Virtual Sunday Masses should end, says new Archbishop

ST LUCIA – Newly installed Archbishop Gabriel Malzaire of Castries has called for all virtual Masses be discontinued in the Archdiocese.

In a letter to faithful, Archbishop Malzaire commented that some have become very comfortable “attending” Mass via social media at home.

“We need to get them back in the pews. As we have done in the past, special events will continue to be broadcast from the Cathedral and /or the parishes as they are deemed necessary,” he said.

The Archbishop said that the broadcast of the regular Sunday Masses should be discontinued. “It is our moral responsibility to encourage in person attendance especially at Sunday Eucharist where the faithful are invited to full, active and conscious participation, where they experience true fellowship, and where the true meaning of the Eucharist is expressed and experienced.”

The Archbishop ended the letter thanking all for their understanding and cooperation.

In it, he underscored gratefulness to Almighty God that the restrictions imposed on religious gatherings due to the Covid-19 pandemic have been removed, “which means that the faithful can gather and participate fully at all religious celebrations, especially the Sunday Eucharist”.

The Covid-19 restrictions, he said, forced the Church to find other ways of reaching out to faithful, i.e., virtually, via the various media platforms.

“This has served its purpose. Now we need to use whatever means possible to encourage our parishioners to return to in person participation at all our religious celebrations,” Archbishop Malzaire said, according to a Dominica online news source Emo News.