring facial coverings in public indoor places does not provide an exception for churches or weddings, except for some populations, including children under age 2 and people with compromised health conditions. The bride and groom need not wear a mask when they exchange vows and rings, as they would be considered “presenters” at that time.
• Clarification is provided about validity of baptisms based on use of an approved rite and correct matter and form. To overturn the presumption that a baptism was valid, there must be enough evidence to raise a prudent doubt, such as a video or audio recording of the wrong formula being used, the memo said.
• The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee Against Racism urges Catholics to join a day of prayer and fasting Sept. 9, the memorial of St. Peter Claver. Father Erich Rutten, pastor at St. Peter Claver in St. Paul, is conducting a virtual ecumenical gathering at 7 p.m. that day and invites participation: Facebook.com/SaintPeterClaver/live.