Diocese of Arlington Response to Concerns of the Coronavirus

Diocese of Arlington Response to Concerns of the Coronavirus

Various office directors and members of senior leadership at the Diocese of Arlington have been communicating actively and meeting with county public health departments and communicating with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to ensure that all diocesan parishes, schools, ministries and charities are responding appropriately to the spread of the coronavirus and other infectious diseases.

Local experts have briefed the diocese and made clear that Arlington and surrounding counties have currently taken a posture of prevention of the coronavirus until circumstances change. As such, our current response is oriented to avoiding the spread of the disease and preparing in the event that occurrences of coronavirus were to appear within the Northern Virginia or Washington area.

Based on CDC guidance and out of an abundance of caution, the diocese reissued recommendations to parishes, which had been suggested previously. These protocols currently are left to the discretion of each pastor:

  • Suspend the use of a common chalice during Holy Communion.
  • Provide hand sanitizer at church entrances.
  • Suspend shaking of hands during the Sign of Peace.

All expert opinions highlight the critical need to wash hands regularly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth as much as possible, and covering your mouth with a tissue or sleeve (not your hands) when sneezing or coughing.

The diocese asks our employees and parishioners exhibiting common symptoms of illness (fever, cough, body aches) to:

  • Not report to work until 24 hours after symptoms abate;
  • Refrain from attending Mass and other parish activities and diocesan events until 24 hours after symptoms abate.

Those who refrain from attending Mass due to illness should consider devoting an hour to prayer, observing Mass on television or the internet, and/or praying a rosary. While nothing can replace attending and participating in Sunday Mass or receiving Holy Communion, those who refrain from Sunday Mass due to illness have not committed a mortal sin. When sick, observing the Sabbath with another holy devotion and prayer demonstrates good will and sincerity.

Diocesan leadership will continue to be in contact with public health officials who are monitoring the situation and we will assess whether a different response is needed as circumstances change.

For more information on this topic from the Arlington County Public Health Division, please visit arlingtonva.com.

From Our Pastor

From Our Pastor

Dear Folks,

CoronaVirus. Everyone asking, “what are we doing”?, “what can we do”?  I am not prone to panic, but yes prudence is wise.
For example, a month ago there was a funeral in the parish where I asked a priest to not come because he had returned from China the day before.  What was the risk?  I can’t say, but I knew that a quarantine was prudent.  And if he had brought the virus to our parish, I would have failed.  I thank the priest and the family for understanding and charity.
As this goes to press (Wednesday), the diocese is meeting with experts in the field of contagious disease.
Thus far, the diocese has suggested these 4 things:

1.  ‘Post a statement on the parish website and in the weekly bulletins asking people with known symptoms of influenza to refrain from attending Mass and other parish activities for the duration of their illness and up to 24 hours after the symptoms abate.”  This is charity.  The 10 commandments do not obligate you to attend Mass when you are sick.  It is act of charity for you to stay home when you are ill.

2.  “Consider suspending the use of a common chalice during communion.”  Communion from the chalice is only offered for folks with Celiac issues.  If you have Celiac issues and need the chalice, then please refer to #1 if you are not feeling well.
3.  “Add hand sanitizers at church entrances.”  We have ordered these and will expect them to arrive this week, they will be installed near the bathrooms.  Moreover, for 2 weeks already, some ushers have been wiping down door handles and even pews with Clorox wipes.  We will continue to try to be as clean as we can in a common space, and have reached out to our pew manufacturer to ask about how to sanitize pew tops without destroying the finish on the pews.
4.  “Consider suspending the shaking hands during the Sign of Peace.”  This was done at the beginning of February.  The sign of peace is optional, and the priests have been omitting it for the last month.  Even when it should return, you are always free to kindly smile at folks, nod to them, and decline to shake hands, offering peace by your words and smile.  You can do this at any Mass.  This too can be an act of charity.  I would tell you a story about the time where I had to do this as a priest…. but we all have horror stories of the person next to us wheezing, coughing, blowing nose, and then wanting to shake our hands!  Please don’t be that person!
Tomorrow, Monday March 9th, the parish council meets.  We will again be discussing best practices.  And we will always be monitoring the situation so that should further action be called for either by the diocese or the CDC.
While there are not yet known cases of CoronaVirus in Virginia, all of these best practices also apply to the common flu which has impacted our parish.  With warm weather usually comes a relief from the flu: bring on the spring!!!
pax,
fr m
Lenten Message From Bishop Burbidge

Lenten Message From Bishop Burbidge

Prayer, fasting and almsgiving: these time-tested spiritual disciplines proclaimed by Jesus in today’s Gospel work and the sacred Season of Lent calls us to embrace them with a renewed commitment and fervor. Think also of these three words: do, daily and dependent. For these spiritual disciplines to work: we must actually do them on a daily basis ever dependent upon God’s grace. Such a way of living will lead us to the spiritual transformation and conversion to which Lent calls us; to a deeper and more intimate union with the Lord; and to abundant blessings throughout this sacred season.

One of my best retreats as a bishop was during Lent and directed by a well-known spiritual guide and author, Fr. Cantalamessa.  Throughout the retreat, I took copious notes as Fr. Cantalamessa shared many profound spiritual insights and guidance. At the end of the retreat, I purchased a holy card and asked him to write a message on it and sign it for me. I thought he would include a sentence or two from one of his talks. Instead, he simply wrote three words: “God loves you.”

Spend today not so much telling the Lord what you will do for Lent but rather by reflecting on the truth that “God loves you.” His love is perfectly revealed in his Son whose cross we are called to take up especially throughout these sacred days as we follow him to Calvary and to his victory at Easter. If you are convinced of God’s love for you then you will want to love him even more and will embrace Jesus’ call to prayer, fasting and almsgiving. If you do them on a daily basis dependent on God’s grace, you will indeed have a Blessed Lent.

As we begin our Lenten journey, may our prayer be that of today’s psalm: “A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me.”