The lifting of the 16-month-old general dispensation from the obligation to attend Mass as a precaution against the spread of the coronavirus has been greeted as welcome news by pastors throughout the Archdiocese of Washington.

“I am delighted about the lifting of the dispensation. For me, I look at it as a sign of healing – that God is healing us from this pandemic,” said Msgr. Raymond East, pastor of St. Teresa of Avila Parish in Washington, D.C. “We are excited that the whole level of pastoral life has been reactivated. It is like the shepherd is calling us back to the green pastures.” 

Earlier this month, the bishops of the three dioceses that comprise the state of Maryland and the District of Columbia as well as neighboring Virginia and West Virginia dioceses jointly announced that as of the weekend of June 26 and 27, 2021, the COVID-inspired general dispensation from the obligation to attend Mass in person will be lifted.

“Our transition back to in-person worship is a long-awaited moment. The bishops of our region have given careful consideration as to how we can move forward together, respecting the autonomy of each local Church,” Washington Cardinal Wilton Gregory said after the joint announcement was made. “Because we live in communities close to one another, we felt it best to approach the restoration of in-person worship on a united front.”

A dispensation is an exemption from a usually required action or obligation. In this case, the dispensation from the obligation to attend Mass was granted in March 2020 as part of an effort to slow down the spread of the coronavirus as local jurisdictions instituted limits on public gatherings.

“Our people have been so patient and cooperative with the procedures that were designed to protect us from the virus that we could not be more grateful for the spirit of genuine concern for everyone in our parishes,” Cardinal Gregory said. “It will be a special blessing to gather around the Lord’s altar as the family of faith that we are called to be.”

 Father William Gurnee, pastor of St Joseph’s Parish on Capitol Hill, said in a statement that pastors “are ready to welcome people back to regularly attending Mass.”

“Most pastors have been waiting for this (lifting of the dispensation). Our emotions are mixed. We naturally want people back to Mass because it will help their spiritual lives,” he said. “We worry about people who are genuinely afraid of the virus and think the Church isn't taking their concerns seriously … Of course, we absolutely do.”

That sentiment was echoed by Father Evelio Menjivar, pastor of St. Mary’s Parish in Landover Hills, Maryland.

“The dispensation being lifted means everything,” he said. “The Church exists to gather the people of God around the Eucharist and around the Word. Not being able to do so has been hard for us as pastors and for the people. The ability to come back is a blessing.”

Msgr. Peter Vaghi, pastor of Little Flower Parish in Bethesda, Maryland, said, “I personally missed our parishioners, and I think most priests missed their parishioners during this time, and it makes it all the more joyful to see them return.”

He added that as quarantine and other COVID-19 precautions were being eased over the past few months, “little by little people were coming back. It has been tough for people” to be away from Mass.

“It’s good to see the people,” he said. “There is a happiness, there is a joy because we share the same faith, and we can come together to worship God and celebrate that faith.”

Because the Archdiocese of Washington encompasses the District of Columbia and five surrounding Maryland counties, each jurisdiction had its own protocols and practices in dealing with the coronavirus.

In Southern Maryland, where COVID-19 restrictions were eased earlier than other regions of the archdiocese, some parishes were already experiencing an uptick in the number of people returning to their churches for in-person Mass.

“We have been ahead of the curve, because for several weeks our attendance has been almost at pre-COVID levels,” said Father Kenneth Gill, pastor of Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish in Solomons, Maryland. “We are at the very southern tip of Calvert County, and it was much different here than in D.C. and Prince George’s and Montgomery counties.”

He said that since Pentecost, the parish has reinstated hospitality after Masses.

“The common sentiment is just great joy and great thanksgiving. The people are really, really happy to be back,” he said. “To see their faces finally without masks on is a great joy for all of us. It has been like a family reunion."

Father Gill said he installed a large “Welcome Home” banner at the front of the Church because “I want people to have the sense as they pull into the parking lot that we are saying to them, ‘You are home, and we are happy you are here’.”

