Ohio Bishops restore obligation to attend Mass
  • Don9of11Don9of11
    Posts: 708
    I learned today that the dispensation to attend Sunday Mass has been lifted in Ohio. Has these happened in your state?
    Bishops of Ohio Announce
    Thanked by 1Chris Garton-Zavesky
  • trentonjconn
    Posts: 623
    The obligation has been lifted? Or the dispensation? Atlanta is lifting the dispensation beginning with Pentecost.
    Thanked by 2Don9of11 Chris Garton-Zavesky
  • Don9of11Don9of11
    Posts: 708
    The dispensation is lifted.
  • MarkB
    Posts: 1,084
    Yes in Colorado, effective May 23.
    Thanked by 2Don9of11 Chris Garton-Zavesky
  • bhcordovabhcordova
    Posts: 1,164
    Diocese of Tyler since March
    Thanked by 2Don9of11 Chris Garton-Zavesky
  • MAR
    Posts: 18
    June 5-6 in Ohio
    Thanked by 2Don9of11 Chris Garton-Zavesky
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,414
    It was lifted in the Ordinariate aeons ago - around the middle of last year. I thought that this was a foolhardy tempting of fate, and we, as a result, have had a number of (very fortunately not fatal) cases of the Chinese plague just at the cathedral itself. (I've learned just today of two new cases who are in hospital), Not only was it lifted, but masks and other preventive measures were thrown to the winds. Now that we are getting more of the population vaccinated the danger would seem to be somewhat, if not considerably lessened. I got my second Pfizer shot two Fridays ago. Still, the danger is not yet over. Lifting the dispensation sometime this summer is done, I'm sure, with calculating the relative risks involved.
    Thanked by 2Schönbergian a_f_hawkins
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,980
    In the Diocese of Knoxville the obligation is supposed to be restored at Pentecost for Latin Catholics.
    Thanked by 2Don9of11 Chris Garton-Zavesky
  • Chris Garton-Zavesky
    Posts: 6,902
    There's no word (that I've seen) anywhere in California, so far as I know.

    Thanked by 1Don9of11
  • Caleferink
    Posts: 434
    The obligation is being restored in St. Petersburg, FL this coming Pentecost Sunday, with decisions on masks and distancing left to individual pastors (at least as I read the bishop's letter on the matter). Checking other FL dioceses' websites in no particular order:
    -St. Augustine is doing likewise.
    -Venice lifted its mask mandate effective last weekend but I can't find anything on its dispensation.
    -Palm Beach and Miami appear to be continuing to require masks and distancing, and is keeping the dispensation in place.
    -Pensacola-Tallahassee hasn't issued any updates since the end of April, which appears to leave a lot of decisions on these things to pastors, so I don't think their dispensation has been lifted.
    -I'm not finding a thing on Orlando.

    So while the bishops in Florida were rather united on suspending Masses in March 2020, it appears they aren't so much on the flip side.
    Thanked by 2mattebery Don9of11
  • rollingrj
    Posts: 352
    The Diocese of Salt Lake City has not restored the obligation.
    Thanked by 1Don9of11
  • CatherineS
    Posts: 690
    I'm not aware of any return to the Sunday obligation in Brazil.
    Thanked by 1Don9of11
  • TimTheEnchanterTimTheEnchanter
    Posts: 206
    I don't believe anything has changed in Illinois, where I am -- we just got capacity limits back up to 60%. If I were to guess, I think the obligation will be back in force this fall.
    Thanked by 1Don9of11
  • Chris Garton-Zavesky
    Posts: 6,902
    [Off topic]
    Tim,

    Your wonderful bishop Paprocki gave the Commencement address at my son's graduation this past weekend. [back on topic, now]

