Galveston-Houston archdiocese to suspend Mass indefinitely

The Archdiocese of GalvestonHouston will suspend Mass indefinitely amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, following days of civic leaders urging people to stay home and away from each other.

Cardinal Daniel DiNardo said the suspension would begin Wednesday, but churches would remain open for "individual and private prayer."

He also recommended that priests offer confessions in more places other than small confessional booths, which could bring two people closer than what health officials recommend.

Weddings can also go on, but only the rite and with only 10 people in attendance — including the pastor, DiNardo said.

Pastors were first to deliver the news Tuesday afternoon to their parishioners. At Saint Helen Catholic Church, the Rev. Jim Courville, said in a message to that he met with DiNardo and the rest of the presbyteral council to prepare how the church leaders would handle the cancellation of events.

Courville ended his note by telling the Roman Catholic faithful to wash their hands.

His note also mentioned that more churches would seek out how to live-stream Mass, while some churches had already done so for parishioners to watch from home.

On Sunday, despite the urging from local officials to practice social distancing, parishioners at the Catholic Charismatic Center in Eastwood could be seen holding hands and allowing ushers to place wafers onto the tongues of worshipers. On the evening before, photos showed DiNardo, 70, posing shoulder-to-shoulder with dozens of people following a confirmation ceremony at Saint Francis Cabrini Catholic Church.

The local move follows a decision by the Archdiocese of San Antonio over the weekend to suspend Mass there.

On Friday, the archdiocese said it would exempt churchgoers who did not wish to attend Mass, and asked people who are elderly, have compromised immune systems or are ill to stay home.