Masses head back to church

ST Patrick’s Cathedral will be filled with faces again at the weekend as coronavirus restrictions allow for up to 100 people to gather inside churches.

Toowoomba Catholic Diocese Bishop Robert McGuckin said while the parishes had been live streaming masses during lockdown, it would be nice to see people in person again.

“It would be wonderful to see some more faces in front of you rather than just the camera,” Bishop McGuckin said.

“Some of the churches won’t be able to have 100 people due to the one person per 4spm rule, but the cathedral certainly will.

“But all the churches know their maximum numbers and they will be counting them as they come in.

“They have to keep their distancing within the church, there will be no gathering afterwards.”

Bishop McGuckin said the cathedral would normally get more than 100 people for Mass, and this weekend’s services would be a trial.

“We may have to do a couple more Masses there or at other churches around the region,” he said.

“I think people are eager to get back, but we’re going to continue to live stream.

“It will be a bit of trial and error this weekend.”

Mass will start at 7am at St Patrick’s Cathedral on Sunday.

Picture: Bev Lacey FACE-TO-FACE: Ready to welcome parishioners back to St Thomas More's Catholic church are (from left) Michael Bermingham, Karen Gwynne and Fran Mitchell with Father Hal Ranger.