CURRENT GUIDELINES FOR PARISH LIFE AT ST. LAWRENCE
Summer, 2026
Wishing you health, happiness and an abundance of grace! And praying, of course, that you and those you love remain safe and well as we move into summertime. May our Divine Physician remains always with us, sheltering his people and promising us hope.
Guidelines for the Church & Liturgical Celebrations:
1. Mass Attendance - Bishop Barres restored the normal obligation for Catholics in our Diocese to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days in August, 2021. But those who are sick, infirm, or struggling with any compromising health condition have no more obligation to attend Mass in person now, than they did before the pandemic began.
Those who are still unable, or judge it unwise, to join us for Mass in-person are encouraged to watch the Sunday Mass from St. Agnes Cathedral at 11:00 AM by going to the Catholic Faith Network (CFN), Optimum channel 29 or Verizon/FIOS channel 296. The Mass is re-broadcast at 7:00 PM on Sunday evenings. There are many other options for viewing Mass on TV, or online as well.
2. Masks / Facial Coverings - Governor Hochul's mask mandate for indoor public places ended in February, 2022. But anyone should feel at liberty to wear a mask if they choose.
3. Distribution of Holy Communion - As of June, 2023, we returned to the more customary manner of distributing the Eucharist at Mass. Clergy and Extraordinary Ministers continue to sanitize their hands before distributing Holy Communion. They are not asked to wear a mask when distributing.
What's Yet to Return to "Normal":
Reception of the Precious Blood - While it is permissible, this practice has not yet been restored at St. Lawrence.
Let’s continue to hold one another in prayer.
