As Texas faces a surge in coronavirus cases, the Catholic Diocese of Dallas is scaling back its reopening plans.
Bishop Edward Burns asked individual priests to decide whether or not to resume Sunday Masses.
Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Oak Lawn celebrated Sunday Mass inside its gym with two dozen people, spaced 6 feet apart.
“It’s wonderful. I’m glad we’re doing it. I’m just praying for everyone’s safety,” said long-time parishioner Karen Tamayo.
In between each service, crews sanitized the area thoroughly and wiped down surfaces to get the gym ready for the next Mass.
“With the surge, we may have to re-think gatherings like this,” said Fr. Milton Ryan of Holy Trinity Catholic Church.
Ryan said he wouldn’t have held Mass if the parish didn’t have the gym.
“The reason I chose to go ahead is because of this space that we have right now because it’s a lot safer than trying to establish safe zones in the church,” he said.
Safety measures started even before congregants entered. Masked church-goers used elbows and fists to open doors. Inside, pre-registered attendees check-in.
“As a priest, being separated from your family, basically, and not being able to get together in the same room. I live on the internet basically now. While that’s good, it’s something at least, it’s still not the same," Ryan said.
