Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 17, 2020 / 20:00 pm
Bishops on Tuesday discussed pastoral strategies and the movement of the Holy Spirit during the coronavirus pandemic, noting the great desire for the sacraments on the part of many Catholics. Bishops lauded sacrifices made by priests and laity in service to the Church during the coronavirus pandemic.
The conversation took place during the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' virtual fall general assembly Nov. 17. It was led by Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City, chairman of the USCCB's Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development. After Coakley spoke, bishops were invited to share their experiences in five-minute segments.
Bishop Daniel Flores of Brownsville, Texas, praised the "great sacrifice" that has been made by his diocese's priests, lay chaplains, and deacons to provide spiritual care during the pandemic, as well as the impressive volunteer effort by the laity to ensure that Mass can be safely celebrated.
Flores recalled telling Catholics they needed to disinfect churches after each Mass in order to have Mass at all. He said their response was the "most edifying" experience of the pandemic.