Bishop Grecco 'disappointed' with need to limit P.E.I. faith gatherings

The head of the Catholic Church on P.E.I., Bishop Richard Grecco, says he understands the need to limit faith-based gatherings to 10 people or fewer, but he knows church members will be disappointed. 

One of the measures announced Sunday by Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Heather Morrison under new "circuit-breaker" restrictions was that faith-based gatherings will be limited to 10 people or fewer, not counting staff. 

Personal gatherings of any kind are forbidden and the province warned it will be enforcing the public health order.

"I was really disappointed, and it's discouraging," Grecco said of the news of more restrictions. "First of all for public health, that they had to impose this, but secondly also for all of our people who are getting ready for Christmas."  

Grecco pointed out the first four Sundays before Christmas are known as Advent, and churchgoers will now miss the last two of the four special Sundays. 

He said he hopes the circuit-breaker phase will be successful and in two weeks, the new restrictions can be lifted.

'Just can't believe' it

He said churchgoers missed the high feast of Easter in the spring due to COVID-19 and its restrictions, and it would be "very devastating if we missed the birth of the Saviour." 

Grecco said he has been in touch with his priests and like him, they "just can't believe that we're back to where we were." 

He said priests will live-stream mass where possible.

"We're praying that we can get back into the churches before Christmas," but if it's not allowed, he said it's not responsible to jeopardize the lives or health of Islanders by gathering. 

"It's a terrible sacrifice to make, but I think it's a sacrifice we're being asked to make," Grecco said. 

Limits had slowly been rising

During P.E.I.'s Phase 3, gatherings of up to 15 people were permitted to attend a religious service but a handful of Island church officials decided to close their doors until the province expanded the number. 

That happened with Phase 4 at the end of June, when indoor and outdoor organized gatherings of up to 50 people were permitted. If a space was large enough, gatherings could increase to 100 people, as long as physical distancing among individuals who did not live in the same household could be maintained.

Singing was minimized, because COVID-19 is spread in large part through tiny water droplets expelled when people speak, shout or sing, and hymn books were taken away. 

Later in August, the Chief Public Health Office allowed up to 150 people to attend public gatherings, although there had to be 4 metres between each cohort of 50 people as well as physical distancing, separate washrooms and separate entry and exit points, and an operation plan approved by the Chief Public Health Office. 

Under the circuit breaker, weddings and funerals are also limited to 10 people or fewer.

Reminder about symptoms

The symptoms of COVID-19 can include:

• Fever.
• Cough or worsening of a previous cough.
• Possible loss of taste and/or smell.
• Sore throat.
• Headache.
• Shortness of breath.
• Extreme or unusual fatigue
• Runny nose.

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