Dear Monsignors and Fathers,

I am writing to give you an update on where things stand at the present moment.  We are trying to keep you informed and answer your questions.

Task for Vicars Forane
All of our Vicars Forane have been asked to contact every priest living in their vicariate each week.  In these dangerous and difficult times, we want to be sure that no one “falls through the cracks.”  The Vicars in turn contact me – by phone, email, or text – indicating the status of the wellbeing of the priests in their vicariate.  The Bishop is always very eager to hear how you are doing.

One priest in the hospital and one in isolation
As previously reported to you, we have one priest who is in the hospital with the coronavirus. We also have one priest who is in isolation.

Directives remain in place until further notice
You will be notified when the Directives are lifted.  It should not be presumed that the lifting of the Directives will happen simultaneously with the lifting or expiration of the Governor’s Order.

The principles that are guiding the Bishop’s Directives are multilayered.  It is not simply the Governor’s Order that is determinative.  Part of the equation concerns a prudential judgment as regards appropriate risk taking. The Bishop has to take into consideration the duty to provide pastoral care as well as the duty to take reasonable precautions to safeguard the health and wellbeing of the lay faithful and of his priests.  The Directives are evolving because the indications we are receiving from the CDC and elsewhere are changing.  It is particularly troubling that evidence indicates that people can be contagious up to three days before showing symptoms of the coronavirus.

Pastoral care
As previously indicated, in the present moment we are offering face-to-face pastoral care to the dying. This is for the safety and protection of the priest and of those we serve.  Pastoral care to those who are sick but not dying should be done over the telephone, but not face-to-face.  For those who are dying, but who have not been exposed to the coronavirus – for example, someone who has gone into cardiac arrest – pastoral care may be provided by their local priest. For those who have tested positive for COVID-19 (or may be presumed to be such), a specific protocol is now in place.  You are directed to contact Fr. Ryan Mattingly for such cases.

Outdoor events – PLEASE NOTE CAREFULLY
We previously allowed for the possibility of outdoor events such as processions with the Blessed Sacrament with the people remaining in their cars.  A number of difficulties have presented themselves in this regard and for a variety of reasons, this type of event no longer seems appropriate.  One such difficulty is that some local law enforcement officials have indicated that they view this as a violation of the Governor’s Order and intend to disperse such gatherings.

Churches are to be closed and locked
As the Directives posted on the diocesan website indicate, all churches and chapels are to be closed and locked. The clergy may enter their churches for prayer and to offer Mass, but they are to remain closed to the public.

Overly restrictive?
Perhaps when the pandemic is over, people will look back and say that we were overly restrictive.  This is preferable than having them say, if someone dear to them died from the virus, that their loved one might not have gotten sick and died if we had been more diligent.

Prayers in Time of Pandemic
You should have received today an email with Mass prayers and readings that may be used in time of pandemic as well as an additional solemn petition for Good Friday.  A decree in this regard was issued by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.  Also included in that email was an Ordo for Holy Week.

Blessing and distribution of palms
You may bless the palms using the simple form.  Contrary to other indications you may have received, Bishop Jenky instructs that you do not distribute them in any manner until we are able to do so on the first Sunday we are able to return to our churches.  This seems to be the approach most in line with current health and safety practices. I know that many of you planned on different distribution methods, but please defer to this decision.

Easter duty
Many of the faithful are asking these days about the requirement to confess and to receive Holy Communion during the Easter season.  The faithful (which of course includes the clergy) have the duty to confess serious sins once a year, but the Code of Canon Law does not specify a season to do so (c. 989). Furthermore, the traditional “Easter duty” refers to the reception of Holy Communion during the Easter season, “unless for a good reason it is fulfilled at another time of the year” (c. 920, §2).

Live-streamed events
A number of you have gone to great lengths to stream your Mass and devotions over the Internet.  In places where this can be done, I encourage you to do so.  Beginning with Palm Sunday, a number of events will be available to be viewed live via the diocesan website: cdop.org.

I continue to offer my daily Mass for all of our priests.  I count on your prayers as well.

