CORONAVIRUS UPDATE

1. The Catholic Church in England and Wales will suspend public Masses and other liturgies – this will begin from Friday evening, 20 March 2020, until further notice.
2. Priests who hold parochial office should continue to celebrate Mass in a church within their parish, daily, without the faithful.
3. Baptisms, First Confessions, First Holy Communion and Confirmations should also be postponed.
4. Weddings should be deferred, or restricted to the celebrant, bride, groom and immediate family.
5. With great pastoral sensitivity, funeral services must be restricted to the graveside or at a crematorium.
6. The Bishops’ Conference emphasises that Catholics in England & Wales are dispensed under Church law from the Sunday obligation to attend a Mass.
7. Churches will remain open where possible. They will be a focal point of prayer. (see further note below)
8. Catholics are also urged to continue to participate in the spiritual life of the Church, particularly through prayer
9. “Knowing that the Mass is being celebrated; joining in spiritually in that celebration; watching the live-streaming of the Mass;
   following its prayers at home;
   making an act of spiritual communion:
   this is how we share in the Sacrifice of Christ in these days.
   These are the ways in which we will sanctify Sunday, and indeed every day,”
10. Please play your part. For your commitment to this, thank you.

On our website [See documents on the ‘BULLETINS’ page] there are services of prayers to use privately, when Mass cannot be celebrated publicly and also during a time of flu and illness, which are commended to you on behalf of Bishop Marcus.