By Patrick Downes
Hawaii Catholic Herald
Although Bishop Larry Silva wanted to reinstate the obligation for Hawaii Catholics to attend Mass on Sunday and holy days of obligation at the beginning of Lent, he has nevertheless extended his dispensation from the obligation until the end of Lent.
In a Feb. 1 letter to the “People of God of the Diocese of Honolulu” (see page 2), he extended his dispensation from the obligation to attend Mass for the sixth time, from Feb. 16, the day before Ash Wednesday, until Holy Thursday, April 1. March 17 will mark a year since the obligation was lifted because of the coronavirus epidemic.
The bishop said he was continuing the dispensation “since we still need to maintain social distancing in our churches.” However, he asked those who can attend Sunday Mass safely to do so.
For Catholics taking the dispensation, Bishop Silva is “strongly urging” (underlining both words) them to view a livestreamed Mass, attend a weekday Mass, read and meditate on Scripture, and pray the rosary.
Here are his specific recommendations:
- Participate prayerfully in a live-streamed or televised Sunday Mass AND spend at least 15 minutes in meditation on the Scriptures, preferably those proclaimed at Mass. (These can be found at www.usccb.org/readings.)
- Attend, in person, a weekday Mass AND spend at least 15 minutes on Sunday reading and meditating on the Sacred Scriptures.
- Spend at least 30 minutes on Sunday prayerfully reading and meditating on the Sacred Scriptures.
- Pray at least two rosaries on Sunday, meditating on the Glorious Mysteries and one other set of Mysteries you choose (i.e., Joyful, Sorrowful, Luminous).
“While none of these can be the equivalent of attending Sunday Mass,” the bishop said, “they will serve to keep us connected to worship, especially during the penitential season of Lent.”
During Lent, the bishop also advised Catholics to attend a penance service or go to individual Confession.
Bishop Silva first stopped public liturgies last year on March 17 for two weeks, prompted by recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local health and government officials that gatherings of 50 or more be canceled.
He called it “one of the most difficult decisions I have had to make as a bishop.”
He extended that ban until April 30 as the government pressed stricter “stay at home” orders, effectively canceling the public observance of Holy Week and Easter.
Public Masses in Hawaii returned on Pentecost weekend May 30-31 along with strict rules that included the mandatory wearing of face masks, social distancing, the sanitizing of pews and other precautionary measures.
But the bishop kept the dispensation intact. His first end date for the Mass attendance dispensation was June 30. He extended that to Aug. 31 and again until Oct. 31.
Bishop Silva said in August that he will end the dispensation “when the virus appears to be under control and no longer a clear and present danger to the community or the people who compose it.”
The sites for livestreamed Masses are posted on the diocesan website, catholichawaii.org.
