SYRACUSE, N.Y. — A step in the right direction for churches and those spiritual here in New York. Over the weekend, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that churches will be able to resume services at 25% capacity. This is a direct result of the accelerated improvement from monitoring COVID-19.
Since closing in March, Holy Family Church in western Syracuse is now preparing for their first in-person mass on Sunday. Office Manager Donna Alvaro says they are allowing people inside and will follow the strict safety guidelines.
“This coming weekend we are going to be in the church,” said Alvaro. “It is all roped off and counted out because everyone has to be six feet apart. We have been training safety officers to get people in and out of the church.”
Now that they have the authority to move further with social distancing, each church is subject to its own space capacity. The churches’ worship space, parking, and gathering areas will all have to be modified.
For the All Saints Church on the east side of Syracuse, pastoral associate Peter Dano says they have to wait until the allowed capacity is more than half because of their limited space.
“Once the church and the dioceses and the governor say you can have 50% or 70% percent, then we might go back inside our building,” said Dano.
All Saints and multiple other churches have been conducting online mass and sometimes small gatherings in the churches parking lot. Updates will be given per church, but all fall under the order from New York’s government.
Be sure to check with your local church’s website on their reopening protocols.
