Churches Across the Diocese Gradually Reopen for Mass

As churches in the Diocese of Pittsburgh gradually reopen for Mass, each pastor will decide how best to protect the faithful while allowing as many as possible to join in the celebration.

The results differ, though all parishes must follow identical health directives for social distancing, masks and sanitizing. For instance, a Washington County grouping will hold a total of nine weekend Masses inside its three churches, while the five weekend Masses in a South Hills grouping will take place only in its two church parking lots. Both groupings will open one church for daily Mass.

Father Carmen D’Amico, priest-administrator of the three Washington County parishes -- Holy Rosary in Muse, Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal in Meadowlands and St. Patrick in Canonsburg -- knows his people are eager to return.

“Some people showed up last Sunday for the 8 a.m. Mass and were surprised to find the church closed. We had to tell them it was next week,” he said.

Weekday public Masses, which begin June 1, are initially limited to 25 people. Many parishes require advance sign-ups.

“We’re asking them to call in to make reservations because we don’t want to turn anyone away. If the Mass is going to be full, we can tell them and ask if they would like to come on a different day,” Father D’Amico said.

Weekday Mass in his grouping will be held only at Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, chosen because it accommodates livestreaming. It’s easier to sanitize one church than three, he said.  
The parish is recruiting youth and young adults to help clean in place of the longtime volunteers, who are mostly older and in high risk categories for COVID-19.

Weekend Mass can begin on June 6, with indoor seating limited to about 25% of capacity. St. Patrick will accommodate about 125 people, while Holy Rosary and Miraculous Medal will be limited to about 50. Cleaning and disinfecting will go into high gear, as all three churches must be sanitized between Masses.

Such logistical considerations are why the grouping of St. Bernard in Mount Lebanon and Our Lady of Grace in Scott will hold weekend Masses only in the parking lots.  A tent will shelter the altar while the faithful sit in their cars, listening on a special radio channel. Our Lady of Grace , which has the largest parking lot will have three outdoor weekend Masses – including the grouping’s only Saturday Vigil Mass. St. Bernard will have two outdoor Sunday Masses.

Father Bonnar opted for outdoor weekend Masses to avoid turning people away. Parishioners are asked to attend just one Mass a week, so everyone has an opportunity.

Turning people away from the church “could have been potentially divisive,” he said. “The main job of a pastor is to unify the flock. While it is certainly preferable to celebrate Mass in church, outdoor Masses became attractive from the standpoint of volume. The parking lots allow for more people than using 25% of the church seating capacity.”

From a health standpoint, “There is greater safety in being outdoors than being in an enclosed space,” he said.

Many parishioners have volunteered to be “parking porters” offering welcome and guidance at the outdoor Masses.
 
Weekday Masses for the grouping, which require reservations, will be held only inside St. Bernard due to the difficulty of sanitizing Our Lady of Grace. Sign-ups are required and can be done online.

“The carpeting is an issue because you have to spray it, which will not only make the carpet continuously damp and wet, but the chemicals can harm its long-term usage,” Father Bonnar said of Our Lady of Grace. With low ceilings and few windows, “the lack of [outside] ventilation is a serious concern.”

However, the vestibule of Our Lady of Grace has become the grouping’s only site for private prayer. It was converted into a chapel, open weekdays from 7 a.m.  to 2 p.m.

On weekdays, a special 6:30 p.m. Mass inside Bernard is available to families with children ready for First Communion. Each family can choose whether to have a small celebration at one of these Masses or await a time when they can have a full church and a procession, Father Bonnar said.

“There are great fears among some people and there is also the opposite extreme where people are reckless and dismissive,” he said of the concerns he hears. “We still don’t know what to expect. But we will be following all of the CDC, government and diocesan guidelines.”

Above Photo: Father Ben Barr, parochial vicar at grouping of St. Bernard in Mount Lebanon and Our Lady of Grace, stands inside the metal infractructure of a tent where Masses will be celebrated at St. Bernard Church.

Below photo: Prayer chapel in Our Lady of Grace Church