In front of dozens of parishioners who had to observe Mass from the street outside St. Peter Church in San Francisco, the vicar for Hispanics for the Archdiocese of San Francisco, Father Moises Agudo, said he is not asking for privileges for the church but to be treated the same as other businesses that receive large numbers of people at the same time.
Father Agudo made the remarks after his homily at Mass on Sunday, Aug. 23.
Indoor religious gatherings are suspended and outdoor events are limited to 12 people, under San Francisco Department of Public Health orders to limit spread of the virus that causes Covid-19. For that reason, the gates of St. Peter Church at 24th and Alabama streets in the Mission District remained closed as a small assembly gathered for Mass in the church courtyard.
Those denied entry because they arrived after the first 12, including children and the elderly, observed from Alabama Street on the other side of the fence. They listened to the service but could not receive Communion.
Father Agudo, pastor of St. Peter, St. Charles and St. Anthony, all in the Mission, assured that the patio of St. Peter has capacity to seat more than 200 faithful placed six feet apart in compliance with health orders.
The church itself can hold 600 people and 150 people could attend each Mass at 25% capacity, he said.
Father Agudo said the church must administer spiritual as well as material goods. He said the restrictions are preventing the church from administering the spiritual goods of the sacraments.
He maintained that the hundreds of people who gather at nearby in Dolores Park can be more likely to transmit the virus.
Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an expert in Infectious disease of the University of California at San Francisco, expressed concern about the number of people who do not wear a mask in Dolores Park and the many spilling over the designated circles to maintain physical distancing, he told to NBC, Aug. 9.
The faithful who gathered in front of the gate of St. Peter wore masks. One of them was Gloria Azpeitia. Her voice broken by crying, she was saddened that she could not receive Communion.
“Why do we have to be on the street if we have a church,” she said. “Why don’t they let us come to see Christ and receive him, if they let people fill the beaches, parks and supermarkets? It is not fair. God is first.”
Another parishioner, Pablo Zapet, said that he will continue to observe Mass from the street until the restrictions are lifted.
Mariano Rodríguez, another St. Peter parishioner, said “the church implemented all the security measures, they disinfected our hands, took our temperature, asked us to wear masks and sat us six feet apart.”
She said the church is peaceful and respects the authorities but maintained that people need to attend Mass.
The above comes from an Aug. 27 story in Catholic San Francisco
Twelve outdoors is outrageous! Does anyone honestly think that’s based on public health? It’s clearly bigotry when hundreds gathered in Golden Gate Park to tear down the statue of Saint Junipero Serra and police were ordered to stand by and do nothing.
Deacon Anderson, It’s also a clear violation of the 1st amendment which states: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” I wonder what other parts of the U.S. constitution the City of San Francisco is hostile towards?
Well, no its not a clear violation of the first amendment. That point has been litigated and the Supreme Court disagrees with you.
Having said that, I think the 12 person rule for an outdoor religious service is kind of ridiculous. I could understand it when we didn’t know much about this virus back in February, but we now know that there is virtually no risk of spread among distanced people outdoors especially when masked. The science is increasingly showing this, and I do think the city will have to change its policies.
Now, having said THAT, the analogy is not quite the same with indoor venues like supermarkets and such things. Food is quite essential for life itself, so there is some risk that people have to take. Most people do not sing while in the supermarket….singing being a major way of producing risky aerosoles. Dolores Park is a better but still not perfect analogy. People at the Park can soemtimes come together in close groups, but most groups at the park are extremely distanced – like 20 feet from one group to another, and they are mostly seated on the ground so particles fall quickly to the grass before they can be absorbed by people.
I’m trying to convince the city that some of their policies are not actually based in as much science as they think they are, believe me. My supervisor is very mad at me right now.
Praying near a statue – limit of 12, masks required. Tearing down a statue – no limit and masks will not be enforced. Thank you Newsom. I’ve heard that bad leaders are punishment for sin. Lots of sin in California, so we are probably just receiving exactly what we deserve, horrible leadership.
Catholics don’t really sing, like really sing anyway. Everyone knows that. This is Marxist, progressive gesturing to gauge how far religious oppression can go in California before they have to back down for the next time.