Archdiocese of Cincinnati will not require masks in churches once mandate is lifted

Sunday and Holy Day mass obligation to resume June 6

Credit: Kelsey Kremer

Credit: Kelsey Kremer

The Archdiocese of Cincinnati will not require face masks in its churches once Ohio’s mask mandate is lifted.

The announcement came Friday after the Catholic Conference of Ohio announced that the obligation to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days will be reinstated starting Sunday, June 6.

“As we move beyond the worst of the coronavirus pandemic and access to the COVID-19 vaccine has become more widespread, the time has arrived for the good of all the faithful when the general dispensation from the obligation to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation is no longer necessary,” read a statement from the Catholic Conference of Ohio.

Archbishop Dennis Schnurr and the Archdiocese of Cincinnati issued its own statement Friday, reinstating the Sunday and Holy Day Mass obligation and announcing the updated face mask policy.

“In line with our guidance throughout this pandemic to follow the regulations of public health authorities, after the statewide mandate has been lifted (currently scheduled for June 2, per Gov. DeWine’s announcement on May 12) there will be no mask mandate for churches of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati,” read a statement from the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.

For more information on health and safety guidelines during Mass, the Archdiocese of Cincinnati’s website.

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