The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains that “the Sunday celebration of the Lord's Day and his Eucharist is at the heart of the Church's life.” It adds that
because “the Sunday Eucharist is the foundation and confirmation of all Christian practice,”participation in Sunday Mass is a serious moral obligation.
But the Catechism notes there are exceptions to that obligation, which include Catholics with a serious illness or caring for a baby. In his letter, Cardinal Dolan wrote: “The Church has always held that there may be some justifiable reasons why a person can miss Mass, including old age, illness, and infirmity; this is still the case. During this pandemic, public Mass was not being celebrated for several months, and when Mass resumed, there was still a possibility of catching or spreading the coronavirus, and individuals could, after carefully consulting their conscience, decide not to return to Mass right away. However, now that vaccination rates are up, Covid-19 restrictions have been lifted, and people are returning to a more normal way of living, for many people this excuse cannot be said to exist any longer.” However, for those who are medically fragile and vulnerable to COVID-19 and the new delta variant, discerning a “serious reason” not to attend Mass is still a matter of personal conscience. We invite you to return in person to St. Helena for Sunday and daily Masses, but we also want you to feel safe. So, we continue to live-stream the daily 8:30AM and the Sunday, 10AM Masses to www.facebook.com/St.HelenaBronx because you are all, whether in-person or virtual, an important part of our St. Helena Family.