Scotland’s Catholic bishops have announced that no public Masses will be celebrated in Scotland from Thursday 19th March. Priests will continue to celebrate Holy Mass in private, praying for those suffering from Covid-19 and those who care for them.
Prayer and Sacraments
Churches will remain open for personal prayer and parish priests will be available for Confession, Anointing of the Sick and Holy Communion as and when they are needed (especially for the sick and housebound). For the celebration of baptisms, funeral Masses and weddings the bishops ask that only close family are invited.
Mass
Masses will be live streamed on social media from various locations – the Bishops encourage Catholics where possible to access these on Sundays.
Holy Week
Holy Week Masses may also be affected (5th-12th April) but the Bishops ask Catholics to remain together in spirit and in prayer.
National Day of Prayer
The Bishops also invite everyone to join with all Scotland’s Churches in a National Day of Prayer this Sunday 22nd March, Mothering Sunday, to pray for our country and our world in this time of need.
You can read the letter from the Bishops of Scotland here.
In a time of much uncertainty, and the absence of public Mass, it can be easy to despair. But worry not, there are still things we can do and ways to celebrate the Eucharist even if we cannot receive it in person at this time. Read this blog written by a young person for LifeTeen.com, to find out how to navigate this period.