Video Message with Bishop David L. Ricken
This video has been created to accompany this press release. It may be used for editorial purposes. Download is available at https://vimeo.com/424937967.
Press Release
(June 2, 2020) – Bishop David L. Ricken is pleased to announce the return of Public Masses with Moderate Limits on Public Gatherings and Moderate Social Distancing, beginning Corpus Christi weekend, June 13-14, 2020.
“As we begin our return to celebration of the Public Mass, our guiding principles continue to influence our decisions,” said Bishop Ricken. We will continue to balance bold faith and prudent safety, monitor data and provide measured responses, encourage collaboration between our diocesan monitoring team and local pastor/pastoral leader and continue to follow the process of a phased approach to ministry.”
Phase II: Guidelines for Public Masses with Moderate Limits on Public Gatherings and Moderate Social Distancing include the following:
- Return to Mass with up to 25% occupancy as the measured response
- Consideration any county health stipulations
- Diocesan Gateways must be in line before moving from Phase I to Phase II. Diocesan Gateways include:
- Tracking trajectory of COVID-like cases
- Tracking trajectory of positive tests as a percent of total tests
- Tracking that hospitals can treat patients without crisis standards of care
- Phase I safety protocols remain in place and include:
- Put into place safety protocols (temperature, masks, sanitization, hand hygiene)
- Monitoring current Communion Services: more people, less people than anticipated?
- Monitoring what is happening in Dioceses of Wisconsin
- Each pastor/pastoral leader, in collaboration with the diocesan monitoring team, will monitor the state and local data and appropriate measured response
“This approach acknowledges that each parish has the flexibility to go back and forth between Return to Mass with up to 25% occupancy, Holy Communion Outside of Mass or live stream only with spiritual communion, depending upon the evolving circumstances related to the coronavirus in the weeks/months ahead and in consultation with the diocesan monitoring team,” said Bishop Ricken. “Our return to Mass and ministry needs to take the health and safety of all God’s people into consideration as we move forward.”
You can find the document “Phase II: Public Masses with Moderate Limits on Public Gatherings and Moderate Social Distancing” online at www.gbdioc.org/covid19. We ask for continued prayers for our diocese, state and nation as we continue to make wise decisions to meet the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of all people.
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Who we are: As friends and followers of Jesus, the Catholic Diocese of Green Bay is devoted to fostering households and communities of discipleship through the mission and ministry of the Catholic Church. We are missionary disciples striving to lead all people to the Kingdom of God. Established in 1868, the diocese is composed of 324,000 Catholics in 16 counties: Brown, Calumet, Door, Florence, 2
Forest, Kewaunee, Langlade, Manitowoc, Marinette, Menominee, Oconto, Outagamie, Shawano, Waupaca, Waushara and Winnebago.
Contact: Justine Lodl, director of communications, at 920-272-8213 or
Download Press Release | Phase II Guidelines