Keeping Catholics connected

On March 25, the Most Reverend Joseph V. Brennan, D.D., bishop of the Diocese of Fresno, updated his March 18 decree of the mandated directives for members of the Catholic community to follow in the coming weeks.

As he mentions, the pandemic landscape appears to change daily. The suspension of public Mass and all activities at all of the Diocese parishes will continue indefinitely for all parishioners, ministers and employees. The Bishop also strongly discourages congregating in vehicles for parking lot services. This clearly impacts Holy Week celebrations, RCIA programs and, of course, Easter celebrations.

Many parishes and missions in the Diocese post pastoral and spiritual information to their websites, Facebook page and some offer online liturgies, which are recorded on YouTube. By these means, Catholics can keep connected to their own local faith communities, even though liturgies and other activities are canceled.

The Diocesan television station, KNXT, virtual channel 49 and UHF digital channel 22, will remain on the air indefinitely throughout this crisis for devotional programming, including masses, novenas, rosaries and divine office prayers.

Information, resources and links to schedules for online programming can be found at http://www.dioceseoffresno.org.

As the Bishop says: “This is a kind of ‘death’ experience for us all. We have given up much this Lent. It has been a true, if temporary, loss . . . [T]here is life on the other side of all this sacrifice and suffering we are currently undergoing. We have all been reminded that there is no Easter without Calvary. But what a glorious Easter it will be, here and hereafter!”