In meantime, all Catholic of Diocese of Buffalo offered dispensation from Sunday Mass

(Buffalo, NY) - This past Friday, Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger announced that a dispensation is offered to all Catholics of the Diocese of Buffalo from attending Sunday Mass and Holy Days of Obligation during the ongoing threat of the coronavirus spread. The Diocese awaits further guidance from the Health Commissioner of Erie County, NY before taking further action, such as suspending the celebration of all Masses entirely. The Health Commissioner is scheduled to update residents of Erie County later this morning.

In the meantime, and until further notice, Catholics of the Diocese of Buffalo should use their prudent judgment as to whether or not to attend Mass. Older adults, people with underlying medical conditions, and family members of such individuals should take special care in discerning the best course of action to avoid exposure to large groups of people. At this time, Mass will continue to be offered publicly as announced or scheduled, contingent on emergency governmental restrictions regarding larger gatherings.

All other parish events and larger celebrations, including Confirmations and Lenten penance services, must be postponed until the end of March out of an abundance of caution.

Those who wish to continue to attend Mass on weekdays and weekends are encouraged to seek smaller gatherings in order to adhere to emergency provisions issued by the County Executive and the Commissioner of Health of Erie County, NY that restrict assemblies to less than 250 persons.

A full list of all LIVE-STREAMED Masses can be found here: LIVE-STREAMED MASSES
The Office of Communications will continue to provide updates regularly on the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on Catholic life and administrative operations.