Diocese of London begins reopening churches

Roman Catholics across southwestern Ontario will be able to celebrate the sacraments in public again.

The Diocese of London has released the first phase of its reopening plan for parishes across the region, which stretches roughly from Windsor, to Goderich, to Woodstock. As of Thursday afternoon, 20 churches across the diocese had reopened, with more parishes reopening for Mass this weekend, and others over the following two weekends.

"I know how painful the closure of our churches over the past three months has been for all of us, both our people and our priests," said Bishop Ronald Fabbro in a media release. "The news that we can now return to them is truly an occasion of great joy."

Places of worship across Ontario have been allowed to reopen with safety measures, but the Diocese chose to wait to reopen churches until guidelines were put in place to do so safely.

The diocese has provided a list of directives for the safe opening of parishes, which are required to be signed off on before churches can reopen. The most obvious one is physical distancing, as churchgoers must stay at least two metres apart at all times. Parishioners are also asked to take their temperature before arriving, and be subject to screening at the entrance. Anyone with symptoms or who has had contact with a COVID-19 patient will not be admitted.

Other highlights include:

• An aggressive and frequent cleaning protocol for all church buildings and sacred vessels
• All drinking fountains and holy water fonts emptied
• Washrooms are to be used in emergencies only, and then, with no more than one person or family at a time
• Entrance doors should remain open to reduce touching of handles
• Hymnals, prayer books, and offertory envelopes are removed from the pews
• "Cry" rooms are closed
• For confessions, a large area in the church should be set aside since confessionals are not conducive to social-distancing
• During the "sign of peace", parishioners are urged not to shake hands, but rather slightly bow to others
• For holy communion, parishioners must social-distance before taking the host in their hands

Regular Mass attendance is a large part of Roman Catholic faith, but Fabbro understands the reservations some people may feel about returning to church.

"Many of our people will not feel comfortable returning to church at this time," said Fabbro. "I want to assure them that the dispensation from the obligation of Sunday Mass will remain in effect.  A number of our churches will continue to livestream their Masses."

Comprehensive information about the Diocese's reopening plans for churches can be found on its official website.