Additional Precautions Provided to Parishes Regarding Coronavirus
New webpage offers resources and updated information
Due to the ongoing concern of the coronavirus (COVID19), which continues to be a fluid situation, the Archdiocese of Washington has provided additional guidance and precautions recommended to be implemented in parishes and institutions of the archdiocese.
- Refrain from shaking hands during the Sign of Peace
- Refrain from holding hands during the Lord’s Prayer
- Cease distribution of the Precious Blood (Christ is fully present under both species of the Blessed Sacrament)
- Remove Holy Water from the Holy Water fonts
- Strongly urge the faithful to receive the Holy Eucharist only in their hands instead of on the tongue to mitigate any transmission of saliva
- Priests, Deacons and Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist should practice good hand hygiene washing their hands before Mass and using hand sanitizer, available in a discreet location near the sanctuary, to cleanse hands before and after the distribution of Holy Communion
These precautions and more information for parishes and individuals can be found at adw.org/coronavirus/.
Visit the Media Portal to view the latest statements regarding the coronavirus released by the Archdiocese of Washington. The archdiocese continues to monitor the situation with an interdisciplinary team, including health professionals, and we update these pages as more information becomes available.
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