Mass attendance is increasing steadily around the Diocese as people become more comfortable with returning to church in-person.
The number of people attending weekend Masses has climbed a total of about 20 percent, on average, over the past four weeks.
Attendance at daily Masses has returned to roughly the same level as it was before in-person Masses were suspended.
Those are the results of a recent informal survey of parishes about attendance trends since in-person Masses resumed.
“It’s very gratifying to see that people are returning to experience the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist,” said Father Keith Mathur, Director-Office for Divine Worship. “I think it shows that people appreciate the precautions parishes are taking to help keep them safe.”
Those precautions include requiring masks, enforcing social distancing, and limiting attendance to a percentage of the church building’s capacity. They also include special protocols for safe distribution of the Holy Eucharist, and strict adherence to sanitizing the church after each Mass.
“On behalf of Bishop Schlert, I wish to commend our priests, deacons, religious, and parish staffs for their hard work in making people feel comfortable to return to the celebration of the Mass,” Father Mathur said.
Mass attendance remains voluntary for the time being. Those who do not feel comfortable attending in person, or those who have compromising health conditions, should not participate at this time.
Many parishes continue to livestream Masses each week. For the full schedule, click here.