CHARLOTTE — During a special Mass videotaped at St. Patrick Cathedral March 15, Bishop Peter J. Jugis sought to reassure Catholics unable to attend Mass because of the ongoing COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak.
Many public Masses and parish activities have been cancelled or strictly limited across western North Carolina, after North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper issued an executive order March 14 prohibiting most public gatherings of more than 100 people for the next 30 days.
The bishop waived all Catholics’ obligation to attend Sunday Mass and canceled most Masses in compliance with the governor’s order, but on March 15 he relaxed his instructions to allow priests of the diocese to continue offering daily and Sunday Masses provided that attendance is kept strictly under 100. The move will enable clergy to continue providing sacramental and spiritual support to their parishioners, but also abide by state health officials’ instructions to mitigate the public health threat from the new virus.
In the early dawn hours of Sunday morning, a few dozen people gathered for Mass at the cathedral with the bishop, resolutely sitting a safe distance from one another in the pews. They were joined by the young men of St. Joseph College Seminary and members of the Daughters of the Virgin Mother, who chanted the music for the liturgy.
In his homily, Bishop Jugis reminded people that the Holy Spirit is there to strengthen and guide them through difficult times.
He reflected on the Gospel reading of the day from the Gospel of John 4:5-42, which recounts the story of the Samaritan woman who encountered Jesus at the well. Jesus asks her for a drink of water, and through their conversation He reveals Himself to her as the Savior.
Using the analogy of water, “Jesus speaks to her about the Holy Spirit,” the bishop said, reading from the Gospel passage: “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again; but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
“Who wouldn’t want a fountain of eternal life flowing in one’s soul?” the bishop asked. “This is what Jesus promises, and this is what we receive: a fountain of eternal life, the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
The Holy Spirit, which we receive at baptism, remains within us, “renewing us, refreshing us, strengthening us, inspiring us in our journey to follow Jesus,” he said.
The Holy Spirit gives us certain gifts – or fruits – to be more like Jesus: charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, self-control, goodness and faithfulness.
“During these days we may be anxious, we may be concerned for our own well-being and for the well-being of others. Definitely our normal routines are disrupted,” Bishop Jugis acknowledged. “Now is the time to show forth the gifts of the Holy Spirit of which Jesus speaks in this Gospel passage.”
“To be charitable towards others,” the bishop said, especially as “everyone’s anxious, everyone’s routine is disrupted, everyone is out of sorts.
“To keep the joy of Christ in our hearts. To bring peace into all situations. To be patient, kind and gentle in our dealings with others. To exercise self-control. To demonstrate in our actions the goodness of God, who dwells within, and to be faithful to our Blessed Lord. These are the gifts of the Holy Spirit.”
For people not able to go to Mass, Bishop Jugis encouraged them to say a prayer of spiritual communion. He suggested one written by St. Josemaria Escriva: “I wish my Lord to receive you, with the purity, humility and devotion with which your Most Holy Mother received you, with the spirit and fervor of the saints."
The bishop concluded his homily by praying, “May the Holy Spirit keep us close to our Blessed Lord Jesus during these days.”
The governor’s executive order banning most public gatherings across North Carolina aims to limit the community spread of COVID-19, but the move has sparked strong reactions from Catholics on social media and in parishes.
One person commented on the Catholic News Herald’s Facebook page, “If you want to have a Mass, I'll be happy to get arrested attending. Viva Christo Rey.”
Another person commented, “This is public health. We have an obligation.”
Father Christopher Roux, rector of St. Patrick Cathedral, noted the governor’s executive order allows people to continue going to bars, restaurants and shopping malls, but not going to houses of worship. It signals the worrying decline of Christianity in our society, he said.
“We’ve gotten to a point now where little by little we’ve pushed God out of everything,” he said. “We must stand up for Christ in our lives, in everything that we do. We have to hold fast and firm to our faith – in a society that has rejected all faith in God, and who would allow us to go to a bar or restaurant, but not allow us to pray as a family.”
— Patricia L. Guilfoyle, editor, with photo provided by James Sarkis and videography by César Hurtado, Catholic News Herald.
Related:
Most public Masses cancelled; diocesan schools suspend classes
Sunday Mass obligation waived for Catholics of the diocese
Events canceled in response to N.C. coronavirus outbreak
Bishop Jugis asks for intercessory prayer to end coronavirus