Spokane's Catholic bishop suspends public Mass through April 6

Catholics in the Spokane diocese will not gather for public Masses and funeral ceremonies may not involve more than 10 people under a new order from Bishop Thomas Daly.

Daly announced the measures aimed at preventing the spread of the novel coronavirus on Tuesday. He previously had excused elderly parishioners from attending Mass and then expanded that leniency to all members of the diocese.

Now Masses will be held primarily via live video feed, at least through April 6.

“Priests are to offer private Mass for their people on a daily basis and, to the extent possible, livestream the Mass on the web,” Daly said in a statement.

Daly said he will conduct Mass at 9 a.m. Sunday at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes; it will be livestreamed on parish and diocese websites. The Chrism Mass scheduled for March 31 will be closed to the public and it, too, will be livestreamed.

“Funeral rites are limited to graveside committals, unless attendance at the vigil/Mass does not exceed 10 people,” Daly said. “Churches should remain unlocked, to the extent possible, for the faithful to make individual private visits to the Blessed Sacrament.”

Daly’s announcement comes days after a Catholic priest in Grant County, the Rev. Alejandro “Alex” Trejo, tested positive for COVID-19. Local worshippers of other faiths also have made changes in response to the pandemic.