Portland, Ore., Mar 12, 2020 / 15:11 pm
The Archdiocese of Portland will not cancel public Sunday Masses, after Oregon's governor responded to the coronavirus pandemic by announcing a statewide prohibition on gatherings of more than 250 people.
Portland's archbishop encouraged parishes with high Sunday Mass attendance to consider adding more Masses.
"The celebration of the Most Holy Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life. It is in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass that we encounter the mystery of our redemption, are nourished by God's Word, and receive the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ," Archbishop Alexander Sample announced in a March 12 statement.
"The governor of the state of Oregon, Kate Brown, has cancelled all public gatherings of more than 250 people. The fact is that most of the Masses celebrated on the weekends in the Archdiocese of Portland are far below that number," Sample added, while announcing several dispensations from the obligation of Catholics to attend Sunday Mass in the archdiocese.