Sincerely in the Lord,
Monsignor Philip D. Halfacre
Vicar General

These directives are intended to accompany the previously issued letter of Bishop Jenky (03/13/2020). All of these directives remain in effect until further notice. They are in effect for the Diocese of Peoria and can be dispensed only for the gravest of reasons and by the Bishop or the Vicar General.

The Celebration of Holy Mass

• Public celebration of Masses is suspended.
• Specifically, it is the Mass coram populo (in the presence of the people) that is suspended.
• Priests are very much encouraged to continue offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
• Instances of priests traveling to religious houses for Mass will be discontinued until the Governor’s Order is lifted.

Funerals

• We will not be celebrating funerals during this period though we will bury the dead.
• It is permitted to perform the Rite of Committal outdoors – not in a chapel – at the graveside.
• At a mausoleum, the cleric and the faithful are all to remain outdoors and exercising proper social distancing.
• The suspension extends as well to the Funeral Liturgy Outside of Mass that is often done at the funeral home.
• Naturally, we encourage the celebration of a memorial Mass once the suspension is lifted.

Weddings

• All wedding celebrations – with or without a Mass – are suspended until the Governor’s Order is lifted.

Baptisms

• All Baptisms are to be postponed until the Governor’s Order is lifted. Exceptions will be made in the case of a true emergency. Contact the Vicar General for permission in this case.

Confirmation

• Contrary to an earlier communication, except for those who wish to be confirmed who are in danger of death, the celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation is suspended.

Anointing of the Sick and Viaticum

• Priests, using the greatest prudence, may continue to administer the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick and administer Viaticum to those who are dying.
• It is of greatest importance that priests be diligent about not contaminating their oil stock by reinserting their thumb without first thoroughly washing their hands.
• In the case of those who are known to have the Coronavirus, further directives should be sought from the Vicar General or the Episcopal Vicar for Healthcare.

Holy Communion to the Sick

• Except for those who are dying, the practice of bringing Holy Communion to the sick is
  suspended.
• The widespread practice of having Holy Communion brought to the sick by Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion is suspended until the Governor’s Order is lifted.
• In the case of those who are known to have the Coronavirus, further directives should be sought from the Vicar General or the Episcopal Vicar for Healthcare.

Confession/Reconciliation

• Priests may continue to hear confessions of the dying.
• Priests may hear confessions outdoors if they can do so in a way that provides for 6 feet of social distancing, and provides for the safety and privacy of the priest and penitent.

Churches, Parish Offices, Parish Events, and Social Outreach

• During the time of the Governor’s Order, churches and chapels are to be closed and locked.
• Parish events and activities of any kind are suspended.
• Parish offices are to remain closed. That stated, each Pastor and his staff must identify the essential functions that need to continue. It is our expectation that parish staff work from home and will not have any extended time whatsoever in the parish office.
• Decisions regarding social outreach programs will be made on a case-by-case basis. Contact the Vicar General for direction in specific cases.

My dear brother priests,

I am confident that you are enduring the present moment with the faith and hope characteristic of a son of God and a priest of Jesus Christ. The countless ways that I see you reaching out to the people entrusted to your care is deeply moving and inspiring. Our Father God will bless you for it!

This is a lengthy letter, but I thought it is important to give some of the rationale behind the decision-making of the moment and the new directives that are in effect. Every indication we have is that the current pandemic will continue unabated for the foreseeable future. Because few of us have encountered anyone who actually has the virus, it can seem like a phantom disease – and therefore the preventative measures being taken to contain it appear excessive and unnecessarily restrictive. Several things seem clear to us:

• The number of confirmed cases is growing rapidly in Illinois. According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, there were 7 reported cases on March 8. By March 20, that number had grown to 585. The number of cases has risen an average of 46% each day for the past thirteen days. Part of that can be attributed to the limited availability of testing. But the point is that the number of people infected is growing exponentially, not linearly. A helpful video illustrating exponential growth as regards a virus can be found here. New cases cease when the virus cannot reach an uninfected person – either because everyone is infected, or because our efforts at keeping people from coming into contact with the virus prevent its spread.
• There are known cases of people who have tested positive for the virus but have shown no symptoms. They are carrying the virus but do not know it.
• Once our healthcare system is overloaded, many will die – especially the most vulnerable among us.