    If the dispensation is still in place, is that all across the state?
  • Felicia
    Posts: 116
    Diocese of Austin as of Pentecost (this weekend).
    Thanked by 1Don9of11
  • Don9of11Don9of11
    Posts: 708
    According to the email newsletter most pandemic restrictions in Cleveland Diocese will be lifted June 2. Cleveland Diocese Update
  • Liam
    Posts: 5,093
    Updated guidance from the Archdiocese of Boston given the next major phase of reopening in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on May 29th; the dispensation from preceptual obligation to attend Mass is not yet withdrawn, but I would not be shocked if it is in the coming weeks with a local option for pastors to dispense in smaller areas of lagging recovery:

    https://rcabrisk.org/2021/05/07/covid-19-updates-as-of-may-7-2021/
    Thanked by 1Don9of11
  • ServiamScores
    Posts: 2,890
    Indiana restoration is June 11, Feast of the Sacred Heart.
    Thanked by 2Don9of11 GregoryWeber
  • rich_enough
    Posts: 1,048
    The Sunday obligation in the Diocese of Bridgeport, Connecticut, resumes Pentecost Sunday, May 23.
    Bridgeport Diocese update
    Thanked by 1Don9of11
  • Chris Garton-Zavesky
    Posts: 6,902
    Actually, we're in this pattern until we flatten the curve, in the next two weeks.

    Thanked by 2Don9of11 afries52
  • CatholicZ09
    Posts: 284
    Haven’t heard anything here in Pennsylvania.
    Thanked by 1Don9of11
  • Chaswjd
    Posts: 269
    In Milwaukee, the dispensation was lifted Pentecost 2020.
    Thanked by 1Don9of11
  • davido
    Posts: 943
    Chancery rumors in PA are that the dispensation will be lifted at the end of the summer.
    Thanked by 2Don9of11 CatholicZ09
  • SponsaChristi
    Posts: 402
    Actually, we're in this pattern until we flatten the curve, in the next two weeks


    That’s literally all we heard in Alberta for over a year now. Now suddenly, all restrictions will be lifted in a month.
    Thanked by 2Don9of11 CCooze
  • Liam
    Posts: 5,093
    In eastern Massachusetts, it was dicey for about 4 weeks in late winter whether the vaccination program would be able to get ahead of the spread of the variants (especially the Brazilian variant, which got a toehold in certain places - not surprising, because we have many Lusophones with close ties to their countries of origin), but so far it appears that vaccination dominated that race. Which has allowed the curve to be flattened and general reopening to occur this weekend.

    The first curve flattening followed by a somewhat modest (compared to what followed) bump during the Great Mixing of the opening of the college/school year, may have led to a false sense of security leading into the colder half of the year in late October; looking at the charts, it appears that Hallowe'en gatherings may have laid a foundation for further spread at the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays that was very alarming, particularly as variants started to manifest on the backside of those surges.
  • rollingrj
    Posts: 352
    UPDATE: In the Diocese of Salt Lake City, the obligation will be restored starting the weekend of June 5-6 (Corpus Christi). Details here.
    Thanked by 1Don9of11
  • CatholicZ09
    Posts: 284
    @davido, part of me thinks that PA bishops are waiting until the end of the summer for more people to get vaccinated, but the cynic in me is saying that it's to make it more convenient for everyone (i.e. wait until the end of summer as to not inconvenience vacation plans and Mass) - lol.
  • Liam
    Posts: 5,093
    How many people do you think return regularly when the obligation is restored?

    FWIW, my sense is that people who attend regularly do so largely regardless of the obligation; there can be temporary situations that make attendance on a given day more difficult (particularly on work-week holydays where parishes increasingly seem not to bother to schedule Masses for those who do not work nearby...), and those many not always rise to the level of grave matter.
  • davido
    Posts: 943
    We had a significant number of regular mass goers including former catechists, very involved people, etc return after they got vaccinated.

    As for PA, I think the different bishops probably have different philosophies on lifting the dispensation, but they are agreed on doing it statewide at one time.
  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,782
    Our obligation is not restored, while the Spanish and English Masses are slightly down, our EF Mass is up and we have an extra Latin Mass.

