PROVIDENCE – The Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence will suspend all public Mass celebrations until further notice beginning Tuesday following the recommendation from state and health officials with regard to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the diocese announced Monday.
The announcement came soon after Gov. Gina M. Raimondo on Monday ordered all gatherings to be less than 25 people and a few days after the diocese made it optional for parishioners to attend Sunday Mass. Weddings and funerals “may continue,” the diocese said, but must be celebrated “without Mass using approved liturgical forms.”
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The diocese said churches should remain open during the day for personal prayer, and individual confessions may also be heard.
“This is an exceedingly difficult and painful decision, but it is necessitated by our commitment to promote the health and well-being of our brothers and sisters, especially the frail and the elderly,” Diocese of Providence Bishop Most Rev. Thomas J. Tobin said in a statement. “That is a moral priority we should all share.”
James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter at @James_Bessette.
