LA Archdiocese Announces New Guidelines For Indoor Services

LOS ANGELES, CA —Just ahead of Christmas, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles Wednesday announced updated guidelines for indoor religious services according to protocols issued by the Los Angeles Department of Public Health.

Parishes in Los Angeles County may resume indoor religious services, provided there is space for social distancing of at least six feet between family units, all in attendance wear face coverings, and measures for cleaning and sanitization are followed.

In a Dec. 21 letter to priests and pastors in the Archdiocese, Archbishop Jose H. Gomez noted that it will be safer to continue celebrating outdoor Masses. Likewise, the public health department strongly recommends that places of worship continue to hold services outdoors.

However, if a pastor believes it is better to offer live-streamed Mass only or to celebrate Mass indoors -- if permitted by his county and in keeping with their protocols -- he may proceed accordingly, according to the Archdiocese.

"At this point, it will be better to continue celebrating outdoor Masses," the archbishop told wrote. "However, if you believe it is better to offer live-streamed Mass or to celebrate Mass indoors (if permitted by your County and in keeping with their protocols), you may proceed accordingly."

Parishes who can and choose to return to indoor in-person worship must observe all protocols issued by their respective county. Santa Barbara and Ventura counties still do not allow indoor religious services.

Churches in Los Angeles County were allowed to reopen for indoor services Monday for the first time since July. Churches may resume indoor services if they follow social distancing and faith covering requirements. Before the ban was lifted, a number of churches in the L.A. area violated the ruling by holding indoor services.

Los Angeles County said that was updating its guidelines to follow a recent Supreme Court ruling, which lifted restrictions on houses of worship in Brooklyn.

The new order does not limit attendance to a certain number or percentage of people. Instead, it asks that attendance "not exceed the number of people who can be accommodated while maintaining a physical distance of six feet between separate households.”

Despite the new allowance, the Department of Public Health said it “strongly recommends” that places of worship continue outdoor services given the county’s “unprecedented surge of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths” this month.

— City News Service and Patch Editor Michael Wittner contributed to this report.