Many churches have gone to online-only services due to the coronavirus outbreak, and now there’s word from Bishop Paul Bradley suspending all public Masses for Catholic churches in the Diocese of Kalamazoo through Palm Sunday, April 5. Additionally, the annual Chrism Mass on Tuesday, April 7th has been relocated to St. Augustine Cathedral in Kalamazoo, and will be limited to attendance by priests only. The Mass will be live streamed and details will be posted on the diocesan website.
Bishop Bradley writes in a letter that being unable to come to Mass “and receive the Gift of the Eucharist is a huge sacrifice that we must make to protect the health and well-being of all those with whom we come in contact.” He is praying the restrictions on worship services are short-lived, and asks priests to keep churches open and unlocked as much as possible during the pandemic. The Diocese is finalizing plans to live stream Mass each Sunday morning from the Mother of Mercy Chapel at the Diocesan Pastoral Center. In the interim, Catholics are encouraged to visit www.diokzoo.org for additional information and resources to use during this time.
