Sacramento Catholic churches can now open at full capacity with some health precautions

Jun. 24—Sacramento Bishop Jaime Soto this week encouraged all Catholics to return to church as all parishes in the diocese may now host Mass and other services at 100 percent of the seating capacity. But some health precautions will remain in place.

Early on during the COVID-19 pandemic, Catholics were granted a dispensation for their obligation to attend Sunday Mass. That dispensation has now been rescinded, and Catholics in the Sacramento region are once again obliged to personally attend and participate in Sunday Mass, according to a news release from the Catholic Diocese of Sacramento.

“In the Holy Mass we share in the Last Supper with the Lord Jesus and stand at the foot of His Cross. This is a cherished moment for Catholics to worthily receive the Holy Body and Blood of our Redeemer,” Soto said in the news release. “These past 15 months many of the faithful have been unable to gather as a People of God. This has been a very difficult penance. It is with great joy that we return together in person, before the throne of God.”

The Diocese of Sacramento encompasses Catholics in 20 counties in Northern California, from the Siskiyou and Modoc counties in the northern boundary to Sacramento, Solano and Amador counties in the southern end, including Yolo, Placer and El Dorado counties.

Catholic churches in Sacramento were closed March 13, 2020, as the first of wave of COVID-19 case emerged in the region. The churches reopened about two and a half months later but with only 25 percent of the church’s normal capacity or a maximum of 100 congregants, whichever figure was lower.

A November surge in coronavirus cases led prompted the California Department of Public Health to place Sacramento County in the most restrictive tier for COVID-19 limitations. That meant places of religious worship were ordered to cease in-person indoor services, assuming they restarted them at all.

In April, California health officials revised the state’s restrictions on places of worship during the coronavirus pandemic, downgrading capacity limits from mandates to recommendations. The changes came after U.S. Supreme Court rulings against California’s restrictions on in-home prayer meetings and in-door religious services.

The Sacramento Diocese says people who are feeling ill, have a vulnerable health condition, are caring for someone with a vulnerable health condition or have other serious limitations are not obligated to attend Sunday Mass.

Soto has asked pastors and parishioners to continue “sensible public health precautions” while attending Mass that include:

— Frequent hand washing and use of hand sanitizer.

— Refrain from hand shaking and other forms of physical contact with others outside of your household.

— Facial masks are still encouraged.

— Priests, deacons and ministers should continue to use facial masks for the distribution of communion.

— For communion, the distribution of the cup is still suspended.

— The exchange of the sign of peace during Mass may resume; a respectful bow or wave is encouraged with persons outside of one’s household.

— Congregational singing may resume.

“The return to regular congregational gatherings will be welcomed by many,” Soto wrote in a June 1 letter to parishioners. “Mutual respect, charity and patience should be cheerfully exercised so that all the members of the Body of Christ are welcomed and encouraged by this blessed opportunity.”