PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Archdiocese of Philadelphia will continue the celebration of public Masses in the city while still complying with the stricter guidelines on gatherings issued by the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, which goes into effect on Friday.
Although the city is banning most indoor gatherings through the rest of the year, churches are only restricted to 5% capacity.
Father Dennis Gill, director of the archdiocese’s Office of Divine Worship, said he had an extensive discussion with city Health Commissioner Dr. Tom Farley to come up with accommodations for Sunday worship services at Roman Catholic churches across the city.
“The archdiocese works in cooperation with the City of Philadelphia,” he said. “We all recognize that we have a common obligation to do what we can to prevent the spread of COVID-19.”
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Gill said city churches are practicing social distancing, requiring mask-wearing among worshippers, and extensively cleaning and sanitizing facilities.
Gill already released guidance for pastors on accommodations for the upcoming Christmas season, but he intends to revisit that issue with the health commissioner and state health authorities in the coming weeks.