In a communication intended to replace all previous statements of diocesan protocols and policies regarding post-pandemic reopening of churches in the diocese, Bishop Dietsche wrote May 27 to state that he would impose no restrictions beyond those already imposed by the State of New York, and that he is “counting on clergy and parish leaders to use your best judgment in making decisions regarding in-person worship in your churches.”

Full Text and PDF Download Link of Bishop Dietsche’s Letter

“Our protocols throughout the pandemic have centered on the use of masks, the washing of hands, physical distancing, communion in one kind, and singing only under the twelve-foot distancing required by the state,” he wrote in part. “These protocols, and no others, will continue, with the exceptions noted below, to be the basic recommendation of my office to all parishes for public worship, as they are in keeping with the April 2021 protocols published as mandates by the State of New York.

• • The requirement that people wear masks will not apply to
    • people who are distanced and seated.
    • groups in which it is known that everyone has been fully vaccinated.
  • The requirement of six-foot physical distancing will not apply to those who have been vaccinated.”