In December, the Diocese grappled with the frightening spike in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in San Bernardino and Riverside counties, while preparing to play a role as a community partner in the distribution of the coronavirus vaccine in early 2021.
“We are going to be a major player in this,” says Ann Marie Gallant, Director of the Diocesan Emergency Operations Collaborative (EOC). “When [the counties] call us, we say ‘yes.’ ”
A handful of parishes in the Diocese have already served as sites for County administered COVID-19 testing and seasonal flu shots. As the COVID-19 spike has intensified the number of parishes stepping forward to serve as sites has increased, especially in areas like the High Desert and Eastern Coachella Valley, where COVID-19 rates are highest.
Father Francisco Valdovinos, ST, Pastor of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mecca took to the airwaves in December offering a radio message in Spanish encouraging residents to take health and safety precautions, get tested and receive the vaccine when it arrives. He was joined in delivering the message by Sister Maria Teresa Pacheco, who ministers to communities in the Eastern Coachella Valley.
“We ask you to please receive the vaccine when it arrives,” Fr. Valdovinos says in the radio spot. “This will be the best way for us to protect ourselves, our families and our community.”
Added Sr. Pacheco, “When we answer this call, we give glory to God who gives us our life and health.”
Both the Diocese and the Catholic Bishops of California are mounting public campaigns to encourage Catholics to receive the COVID-19 vaccines developed by Pfizer and Moderna. With regard to the question of whether cell tissue from aborted fetuses was used in the creation of these vaccines, both are morally acceptable, according to statements from the Diocese and from the California Catholic Conference of Bishops.
Full story at Inland Catholic Byte.
Who is setting the priorities for who gets a shot?
But they won’t open up for Mass.
This is terrific. I hope they get it going earlier than expected and ensure a safe process Southern California is especially hurting now
“This is terrific.”
Oh please. This is digusting and scandalous.
Even if one accepts that the vaccines are morally licit, the liceity applies in practice only to certain people under very strict circumstances — circumstances which don’t even remotely apply to the vast majority of Catholics today, if not because there’s almost a 100% chance of surving COVID-19, then because there are other alternatives to the COVID-19 vaccines currently being promoted.
Please don’t confuse YFC with facts and logic.
This is exactly and only what Democrats want churches to be: community service centers. You can provide community services but you can’t hold religious services.