    Over the last 3 month our Sunday Mass attendance has been 91%, 104% and 99% of the seven year average. So we are back to normal.

    We have two camps those that are refusing the vaccination, and those that have had it, both groups are taking few precautions.
    Thanked by 2CCooze GregoryWeber
  • JaredOstermann
    Posts: 488
    Diocese of Sioux Falls was, I believe, the first in the states to reinstate the obligation (in August of 2020). We haven't looked back since.

    But I'd agree with Liam - I didn't really notice any increase in attendance after the return of the obligation. Most of our parishioners, of all ages, were back within a couple of weeks of reopening in May 2020. We certainly did have some who thought we were too lax, and went to other parishes in town, (e.g. we had congregational singing from day 1), but we also picked up people who did not like the restrictions in other parishes. So since about June of last year things have looked completely normal here. I'm not sure whether the obligation made any difference either way.

    To my mind the obligation never really needed to be messed with in the first place, since it would already include a dispensation in the two critical cases: when you are sick, or if you have grave reason for concern that you might get sick. But that's another story.
    Thanked by 2mattebery tomjaw
  • Chris Garton-Zavesky
    Posts: 6,902
    I am not aware of the lifting of the dispensation (or even that a discussion is taking place about when/if it should happen here) but our bishop, Oscar Cantu, has confirmed a class of confirmandi in the traditional rite and we had a First Holy Communion last Saturday. In the meantime, my parish has begun a novena so that we may buy or build a new church building, and attendance is growing.
    Thanked by 2tomjaw GregoryWeber
  • Liam
    Posts: 5,093
    ", or if you have grave reason for concern that you might get sick"

    It was that point that split rigorists from the rest. There were folks insisting that was an insufficient basis for absenting from physical presence at Mass. The dispensations did help reduce reason for unnecessary scruples on that point.
    Thanked by 1Jeffrey Quick
  • Liam
    Posts: 5,093
    Other related news:

    https://www.ncronline.org/news/coronavirus/six-mid-atlantic-bishops-reinstate-sunday-mass-obligation-end-june
    Thanked by 2Chris Garton-Zavesky Don9of11
  • Liam
    Posts: 5,093
    And now Boston, as of the weekend after next:

    https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/06/09/metro/cardinal-omalley-reinstates-obligation-attend-mass-starting-weekend-june-19-20/
    Thanked by 1Don9of11
  • pfreese
    Posts: 147
    Dispensation ends in Minnesota beginning of July:

    https://www.archspm.org/letter-from-archbishop-hebda-regarding-the-reinstatement-of-the-sunday-mass-obligation/
    Thanked by 1Don9of11
  • SalieriSalieri
    Posts: 3,177
    All bishops of Massachusetts will reinstate the obligation beginning the weekend of 19/20 June.
    I can't wait to see the people flooding back to church!
    Thanked by 3CharlesW Don9of11 tomjaw
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,980
    Salieri, I think many will not go back. I wouldn't mind being proven wrong but that's how it looks to me.
  • CatholicZ09
    Posts: 284
    Just heard today that the obligation to attend Mass on Sundays and holy days in Pennsylvania will be reinstated on the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary—Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021.

    https://diopitt.org/news/obligation-to-attend-mass-reinstated?fbclid=IwAR2zyn2MosEQ8Rj8Sj5CiVV0K7ZFG8p7g-MrzLrdsTPtHodPD5hQZBDWpe4
    Thanked by 1Don9of11
  • Richard MixRichard Mix
    Posts: 2,799
    Aug. 15 in Oakland too; this was charmingly announced as the lifting of the Pastor's obligation to livestream. Diocese still has a page last updated in June, but you can keep clicking until you stumble on the latest Pastoral Letter.
    Thanked by 1Don9of11
  • Chris Garton-Zavesky
    Posts: 6,902
    Crickets....
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