Friday, May 15th, 2020:

After consultation with numerous persons in leadership roles in the Tucson Diocese, along with attention given to the medical and scientific community,  Bishop Edward Weisenburger released a gradual plan to reopen parishes for worship.

While details for St. Elizabeth Ann Seton's opening will be forthcoming, the general plan from the Bishop includes:

• Indefinitely suspending the Sunday Mass Obligation.
  • The decision to return to the public celebrations of our faith during this time of pandemic should not be made casually or lightly by anyone
  • The Sunday Mass obligation has been suspended indefinitely for all Catholics living in or visiting the Tucson Diocese.·
  • No one is required to return to receive Holy Communion or return to in-person Masses at this time
  • Those age 65 or older, as well as anyone with a chronic health condition, are strongly urged to remain at home and not come onto church premises.
  • Anyone feeling ill in any way is urged, in the strongest sense, to remain at home.
• Distribution of Holy Communion outside on Ascension weekend (May 23/24) after streaming a Mass service held privately (closed to public). 
• Parishes may begin public Masses as early as Pentecost
  • To allow for social distancing rules Masses may be spread over Friday through Monday.
  • Pastors must certify to the Bishop that protocols will be in place.
  • Those protocols pertain to social distancing ( outdoors and indoors) at our churches,
    • limitations on numbers present for a Mass
    • proper cleaning of church facilities 
    • the use of face masks, hand sanitizers,
    • certain ways in which the Mass may/may not be celebrated

For more details and to  view the full statement, click here