In response to the dramatic surge in community spread of the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus, and in a continuing commitment to care for the health, safety, and spiritual well-being of the faithful in the Diocese of Pittsburgh, Bishop David Zubik has issued updated COVID-19 Safety Protocols for diocesan parishes, effective January 7, 2022. These include:

• Requiring priests and deacons to wear a mask at all times during the celebration of Mass.
• Requiring all Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, servers, greeters, ushers, lectors, choir members and cantors, faith formation leaders, catechists, and those who visit the sick or homebound to wear a mask.
• Suspending the presentation of the gifts until further notice.
• Urgently encouraging all those attending Mass to wear masks, regardless of vaccination status.

Both the diocese and the parish are closely monitoring the latest information from the CDC and local healthcare officials and will re-evaluate the situation and update protocols as is appropriate. Decisions regarding parish events will be made on a case-by-case basis and that information will be communicated as quickly as possible. Click here for parish event updates.

Click here to read the press release in its entirety.

Click here for more information about Parking Lot Masses.

All Masses will be celebrated inside the churches.  The faithful can listen from their car by tuning their radio to 87.9 FM. 

Effective immediately:

• Fully vaccinated people may attend Diocese of Pittsburgh Masses and all gatherings on parish property without wearing a mask.
• To accommodate those who are not fully vaccinated, and those who may feel more comfortable seated around others who are wearing a mask, a section in every church will be maintained for mask-wearing.
• Be aware that some of your brothers and sisters doubt the health and wisdom of receiving Holy Communion on the tongue during the pandemic. In your charity, please consider receiving on the hand for the coming weeks, lest we inadvertently increase our neighbor’s apprehension.

• You no longer need to stay six feet away from other households (though of course, you may do so if space permits).
• Mass registrations will no longer be required.
• If you are uncomfortable with the health risk, you are encouraged to come to the Sunday 10:00 AM outdoor Mass at St. Malachy, or listen to any of our Sunday Masses from the parking lot, or watch the Sunday 10:00 AM Livestream Mass at Holy Trinity. (At Archangel Gabriel Parish, we think these measures will suffice to care for our rapidly shrinking pool of persons with a low tolerance for risk, so our churches won’t have special sections for socially distanced seating for people with a low tolerance of risk.)
• The cry rooms will continue to be closed.
• Votive candles will again be available for use.
• Holy Communion, for now, continues to be available only in the form of bread. (But remember, every fragment of the Sacrament gives us the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of the Person of Jesus Christ.)
• The parish continues its current confession practices: the special locations at St. Malachy and St. Mary, and the special adaptations of the confessionals at Holy Trinity.

The parish is continuing to work with the guidelines set forth by the diocese in the reopening guide "Moving Forward Together". Information surrounding the opening of public Mass and what to expect can be found at diopitt.org/moving-forward-together.

Diocese of Pittsburgh's Response to COVID-19