Bishop's Interview: Proceeding through pandemic with diligence and prayer

Editor: Bishop, we are now many months into the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly 8 million people in our country have been sick. More than 200,000 have died. Many lives have changed drastically since March. As of this moment, what are some of the initial ramifications of this pandemic?
Bishop Vásquez: I think loneliness and isolation are two of the greatest sadnesses of this pandemic. For good reason, many of our elderly and sick have sheltered at home away from loved ones and neighbors to protect themselves from this illness. This separation from loved ones and neighbors has had many devastating effects. I lift them up in prayer. Let us not forget that God planted within each of us a deep yearning for community and connection with one another.
I encourage all of us to reach out to those who are sheltering via a phone call or letters and e-mails. We cannot shake their hands, embrace them, hold them or kiss them. However, we need to keep our bonds with them strong. And to do that, we must pray. Because prayer is lifting our voices up to God that he may hear our cries of sadness, hurt and suffering. At the same time God listens to us, we are aware of his presence, and we begin to realize we are not alone. God brings consolation even while we are separated from others. Prayer also connects and bonds us with our loved ones. We should not reduce prayer to calling upon God to resolve problems, rather prayer is an ongoing relationship with our loving and merciful God. We depend on prayer to keep us grounded in the knowledge that God is with us and never abandons us.

Editor: How do we console those who have lost loved ones?
Bishop Vásquez: I am deeply saddened, especially for those who have lost someone who was in the hospital or in a nursing home and they were unable to be with them at the moment of death. These terrible losses weigh heavily on our hearts. As Catholics, it is our responsibility to pray for our dying and our dead. Whether it is offering a Mass or praying for the dead by name, we are called to pray for those who have died. We can offer our condolences to the loved ones of the deceased with a phone call, a letter, or by sending flowers. These small gestures communicate that we are united with them in their time of pain and suffering. And again, we must pray.

Editor: Our parishes are celebrating Masses, and most are limited to 50 percent capacity. Many parishes are starting to see larger crowds. What are our parishes doing to prevent the spread of the coronavirus?
Bishop Vásquez: First of all, I want to say how pleased I was when I made the decision to open our parishes once again to celebrate the Eucharist and the other sacraments. My decision to close our churches in March was extremely painful for me, my priests and the faithful. On the first Sunday that Masses were opened to the public, I was celebrating Mass at St. Mary Cathedral. It was wonderful to look out and see people, to hear them respond and to see families. During my homily, I heard a child cry out and that brief interruption was a blessed moment that reminded me of the presence of God!
Thankfully, we have found ways to offer Mass and the sacraments in a healthy and safe manner, but we must all be vigilant. Before we come to Mass, each individual must assess their health. Am I feeling ill? Do I have a fever and a headache? And then when we are at Mass, we must maintain our distance and wear face masks, so that just in case we are sick, we don’t pass the illness to someone else. I also ask that parishioners receive the Eucharist in the hand instead of on the tongue. I have asked parishes to offer hand sanitizer for those entering the church and to disinfect the church after each Mass. These safety protocols have been established for the health and safety of all who attend.

Editor: To be clear, who should not attend Mass in person?
Bishop Vásquez: Parishioners who are showing symptoms of COVID-19, those who have an underlying health condition making them vulnerable, or those who live or care for anyone in the previous two categories are encouraged to remain at home and join the community via livestream Masses.

Editor: Most of our parishes are offering livestream Masses, but the parishes have been asked not to record their Masses. Why?
Bishop Vásquez: I applaud the parishes who have been livestreaming their Masses, which is a way for people to pray and to connect with the celebration of the Eucharist. For many people, particularly our elderly, livestreaming is an important way to be with their parish community.
However, we must remember that the first precept of the church is to attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation. Every Sunday, we are called to sanctify the whole day to the Lord, and we are to participate in the Mass with our brothers and sisters as a parish community.
I have asked our parishes to cultivate the ecclesiological character of the liturgy by gathering the assembly in the church and online at the same time. In saving recordings of Masses, we could lessen the importance of the communal nature of the Mass and the Eucharist. The best way to connect with the community besides being physically present at Mass is to be present at that very moment that the Mass is being celebrated in the church.
When we watch a recorded Mass at our own convenience, the Mass becomes something of a commodity, something that we consume when we are ready. This may be difficult for some people to understand; however, I pray that our people will see the value of connecting with their parish community at the same time Mass is being celebrated. I pray the pandemic has intensified the value of community. As St. John Paul II reminded us, “Eucharistic communion also confirms the Church in her unity as the body of Christ.”.
Pope Francis has said several times that this pandemic has exposed “our vulnerability and uncovers those false and superfluous certainties around which we have constructed our daily schedules, our projects, our habits and priorities.”
He said the pandemic is a difficult situation that the Lord is allowing, but the ideal for the church is gathering always with people and celebrating the sacraments. Our relationship with Jesus “is intimate, it is personal, but it is in a community,” and this closeness to Christ without community, without the Eucharist, without the people of God assembled in relationship together and “without the sacraments is dangerous,” Pope Francis said.

Editor: What is your prayer for the people of God as we continue to navigate this pandemic?
Bishop Vásquez: Heavenly Father bring consolation to all those who have lost loved ones and those who are struggling with their health during this pandemic. May Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior, remain with us as we endure the difficulties in our daily lives. Help us to have profound trust that you are with us and will prevail over this pandemic. May our Blessed Mother hear our cries and intercede for us to be delivered from all earthly danger. And may we persevere as people of faith trusting God is always with us. Amen.