FACEBOOK @FLORIDACATHOLIC May 29-June 4, 2020
FLORIDA Catholic
VENICE DIOCESE
BOB REDDY
of the Florida Catholic staff
VENICE As the faithful left Mass at Epiphany Cathedral in Ven- ice May 24, 2020, there was a feeling of joy and hope. The joy came from the return to public Sunday Mass after a two-month absence. The hope was that this small step means that lives are closer to returning to normal in the wake of the COV- ID-19 pandemic. Therefore, it was fitting that the solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord was the moment the faithful returned to the regular Sunday Mass for the first time since March 15, 2020. The solem- nity includes the reading from the conclusion of the Gospel of Matthew called the "Great Com- missioning" - when the Lord gives instructions and sends forth the Disciples into the world to spread the Good News. Bishop Frank J. Dewane, who lifted the suspension of public Mass effective May 18, 2020, celebrated the 11 a.m. Mass May 24, 2020, at the Cathedral, noting it was a plea- sure to be back before the faithful after such a long absence. It is gift from the Lord that we are able to come back to our churches and our Parishes," Bishop Dewane said. "At the same time, we have to acknowledge that Christ calls us to be people of hope. During this time of the pandemic we must remain believers and hope for the best - for one another, for ourselves, but most of all for our Faith. We have to have hope in Jesus Christ." Brad Gaines attended the Vigil Mass at Our Lady of Light Parish in Fort Myers and was very happy to be back. It is such a blessing to be here for Mass," Gaines said. "It brings me great comfort, just like I had been every weekend since I was born, at least until the pandemic hit. I never realized how much I would miss be- ing at Mass, in the presence of the Lord and singing hymns with oth- ers." The reopening of public Mass came with some restrictions as churches were only allowed to ac- commodate up to 50% of normal capacity while maintaining appro- priate social distancing. As expect- ed, many decided to remain home because they are older, are vulner- able to illness. or they are not fully comfortable to return. For this rea- son, Bishop Dewane extended the dispensation of the obligation to at- tend Sunday Mass through June 28, 2020. For those who did go to Mass, signs were posted reminding ev- eryone of social distancing regula- tions. Greeters kept doors propped open and ushers directed people to available seating as half of the pews in churches were blocked off. All Parishes required that masks be worn. There were no missals in the pews, thus the music selections were more common, making it eas- ier for people to participate. Hand sanitizer was readily available and between Masses extra cleaning took place. Many Parishes also created in- structional videos to prepare the faithful for what to expect when coming to Mass, such as which entrances would be open and pro- viding directions on receiving Holy Communion while wearing a mask. Fran Kingman admitted she was wary about going to Mass until she saw the instructional video on the precautions being taken at Epipha- ny Cathedral. I so wanted to come back and was very worried," Kingman said. I soon realized that the Cathedral was taking this situation seriously. For me, wearing a mask at church is strange but a small price to pay. Honestly, I would rather do that from now on if it meant keeping the churches open for Mass." At the Cathedral, and many oth- er Parishes, Holy Communion was made available in the afternoon for those who watched the Mass through a livestream and did not feel comfortable being at Mass in the church. Such accommodations were made to ensure the Sacrament remained available to all during these times. During the pandemic, the livestreaming of Mass became commonplace. While some Parish- es have opted to stop or reduce the number of livestreamed Masses, the Diocese of Venice will continue to offer its livestream service (avail- able on Facebook or at www.dioce- seofvenice.org) from the Catholic Center at 9:15 a.m. daily through June 28, 2020.
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Public Sunday Mass brings joy, hope
On the Solemnity of St. Joseph, March 19, 2020, Bishop Frank J. Dewane consecrated the Diocese of Venice to the care and protection of St. Joseph in the context of the coronavirus. The Bishop announced a "Year of St. Joseph" beginning March 19, 2020, through March 19, 2021. St. Joseph, often referred to as the protector, can be the protector during this time of the pandemic. To pray a novena to St. Joseph, visit the Year of St. Joseph webpage at www. dioceseofvenice.org.
Year of St. Joseph
At left, Our Lady of Light Parish in Fort Myers used folding chairs and signs to mark pews that were unavailable for use during Mass May 23, 2020. Above, Father Jack Costello, Rector of Epiphany Cathedral in Venice wears a mask while distributing Communion May 24, 2020. People are appropriately spread out as Bishop Frank J Dewane speaks during Mass May 24, 2020, at Epiphany Cathedral in Venice, on the first weekend public Mass was available since the weekend of March 15, 2020. (PHOTOS BY BOB REDDY FC)
A special coronavirus webpage is located on the Diocese of Venice website homepage at www. dioceseofvenice.org. Resources include links to the Mass, the prayer for Act of the Spiritual Communion, videos of the Stations of the Cross, Divine Mercy Chaplet and Pray the Rosary. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops website, www.usccb. org, also posts daily Mass readings.
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