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These Four Catholic Dioceses Have Not Suspended Masses

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Mary Margaret Olohan Social Issues Reporter
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Catholic dioceses in the United States continue to cancel masses and lift the usual Sunday mass obligation for parishioners, but several dioceses across the country have yet to do so.

The Catholic dioceses and archdiocese of Galveston-Houston; Miami; St. Paul and Minneapolis and Oklahoma City had not canceled masses or suspended services as of 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, according to data compiled by Archdiocese of Chicago employee Michael Bayer.

The Daily Caller News Foundation confirmed that masses have not been canceled in these archdioceses and dioceses, none of which responded to requests for comment from the DCNF except the Archdiocese of Miami.

“The Archdiocese is making decisions day-by-day with the knowledge and understanding of how important it is to bring the sacraments to Catholics in South Florida,” spokeswoman Mary Ross Agosta told the DCNF. (RELATED: Catholic Arlington Diocese, Christ Church Georgetown Suspend All Services, Gonzaga High School President Tests Positive)

Bayer, who said he is on the payroll of the Catholic church in numerous U.S. dioceses and has served as a member of the U.S. Catholic Bishops Young Adult Advisory Team, compiled information on the archdioceses and dioceses that suspended mass, as well as the archdioceses and dioceses in which mass obligations have been lifted.

This is of note to Catholics, as the Catholic church requires that parishioners attend mass every Sunday and that “those who deliberately fail in this obligation commit a grave sin.”

As of Monday morning, 75 dioceses had suspended mass and 26 archdioceses had suspended mass. (RELATED: Largest Catholic Church In North America Suspends All Masses Until ‘Further Notice’)

I believe it is a moral imperative and matter of justice for Catholics to follow the guidance of public health experts to avoid large gatherings, including public celebrations of the Mass, in order to contain the spread of COVID-19 and limit the loss of human life,” Bayer told the DCNF.

“Catholics, and all Christians, should see this as an opportunity to practice solidarity with all those Christians around the world who do not have regular access to communal worship and the sacraments, for example refugees fleeing war, immunocompromised cancer patients, and elderly homebound,” he added. 

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