So the questions is, how do we as people of faith and as responsible citizens best respond to this? On the one hand, we want to be present to our people and allow them to receive all the spiritual assistance the Church has at her disposal. On the other hand, realizing that our parishioners are entrusted to our care, it is our responsibility to act prudently. Prudence, as we all know so well, is right reason in acting (recta ratio agibilium), or the right way of doing things. Without prudence, caution becomes cowardice and bravery becomes foolhardiness. Please pray that the decision makers at every level of civil and ecclesial governance are granted the prudence they need in this present moment.

Pursuant to the Governor’s Shelter-In-Place Order for the State of Illinois, beginning at 5PM on Saturday, March 21, and continuing through April 7:

• All churches and chapels must be closed and locked until the Governor’s order is lifted.
• Instances of priests traveling to religious houses for Mass will be discontinued until the Governor’s Order is lifted.
• All weddings and baptisms must be postponed and can be re-scheduled only once the Order is lifted. The only exception to this will be in the case of a true emergency. Contact the Vicar General for permission in this case.
• Funerals and wakes are not permitted at this time. Only Burials with the Rite of Committal will continue to take place, as per the previous Directives, though they must be entirely outdoors.
• Parish offices are to remain closed. That stated, each Pastor and his staff must identify the essential functions that need to continue. It is our expectation that parish staff work from home and will not have any extended time whatsoever in the parish office.
• Decisions regarding social outreach programs will be made on a case-by-case basis. Contact the Vicar General for direction in specific casees.

At present, our pastoral attention will be specifically focused on those who are near death and need immediate attention. We are presently developing guidelines for the best way to respond to those who have (or can be presumed to have) the coronavirus and who desire to receive pastoral care. Hospitals and other care facilities already have their own protocols in place, but over time some people will simply remain in their home. After considerable thought and careful consideration, we have decided to seek volunteers from among our priests who will undertake this duty to care for those who are infected. I am reminded of the heroic example of Saint Damien the Leper who volunteered to go to Molokai to care for the victims of that horrible disease. We would begin with one such priest for our Diocese and increase the number as needed. The priest, naturally, will be required to live alone in his rectory or in another suitable location, and arrangements would have to be made in advance for how he would receive food, etc. While we do have access to some personal protective equipment (PPE), it is foreseeable that the supply of this equipment will exceed the need. If after prayerful consideration and discernment you would like to be considered for this role, you are to make that known to me. The Bishop will make the final determination of the priest(s) chosen and only those names will be made publicly known. More details on this will follow.

As we look toward the near future, we are announcing that the suspension of public worship will definitely remain in place through Easter Sunday. We are currently planning to offer live video streaming of Masses (sine populo) beginning with Palm Sunday and continuing through Easter Sunday. More details on that will follow.

Pope Francis, through the Apostolic Penitentiary, has granted a plenary indulgence to coronavirus patients and to Catholics who pray for them. The decree can be found here. Many have spoken of how moved they were by his invitation last week to pray the Rosary with him in union with the faithful from around the world. He reminded us, “In this unprecedented situation, when everything seems to be vacillating, let us help each other remain steady in what really matters.”

During this most difficult and painful time, when our people are deprived of the opportunity of receiving Our Lord in the Most Holy Eucharist, these words of Joseph Ratzinger regarding a fast from the Eucharist seem especially fitting:

When Augustine sensed his death approaching, he ‘excommunicated’ himself and undertook public penance. In his last days he manifested his solidarity with the public sinners who seek for pardon and grace through the renunciation of communion. He wanted to meet his Lord in the humility of those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for him who is the Righteous and Merciful One. Against the background of his sermons and writings, which are a magnificent portrayal of the mystery of the Church as communion with the Body of Christ, and as the Body of Christ itself, built up by the Eucharist, this is a profoundly arresting gesture. The more I think of it, the more it moves me to reflection. Do we not often take the reception of the Blessed Sacrament too lightly? Might not this kind of spiritual fasting be of service, or even necessary, to deepen and renew our relationship to the Body of Christ?
                                                                                 Taken from Behold the Pierced One

Finally, Bishop Jenky has expressed to me time and again his great esteem and affection for the priests of our Diocese. He knows how difficult it is for you to not to be able to be present to your people in the usual way. You, his priest sons, are constantly on his mind and in his prayers. Please pray for him during this difficult time. He will be reaching out to us soon with his own personal message.

