Archdiocese returns to obligatory attendance for Mass
Sep. 4—Another remnant of the COVID-19 era fell late last month after the Office of the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe issued a letter reinstating mandatory attendance at Sunday Mass and "all other Holy Days of Obligation."
Following the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020, nearly all Catholics in the United States were freed from the obligation to attend Mass on Sunday and other Holy Days, but slowly, archdioceses across the country have returned to mandatory Mass.
On Aug. 22, the Santa Fe Archdiocese joined that group when Archbishop John C. Wester issued a letter requesting all parishioners return to Mass.
"For some time now, the obligation of the faithful to assist at Sunday Mass has been temporarily abrogated due to the coronavirus pandemic," Wester wrote in the letter. "Given the current situation of the virus, its less severe symptoms, the availability of vaccines and the advice of the medical establishment, I now reinstate the obligation."
According to the New Mexico Department of Health's COVID-19 dashboard, between Aug. 9 and Aug. 22,
Santa Fe County has experienced a COVID-19 case rate of about 22.5 per 100,000 residents.
The letter notes failing to meet the obligation would be a "grave sin," but Wester also writes that a "serious obligation" remains an excuse not to attend Mass, such as illness or care of an infant.
The order also makes concessions if a parishioner is unable to assist at Mass on Sunday or its eve but asks they spend that time in prayer or reflecting on the readings of the day or other acts of piety.
"However, the obligation itself is a welcome one in that its intent is to bring together God's holy people so that they might be sustained by Word and Sacrament, formed more perfectly as the Body of Christ and missioned for service throughout their lives," Wester wrote.
Reaction to the news Friday was met with a mixture of indifference and adulation from followers of the faith.
Christopher Castillo, 37, a Santa Fe resident, said he stopped attending Mass for a short time during the pandemic because he was" terrified" of bringing the virus home to his immunocompromised wife. He said he's planning to return to Mass soon on a more consistent basis but added it's not lost on him that the virus is still a real threat to members of the congregation.
Castillo, who said he is vaccinated, plans to take as many precautions as possible when he returns to regular attendance. "We would go to Mass as a family, and my mom hasn't really let up," he said with a laugh. "I want to be a good Catholic."
Felix Herrera, a Santa Fe resident, was on the Plaza on Friday and said the mandatory return to Mass wouldn't impact his attendance, but he hopes that other Catholics who have missed Mass heed the call and fill the pews.
Some parishes across country have reported an almost 50 percent dip in attendance during the pandemic.
Taos resident Jose Diaz was also on the Santa Fe Plaza on Friday, helping to set up a booth in preparation for two weeks of Fiesta de Santa Fe festivities. He said the pandemic didn't change his attendance habits much, and the archdiocese's announcement wouldn't change much for him either.
"It's fine. I know some people might have comments on it, whether they like it or don't like it, but for me, I've always went, and I plan to continue," he said.
