As I’m sure all of you know, all activities with groups larger than ten are cancelled, which includes Mass. All Mass activities have been called off, and a dispensation of the Sunday obligation to attend Mass has been granted until further notice. This includes Holy Week. This cancellation is a tough choice to make, but it had to be made.

“Not having people at Mass is actually really hard. I am a natural people person, so it is weird for me to say Mass with no one there. Although it is hard for me to not be with the faithful, I do think it is a good idea. It is important to keep everyone safe during these times,” St. Dominic Chaplain Fr. Patrick Russell said.

Even though we can’t go to Mass, there are still many options for prayer and service! Many parishes are choosing to do an online service on Sundays. Obviously, you can’t receive communion, but you can still have a chance to worship God and participate in the Mass. Fr. Patrick will be streaming a Mass at 10 a.m. every Sunday for Assumption Parish, so be sure to check out his Twitter for the link.

Though this virus is putting us through some trying times, it is important to stay engaged in our faith. Praying daily, going outside to appreciate nature, taking small moments with God and keeping up your Lenten promises are just a few examples of what you can do.

“There are a ton of ways to continue to live out your faith. There are so many resources available online. One of the most popular are live-streamed Masses. Many churches in the area offer live-streamed Masses that people can tune into. Last week Pope Francis asked the whole world to pray a rosary at the same time. Those types of opportunities are great during this time,” Fr. Patrick said.

Prayer is essential to our faith life, so make sure you’re keeping up with online Mass and doing everything you can to stay close to God during this quarantine.