From staff reports
The Catholic bishops of Pennsylvania have issued a joint statement indicating that the dispensation from the obligation to attend Mass, which went into effect in March 2020 – just as the pandemic significantly impacted all facets of life in the United States – will soon be lifted.
The bishops are reinstating the obligation to attend Mass in person on Sundays and holy days beginning Sunday, Aug. 15.
“I am very pleased that the effects of the pandemic have subsided enough that we can finally gather safely for Mass on Sundays and holy days,” the Most Rev. Lawrence T. Persico, bishop of Erie, said. “The number of people already attending Sunday Mass has been growing steadily, and I know people are truly celebrating the opportunity to receive the Eucharist and to be back in their parish communities.”
“The community is not whole when some are missing,” he said.
Parishes across the Diocese of Erie are preparing to launch a campaign, “Re-membering Our Sunday Story,” to help ensure that Catholics are warmly invited to return to worship.