Although located in the District of Columbia, which had among the strictest protocols and safety practices in the region, Holy Redeemer Parish “never really closed down completely,” said Father David Bava, pastor of the parish. 

“We have an upper church and a lower church hall and also a balcony, so we had enough space to spread people out,” he said, adding that “we did require masks and follow social distancing” measures required by the District government.

Father Bava noted “our attendance started increasing at Easter as more people had vaccinations and felt more comfortable” attending Mass in person because “people were longing for not only the Eucharist, but fellowship after Mass.”

For Msgr. East, as restrictions in the District were gradually eased or eliminated, “every week somebody new would come (back) and say, ‘I have missed this very much.’ They have been looking forward to coming back, and they are grateful to be back.”

Just like many other archdiocesan parishes, Msgr. East’s parish accommodated parishioners during the time of the dispensation by offering Masses online. He said that through the parish’s YouTube channel and Facebook page, parishioners were able to “attend” Mass even if they could not be in church physically.

“We have a communications team in the parish, and they have been terrific. Young people stepped up to help,” he said. “It took me awhile to realize I was speaking to a lot of people that I could not see or hear” while celebrating the streamed Masses.

One of the benefits of offering Mass online, Msgr. East said, is that “our audience has increased outside of the parish and we’ve had people from India, the Philippines, California, (and) Europe watch our Masses.”

He said that since the church has opened up, “we are starting to get new neighbors and new members who discovered us online and are now coming in person to join the parish or at least give us a try.”

St. Teresa of Avila Parish “will continue streaming” Masses, Msgr. East said. “I think it is here to stay. People, even if they are on vacation, can tune in. People who are being really careful – we have an older parish – can tune in and still feel that connection (to the parish).”

Father Menjivar said his Landover Hills parish also would continue to stream Masses, at least for the time being.

“We will continue the online Mass for awhile so that those who cannot come to Mass or those who are homebound and really sick will continue to be connected,” he said. “We are concerned for them, and we want to be of service to them, and we will not abandon them.”

He said that eventually he would like to see all his parishioners physically return to Mass if they are well enough or physically able to attend.

“The Church provides the sacraments, and there is something physical in the sacraments. Of course, there is the spiritual part, but there is also something physical, something tangible in receiving the sacraments,” he said. “Seeing the people showing up at Mass is a joy. It is a sign of renewal.”

Father Bava also said that “we are not planning on stopping livestreaming any time soon. Livestreaming brought in (to the parish) more than 100 people, including former parishioners now living in other states, and the homebound and the elderly depend on it.”

Pastors also had words of encouragement for those who may still feel a little anxious or uneasy about attending Mass in person.

Father Gill said that at Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish, “we added a third Sunday Mass at 4 p.m. for those who want to come back but are not ready to jump into the deep end of the pool.” He said that Mass is generally attended by “our retirees and older parishioners.”

Father Menjivar – noting that “if people are sick or fragile, that dispensation has always been there” – urged the faithful to “embrace a new normal where we are truly walking by faith and not just by sight.”

“We entrust ourselves to the loving, caring mercy of the Lord, and we keep moving forward,” he said. “I say, ‘Trust in the Lord and trust in us to provide a safe and clean environment.’”

Msgr. Vaghi said that “To those who are nervous, I say, ‘Take your time, come back when you are ready.’ I know some will take a little longer to come. We may lose some people who have gotten out of the habit (of attending Mass in person), but we will do all we can to make people feel welcomed and safe.” 

In their joint statement earlier this month lifting the dispensation, the region’s bishops said they “give thanks to Almighty God for the progress our country has made in curbing the coronavirus pandemic.”

Cardinal Gregory also asked the faithful to do the same.

“As we start to return to worship practices that were set aside, let us praise God for all those who helped to develop and who continue to administer the vaccines that seem to be working for the good of society,” Cardinal Gregory said.