Vaccinations are not required for students and adults in diocesan Catholic schools “but are strongly encouraged for those eligible to receive them,” according to the 2021-2022 Catholic school opening guidance from the Diocese of St. Cloud sent Aug. 18 to Catholic school principals and pastors.
When each individual makes a small act of charity, like getting the COVID-19 vaccine, every gesture added together can transform the world, Pope Francis said in a global ad campaign.
Catholic Charities Senior Dining reopened congregate dining rooms Aug. 2 in several cities in the Diocese of St. Cloud. Additional sites will open in September.
As some Catholics are seeking a religious exemption to the coronavirus vaccine mandates that are becoming more common in workplaces and even some public venues, priests in the Archdiocese of New York have been advised not to get involved in that process.
“We have so many reasons to be optimistic that students will learn and grow together in person, much as they did prior to the start of the pandemic,” he said in the Aug. 5 letter. “This will only be possible with continued diligence, trust and prayer.”
A federal judge Aug. 3 temporarily blocked an order issued by the governor of Texas to halt transportation of migrants by anyone other than local or federal authorities following an incident involving a Catholic nonprofit.
To the dismay of immigration advocates, the Biden administration announced Aug. 2 it would continue implementing a public health rule enforced by the Trump administration, saying migrants at U.S. border crossings would be turned away to keep COVID-19 at bay.
Now that a 15-month suspension of the obligation to attend Sunday Mass has ended, as of July 1, pastors, parish staff and parishioners are weighing the costs and benefits of continuing to livestream their daily or weekly Masses.
