After receiving word from the state that red zone schools could reopen, locally affected Catholic schools began working on their mandatory mass testing.
Coronavirus
Only in Print: The Art of Commemorating Lost Loved Ones
Commemoration is a long-standing tradition, both inside and outside the church, through a myriad of expressions. In the church, it’s common to see paintings and statues of saints who are important to a parish’s community.
All Souls’ Day 2020 Is Poignant Reminder of COVID-19
The feast of All Souls’ Day, when Catholics remember and pray for the dead, has weighted significance this year when so many have died of COVID-19 and the pandemic’s restrictions have prevented usual funeral services and final goodbyes in person.
General Audience Closes to Public After Positive Case of COVID-19
After someone attending Pope Francis’ weekly general tested positive for COVID-19, the Vatican announced the audiences would return to being livestreamed without the presence of pilgrims and visitors.
Halloween’s Not Canceled at Immaculate Conception in Astoria
With Halloween festivities changing due to the pandemic, the Home Academy Association (HAA) at Immaculate Conception Catholic Academy (Astoria) made sure their students could still have a semi-normal experience. So, they came up with the idea to hold an outdoor “Trunk-or-Treat” event that involved dressing up in masks and costumes, plus trick-or-treating at tables in Immaculate Conception’s church parking lot.
Vatican Reports Positive Coronavirus Case at Pope’s Residence
A resident at the Domus Sanctae Marthae, the residence where Pope Francis lives, tested positive for COVID-19, the Vatican announced.
A Cultural Celebration of Life for the Late Father Jorge Ortiz-Garay
¡Ánimo, el Señor es bueno! That Spanish phrase — Cheer up, friends, God is Good! — were words that members of the diocese’s Mexican ministry said perfectly summarized their beloved priest, friend, and leader, the late Father Jorge Ortiz-Garay, who died March 27 as a result of COVID-19. Father Jorge used the phrase as a personal motto.
Judge Denies Diocese Request for Preliminary Injunction Against Cuomo
On the evening of Oct. 16, Judge Nicholas Garaufis denied the diocese’s request for a preliminary injunction to halt restrictions imposed on houses of worship by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
No COVID-19 Cure Yet, But Treatments Are Improving
As the world awaits a COVID-19 vaccine, lessons learned in emergency rooms and intensive care units have spurred adjustments in treatments, such as oxygen therapy and some therapeutic drugs and steroids. None of these are actual cures for coronavirus infections, but they are credited for helping people survive the disease.
Catholic Hospital’s Pinwheels Celebrate Discharge of COVID-19 Patients
Annie Burford smiles when she sees the pinwheels twirling in the afternoon breeze, forming a multicolor celebration of life. As a respiratory clinical specialist for Franciscan Health, Burford delights in knowing that each of the 466 pinwheels represents a COVID-19 patient who has been discharged from the health care system’s Indianapolis and Mooresville hospitals to date.