In gratitude for the countless ways you so generously respond to God’s call, I remain,

Sincerely in the Lord,
Monsignor Philip D. Halfacre
Vicar General

Dear Monsignors and Fathers,

The Entrance Antiphon for today’s Mass begins, “In you, O Lord, I put my trust, let me never be put to shame.” At all times – but especially now – we place our trust in God. I suspect that we shall remember these times for the rest of our lives. We are trying to act with prudence and appropriate caution at this difficult moment in history.

As I reflect upon these things, I cannot help but have before my mind our great heroes such as St. Charles Borromeo who personally cared for victims of the plague in Milan in the 1500s. Yet I cannot ignore the fact that in our day, we understand disease transmission much more clearly than in previous centuries and it is clear to us today that people can be carriers of a disease without knowing it.

Our motivation in all of the recent directives and those that will be forthcoming is to take prudent steps to break the chain of transmission of the contagion. No solution is foolproof or airtight. But during the influenza epidemic of 1918 that infected a quarter of the population of the US, and that killed hundreds of thousands of people, some cities such as Saint Louis took measures that seemed drastic at the time but translated into having a per capita death rate much lower than other large cities. We realize that our decisions regarding sacred worship will greatly disturb people’s lives. Nevertheless our efforts are aimed at protecting those entrusted to our care – especially the most vulnerable among us, such as the elderly and those who are in delicate or compromised health.

Hospitals have protocols in place for attending to those with the Coronavirus, including the pastoral care that will be offered. But the day may come when those stricken by this deadly virus will be in their homes because hospital beds will be full. As I indicated at our gathering yesterday, we may have to train some of our priests who are not already trained hospital chaplains to minister directly to those who are confined to their homes.

So with all of that having been said, I am sending to you the directives that come with this mailing. Additional ones will surely follow. We are all in this together, as brother priests to one another and as spiritual fathers to the people we serve. We are in God’s hands, brothers. We call upon his mercy and beg the intercession of Our Lady, who is also the Mother of Mercy, the Health of the Sick, and the Comforter of the Afflicted.

With my sincere best wishes and the promise of my prayers, I remain,

Sincerely in the Lord,
Monsignor Philip D. Halfacre
Vicar General

To the Priests, Deacons, and Faithful of the Diocese of Peoria,

I had hoped to wait a week for events to further unfold before taking the dramatic step of suspending public Divine Worship.  Upon wider consultation, however, I have decided that our Local Church will act in unison with other dioceses in Illinois and elsewhere and suspend all public Masses beginning this Saturday, at the Vigil Mass, on March the 14^th.   Those funeral Masses already scheduled in parish churches may take place.  At this time, outside committal services may continue.  Memorial Masses should be scheduled at a later date. Marriage ceremonies in parish churches scheduled for this Saturday may take place, and there will be further guidelines from the Office of the Vicar General for the future.  Baptisms should continue but with only the parents and godparents present.  Using great prudence and where it is possible, the Sacrament of the Sick and Holy Viaticum may also be administered.  Masses and other liturgies in formed religious houses may continue but must not be open to the public.

Dear friends in Christ, these are perilous days but certainly not unprecedented in human history.  I urge you to be patient and faith filled.  Cling more closely to the Lord, and be sure to pray together at home among your family and friends.  For the present, we need to break the chain of transmission of the contagion, but I know that in the future we will much more appreciate and never again take for granted the great gift of our parish communities.

May God bless and protect you.
Most Reverend Daniel R. Jenky, C.S.C.
Bishop of Peoria