NY Catholics receive their blessings, from a distance
The group of priests dressed in robes and wearing face masks would stop after every few houses where residents waited outside in their front yards and bless them, sometimes holding prayers in makeshift altars.
Following the closure of Our Lady of Hope Catholic Church in March as part of stay-at-home orders to curb the spread of COVID-19 and recently recovering from the disease himself, Reverend Peter Purpura felt the need to offer solace to their worshippers and take the church to their front doors.
New guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention encourage worshipers to bow or wave instead of shaking hands, hugging, or kissing.
