Church Plan in the Works

The Syracuse Diocese is working with parish priests to reopen church services if it can be done in a safe and effective manner.

For ways to reopen church services in a safe and effective manner.

Newschannel 2's kirk tupaj tells us how they're planning on accomplishing their goals.

The roman catholic diocese of syracuse is working on a plan to re-open church services to the public, and they're seeking the help of parish priests.

In a letter to the clergy, bishop douglas lucia first made a few messages clear.

He writes: as you may suspect, i have received e- mails and letters requesting me to re-open our churches for the celebration of the sacraments, particularly the holy eucharist.

There is nothing more that i want to do!

However, in conscience, i cannot do so until i am certain that we have the means to safely worship without further spread of the disease, and that we are not putting the wider community in harm's way.

I spoke with our lady of lourds pastor, father joseph salerno about some of the obstacles the church is facing.

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None .

None sot: father joseph salerno, pastor at lady of lourds it's going to be both what government and what our diocese is going to permit us to do, and then once we have those guidelines, then we'll take them and see how we can live them out here in our specific situation and setting.

The bishop outlined a few ideas on how the church might be able to conform to all the necessary precautions needed to hold mass.

He stated: i am asking our parish priests to look at the seating capacity of their church buildings using the formula for social distancing.

I am also seeking to determine where extra masses may be added at our larger churches where there is sufficient help and where sanitizing would be available between masses.

The ideas are sound, but executing them comes with challenges.

Sot: joseph salerno, pastor at lady of lourds in a church that holds 900 people, a building that will hold 900 people, if we need to keep 6 foot distancing between us, that would probably reduce the number down to possibly 200, and that's even if permission is given for 200 people to gather at any one time.

You can hear more about the bishop's directives and some local ideas coming up tonight at six.

In utica, i'm kirk tupaj reporting for newschannel 2.

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