By Sheldon Spackman

Online Mass

Local Catholics to celebrate Easter online

Apr 10, 2020 | 10:00 AM

This week is Holy Week in the Catholic faith and with the Easter long weekend approaching, local Catholics are preparing to change the way they celebrate the occasion this year due to the world-wide COVID-19 pandemic.

According to a statement issued by the Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton on Mar. 31, priests will celebrate the liturgies privately, with no congregations present.

In the case of concelebration, each priest will abide by physical distancing requirements and infection prevention protocols.

“We invite the faithful to join these celebrations ‘virtually,’ through video livestreaming from their own parish or from St. Joseph’s Basilica with Archbishop Smith,” reads the statement. “Visit your parish website or grandinmedia.ca/livestream to find links to the livestream events.”

At St. Mary’s Parish in Red Deer, as directed by health officials and the Archdiocese in Edmonton, all public masses have been cancelled until further notice. However, the parish is still open for personal prayer and face-to-face confessions while adhering to social distancing guidelines.

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The same conditions are also in place at Sacred Heart Parish in Red Deer.

“When we are unable to receive Holy Communion, we can make a Spiritual Communion as we view a televised or online Mass,” reads a statement on the Sacred Heart Parish website. “This is a prayer in which we ask our Lord to come to us in the same way He would if we were able to receive the Sacrament.”

Upcoming livestream events from the Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton this week include:

7:00 p.m., Holy Thursday, April 9 – Mass of the Lord’s Supper

3:00 p.m., Good Friday, April 10 – Friday of the Passion of the Lord

8:00 p.m., Holy Saturday, April 11 – Easter Vigil Mass

10:30 a.m., Easter Sunday, April 12 – The Resurrection of the Lord