‘Good to come home’: Sacramento cathedral cautiously reopens amid coronavirus surge
Dozens of catholic worshipers held out their hands to take Holy Communion from Father Michael O’Reilly and seven Eucharistic ministers Sunday morning at Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Sacramento.
Priests and parishioners have performed this ritual for ages beneath soaring 110-foot ceilings and massive stained-glass windows in the magnificent downtown cathedral, which was constructed in 1887. However, this was the first time the congregation gathered since early spring when the coronavirus pandemic closed churches and prompted health officials to issue stay-at-home orders across much of the world.
“I’m really excited,” West Sacramento resident Christy Correa said as she approached the steps to the cathedral for the 9 a.m. service. “I’ve been looking forward to it. I understand why we had to close, but I’m just excited that we get to come back. Being away, you feel kind of lonely and disconnected, so it just feels good to come home.”
Catholic churches in Sacramento had been closed since March 13. The Sacramento Catholic Diocese and Bishop Jaime Soto announced May 29 that parishes could reopen for Mass beginning Sunday. The diocese said the decision was made after careful consideration and planning with local and state health officials, but Soto strongly urged those over 65 and anyone with a weakened immune system to stay home.
The diocese said in accordance with state guidelines attendance would be limited to 25 percent of the church’s normal capacity or a maximum of 100 congregants, whichever figure is lower. There was some last-minute discussion about the rules at Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, one of the largest cathedrals in the western United States with a capacity of about 1,400. One representative said the church would admit up to 150 people, but only 62 attended Sunday’s early service.
Parishioners were provided with hand sanitizer, required to wear masks and asked to provide their name and email address to aid contact tracing efforts in the event of a coronavirus infection. Inside, congregants practiced social distancing as individuals, pairs and larger families sat well over 6 feet apart, spread throughout the pews with every other row left empty.
According to Johns Hopkins University, more than 115,000 people have died in the United States of COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus. California health officials report coronavirus cases have surged throughout the state since restrictions were eased and businesses began to reopen, but Fair Oaks resident Bryan Sewald said he was not concerned.
“I think people are going to be OK,” he said. “It’s time to get back to the old thing. That’s my opinion.”
The reopening happened to coincide with a solemnity known as the Feast of Corpus Christi, which honors the presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, which is also known as the Holy Communion. That made Sunday’s service even more meaningful for Natomas resident Martin O’Hara.
“It’s a beautiful thing,” O’Hara said. “Never in the history of the church has the church closed its doors to the sacraments for, what, three months? To be away from the sacraments is so hard for Catholics, and this is the Feast of Corpus Christi, so we’re able to come back into the church to celebrate the feast of the body and blood of Christ. That’s a wonderful thing.”
During his sermon, O’Reilly said the world’s people are “being tested” by current events. He briefly touched on the COVID-19 crisis, the scourge of racism and cries for social justice following the death of George Floyd, who died last month while being subdued by a Minneapolis police officer.
O’Reilly and the Eucharistic ministers sanitized their hands before offering communion. Most parishioners took consecrated wafers in the hand. At least one woman took it on the tongue, which some Christians believe shows greater reverence.
New waves of worshipers arrived at the steps of the cathedral as church bells rang following Sunday’s early service. California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced in late May that churches could resume limited in-person religious services, but many religious leaders in the Sacramento area have proceeded with caution following earlier outbreaks that were traced to churches.
Bethany Slavic Missionary Church, which was connected to 71 coronavirus infections among congregants and close contacts, remains closed and has yet to formally announce plans to reopen to its 3,500 members. The church suspended in-person worship in March to prevent further spread of the virus, but continues to offer online services.
The same is true as Faith Presbyterian Church. Two of the church’s members died of COVID-19 and six others were infected. Church leaders have presented an extensive reopening plan with dozens of guidelines, criteria and stipulations that must be met before campus gatherings are permitted, but a date has not been announced.
“I suspect that we will be very conservative in our move to reopen,” Pastor Jeff Chapman said in late May. “My guess is that we would not have in-person services until July at the earliest.”
This story was originally published June 14, 2020 at 4:29 PM.
