The Sunday precept will be reinstated in Milwaukee and Green Bay next weekend; in the other dioceses of the state during the course of September.
Newsroom (September 14, 2020 Gaudium Press) — Since the beginning of the pandemic, most bishops around the world have dispensed their faithful from attending Mass on Sundays.
Starting September 19 & 20, Catholics in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and in the Diocese of Green Bay will no longer be dispensed from this Church mandate. Later they will be joined by the three other dioceses of the American state of Wisconsin.
When we fail in our responsibility before God, we sin
“Our obligation to attend Sunday worship reflects the very character of who we are as Catholics, ” expressed Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki of Milwaukee, in a letter to more than 540,000 registered Catholics in the 10 counties of the Archdiocese. He continues: “When we fail in our responsibility before God, we sin. Therefore, we need to form our consciences so that we can be fully informed in making decisions about our actions. The Church in Her wisdom offers us guidelines to help in our formation.”
Churches in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee will limit attendance depending on their ability to maintain the proper distance between people. The faithful will be required to wear masks. Priests, deacons, and Eucharistic ministers should also distribute communion wearing masks.
Although it is recommended to receive communion in the hand, those who wish to receive it in the mouth may do so after those who will receive it in the hand.
We must sanctify the Day of the Lord
Bishop David L. Ricken of Green Bay also lifts the Sunday precept dispensation on September 19 and 20 in the 16 counties of the diocese: “In the Ten Commandments, the Lord makes it very clear, ‘Remember to keep holy the Lord’s Day,’ ” Ricken wrote in a letter to the faithful. “One way we do that is by attending Mass, what we call the Sunday obligation. At times, though, we may be tempted to see our Sunday obligation as just that, a minimum requirement in order to ‘keep God and the church off my back.’ But this commandment, like all the commandments, is rooted in God’s love for us.”
With information from Catholic World Report
