Come Home to Hope — Frequently Asked Questions

The general dispensation from the obligation to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation expired on Saturday, March 13.

During these difficult months of pandemic, our pastors, parishes, and all the faithful have adapted in order to ensure the health and well-being of everyone in our local communities. The safety precautions in place at our churches, such as capacity limits and rigorous cleaning protocols, have proven effective at facilitating essential public worship without undue risk of accelerating the pandemic. And while livestreamed Masses have been a means to help Catholics nourish their souls when they could not be present for Mass, we must remember that it cannot become the norm. God did not come to us virtually. He came to us — and continues to come to us — in the flesh. As Catholics, unmediated contact with the Real Presence of the flesh and blood of Our Lord in offering this sacrifice to the Father is irreplaceable and essential. We recall Christ’s own words when he foretold the gift of the Holy Eucharist:

“Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.” (John 6: 54-56)

In recognition of the essential and central nature of the Holy Eucharist in our lives as Catholics, it is important that the faithful begin to return to Mass, when and where possible.

Yes. We have monitored the guidelines and requirements from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services as well as county health officials. All decisions regarding our practices during the pandemic have been informed and guided by experts in the medical community.

No. We know that there remains the concern for the spread of infection and we must remain vigilant to limit its spread, particularly among those most vulnerable. With this in mind, there are particular dispensations granted to people in certain circumstances, including those who are ill and those who care for anyone who is at risk of serious complications from COVID-19.

In allowing the general dispensation to expire, we must welcome back to Mass all Catholics who have been engaged in other activities that would present a similar or greater risk of exposure, such as eating out at restaurants, traveling, partaking in non-essential shopping, and widening one’s circle of contacts. These individuals should also prepare to return to Mass in recognition of its preeminence in our lives as Catholics.

If you live in the Archdiocese (or are visiting within the Archdiocese on a Sunday or Holy Day of Obligation), you do not have an obligation to attend Mass on Sunday in the following circumstances:

• You are ill or your health condition would be significantly compromised if you were to contract a communicable illness (i.e., you have underlying conditions or are in a high-risk category). Please use the dispensation and do not attend Mass.
  
• You exhibit flu-like symptoms. Please use the dispensation and do not attend Mass.
• You have good reason to think you might be asymptomatic of a contagious illness (e.g., you were in recent contact with someone who tested positive for a contagious illness such as COVID or influenza). Please use the dispensation and do not attend Mass.
• You care for the sick, homebound, or infirmed.
• You are pregnant.
• Those 65 years of age or older (per the CDC’s recommendation of high-risk individuals).
• You cannot attend Mass through no fault of your own (e.g., no Mass is offered, you are infirmed, or, while wanting to go, you are prevented for some reason you cannot control (e.g., your ride did not show up, the church was at capacity).
• If you have significant fear or anxiety of becoming ill by being at Mass.

For questions about the application of any of the circumstances warranting a dispensation, please contact your pastor or any priest.

Effective May 19, 2021, those who are fully vaccinated may wear a face-covering and social distance but are no longer required to do so in churches.

Those who have not been fully vaccinated are to continue wearing face-coverings and to practice social distancing to protect themselves and others in churches. Because a parish community – and our society – requires mutual trust and a commitment to the common good, each individual is asked to make the best decisions for himself as well as for others. Parishes do not have the responsibility to verify who is and who is not vaccinated

Churches in the Archdiocese of Detroit are no longer required to limit attendance to any more than 50 percent capacity.

Each parish is to provide a portion of the church – with a size to be determined by the pastor – where social distancing and face-coverings are consistently maintained.

The Archdiocese is committed to assisting pastors to adjust Mass schedules or offer additional public Masses, insofar as possible, to make it easier for as many of the faithful as possible to attend Mass while still practicing social distancing. Rest assured that any Catholic who approaches a church and is turned away due to the church’s capacity having been reached, has faithfully fulfilled his obligation.

Parishes are encouraged to continue offering livestreams of their Masses to help nourish the souls of Catholics who cannot be present for Mass.

We continue to monitor the incidence of coronavirus in southeast Michigan and the effectiveness of our safety precautions. We will make any adjustments necessary in order to preserve the health and wellness of everyone in our community.

The command to keep holy the Lord’s day comes to us from God’s 10 Commandments to Moses (cf. Ex. 20:8-11). We have a moral obligation to honor the Lord’s Day – moved from Saturday in the Old Testament to Sunday by virtue of Jesus’s Resurrection from the dead on this day – which no law can invalidate. Always and everywhere, Christians are obliged to set Sunday apart for worship of God and as a day unlike others. The most salutary way we do this is by participating at Sunday Mass.

Therefore, the Sacred Liturgy, and particularly the Holy Eucharist, is the very heart and foundation of our Catholic faith. It is during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass that the saving death and resurrection of Jesus are made present to us, our covenant with Our Lord is renewed, and God, in the person of Jesus Christ, comes to us and makes himself truly present for us in his Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. It is an irreplaceable gift; a foretaste of Heaven itself. We know the challenges of the Christian life are great and we need nourishment and community to successfully “run the race” (cf. 2Tim. 4:7). Gathering at Mass on Sunday to hear God’s word and to offer our lives as spiritual worship (cf. Rm. 12:1) along with the Body and Blood of the Lord present on the altar are indispensable tools God gives us for our salvation.