All San Diego County parishes can celebrate Mass indoors once again, but many have chosen to remain outside anyway.
It’s the latest chapter in an ongoing saga that began with the suspension of all public Masses on March 16, as part of the effort to slow the spread of COVID-19. San Diego County Masses resumed on June 8 and continued to be celebrated indoors through July 14, after which new state restrictions required parishes to shift to outdoor liturgies.
In a Sept. 1 letter to priests, Bishop Robert W. McElroy informed pastors that Masses at San Diego County parishes could return indoors as early as the next day, but he also gave them wide latitude to determine what was in their parish’s best interests.
“You should make the choice that best fits your physical situation and community desires,” the bishop wrote.
At Catholic parishes countywide, pastors have taken that recommendation to heart. (In Imperial County, public Masses resumed during the Sept. 19-20 weekend, after a nearly three-month suspension, only outdoors.)
Additionally, with Bishop McElroy’s dispensation from Sunday Mass attendance still in effect, parishes are continuing to livestream Masses for those not yet comfortable with attending Mass in person, even with safety protocols in place.
The situation remains fluid. On Sept. 22, San Diego County narrowly avoided being placed into the most restrictive tier in the state’s re-opening process, which would have meant another suspension of indoor Masses along with other restrictions. As of press time, it seemed likely that the county’s luck might soon run out. Local Catholics are encouraged to check with their parishes for the most up-to-date information about Mass times and locations.
For Father Peter Navarra, pastor of St. Joseph Cathedral, it was “a moment of joy” when he received permission to begin celebrating Mass inside once again.
He had been offering outdoor Masses in the courtyard adjacent to the church by necessity, but he said the arrangement was “a little troublesome and a little annoying” because of the parish’s location. The liturgy had to contend with “all the sounds and noises” of downtown San Diego.
Conceding that outdoor Masses can be quite nice at suburban parishes where quiet moments are filled with birdsong, Father Navarra said, “We have a siren here every half-hour at least.”
Father Cávana Wallace, pastor of St. Margaret Parish in Oceanside, is content with the current arrangement of celebrating Mass outside in the church piazza, which he likened to “a mini St. Peter’s Square surrounded by gardens and natural landscape.”
While conceding that many miss the “smells and bells” of liturgy inside the church, he said, “Offering a simple Mass in the piazza has allowed us to appreciate, not only the essentials of worship but also a much needed refreshing environment to still the mind and soul in the midst of so much anxiety around us.”
Full story at The Southern Cross.
Frankly, I loved the outdoor masses. Oh we had sirens too, but think of how during the wars masses were held using a jeep hood as an alter with explosions being heard instead of sirens. I was grateful knowing we could hold services while many other churches were closed because of Covid. How, resilient the Catholic Church is! I attended the vigil masses. During hot summer nights we would get a cool ocean breeze. I know our pastor loved the fact that he was saving on air conditioning bills. Christmas Eve mass was incredibly memorable. Mass started with a reddish orange sunset sky and ended with a canopy of stars. No stain glass window could ever match the beauty God provided.
Have ’em inside…we’ve been doing that here for almost a year and the world didn’t end and there aren’t bodies littering the streets either.
The outdoor Masses are great and they help people keep safe!
You’re safe regardless.
Bishop McElroy is out, definitively out.
Breaking news: Ontario government is recommending Pfizer jab over Moderna for young people because of elevated risk of heart problems in those receiving the Moderna jab. They are both poison. Sorry for you if you believed the liars in the government and got jabbed.
There is reason why churches were built. I have attended outdoor Masses for months, and aside from being too hot or too cold, or rained on, what was most disappointing was seeing people sitting in their lounge chairs as if they were attending a concert in the park. And no kneeling. Complete lack of reverence. I witnessed people riding bikes in between Mass attendees and taking shortcuts through the parking lot the Mass was said in. I witnessed not being able to hear the priest because someone had their car radio on and was sitting in the parking lot listening to it. I listened to a recorded messages loud and clear coming from a bus stopped at the bus stop next to the parking lot used for Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. NO, Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was not meant to be offered in parking lot. There is reason why churches were built.