Diocese of Pittsburgh to lift mask mandates for church and school at month's end

Mask mandates will end in Catholic schools and parishes in the Diocese of Pittsburgh at the end of the month, diocesan officials said Tuesday.

The mask requirement will be lifted Saturday, Feb. 26 for parishioners and Monday, Feb. 28 for students at diocesan elementary and high schools. Masks will still be required on buses. And students or employees who tested positive for covid-19 must wear a mask for five days upon returning to work or school.

Bishop David Zubik issued a statement that reads, in part: “We thank God that local infections have dropped and pray that our anticipated adjustments will be the first of many steps toward resuming ways of worship and learning that we have all missed so much.”

In the Diocese of Greensburg, covid policies for parishes have remained unchanged since last year: Mask mandates were lifted for schools in the diocese in December, and the only mask requirement is for ministers giving Holy Communion.

The adjustments to mitigation measures in the Pittsburgh Diocese also mean parishioners will be invited to share the sign of peace again, during which parishioners can shake hands with those around them.

However, the distribution of consecrated wine from the cup will continue to be suspended for now.

Parish events outside of Mass can be held in person, though livestream options remain for Mass and other activities.

Other changes for diocesan schools and parishes include:

• Priests, deacons and liturgical ministers in the sanctuary — as well as ushers and greeters — will not be required to wear masks at Mass.

• Laity can present the gifts of bread and wine used for consecration.

Officials cited the falling case counts in the region and among parishes and schools. Spokeswoman Jennifer Antkowiak said waiting until month’s end will allow time for cases “to decline further, for hospital staffing levels to improve and for more people to receive vaccinations.”

New case counts locally and statewide have been falling in recent weeks after a massive omicron variant-driven surge early this year.

Average daily case counts in Allegheny County fell to around 375 per day last week — a drop of nearly 89% from the peak of the omicron surge in the county during the first week of January.

The percentage of adults in Pennsylvania who are fully vaccinated has continued to inch upward. On Feb. 7, 75.9% of residents 18 and older were fully vaccinated, up slightly from 75.6% a week prior. The largest jump in recent weeks came in late December when the percentage jumped from 70.9% on Dec. 20 to 73.9% a week later.

Zubik urged everyone who is eligible to be vaccinated to do so.

“Getting vaccinated is a sign of our concern for our neighbors,” he said. “It should be done out of love for our Lord, who told us to care for the health of others.”

Pope Francis also has long urged all who can to get the vaccine to do so, saying in January that vaccination against covid-19 is a “moral obligation.”