Video Transcript

My Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Suspending the public celebration of the Holy Mass was a great sacrifice in the effort to help slow the spread of COVID-19. I am grateful to our pastors, their parish staff and volunteers who kept their churches open and worked hard to support the faithful in this journey. Through it all, we have made every effort to continue to bear witness to the Lord Jesus, to spread the Gospel message in creative ways, and to provide for the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Eucharistic adoration, and other moments of prayer and grace.

Likewise, I am grateful to our Catholic faithful for patience and perseverance. Now that it seems we are able to manage with good social distancing and other precautionary measures, I believe it is time to provide the faithful with the essential service of the Mass and Holy Communion.

I am pleased to share that on May 11 I permitted our pastors to begin celebrating the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass publicly in our churches. This is the next step in the plan I have developed with our pastors that we are calling “Rising with Christ.” This plan will gradually restore parish life, but it will not be a process that happens overnight. Rather, it will occur over the course of time, and will vary from parish to parish, based on a variety of circumstances that are unique to each community. I hope this will provide a great sense of comfort for the many Catholics who have been longing to attend Mass to receive Jesus in the Eucharist.

As we move forward, I want to share some guidelines that will be critical for us as we work to keep everyone healthy and holy:

• As we work to restore parish life, it is important to know that progress will be gradual and may at times be imperfect. Please be patient and kind with your priests and one another.
• Keep in mind that the general dispensation from the Sunday Mass obligation continues. Catholics in the Diocese of Phoenix who are vulnerable or feel safer staying home are encouraged to do so. I urge those of you who cannot join us in person to continue to watch a livestream of the Mass and make a spiritual communion.
• Attendance will be limited due to social distancing, church capacity and other factors. It will be important to check with your parish to know when Mass will be offered. Stay connected through your parish website, Flocknote or social media pages for more information.
• Public places on parish campuses will be frequently cleaned and sanitized, but a risk remains. So, it is important for individuals and families to take personal responsibility to protect themselves by adhering to social distancing guidelines, and by following CDC guidelines for hand washing and hand sanitizer use, as well as recommendations regarding the use of masks while in public.

Our goal is to balance the spiritual needs of the faithful with our concern for their physical well-being and the common good of the wider community.

I invite you to learn more about “Rising with Christ – The Plan for Restoring Parish Life,” and to download and read our guidelines at dphx.org/stay-healthy/rising.

As we continue our journey through the Easter season and approach the great feast of Pentecost, let us pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit to provide wisdom and guidance in the days ahead. Please remember: Be Healthy – Be Smart – Be Holy.

Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Diocese of Phoenix, pray for us.

Jesus, we trust in You.

May almighty God bless you, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.