3. Confessions are to take place in the open, not in a confessional. Safety of the penitent and priest must be assured.

4. Frequently sanitize with disinfectant whatever people tend to touch in the churches: pews, door handles, etc.

5. During private prayer in church, maintain a safe distance from each other (6 feet or 2 meters).

6. Venerate icons and the Cross by bowing your head and with a sign of the cross or by prostrations. Do not kiss icons or the Cross.

7. Comply with the guidelines and prescriptions of governmental authorities (town, county, state, federal) regarding public gatherings and personal safety.

These norms are effective immediately after being published on Wednesday, March 19, 2020. We carefully follow developments, consult experts and will update our norms and regulations according to new information and circumstances. 

God is calling us to a new and deeper spiritual awareness. We encourage you to stay united in the communion of the Holy Spirit! Pray! Stay vigilant! Sing, smile, and laugh! Exercise and read! Pay attention to your health and help people who are under risk in your family as well as in your neighborhood! Communicate and support each other in spirit and deed!

The blessing of the Lord be upon you!

+ Borys Gudziak
Archbishop of Philadelphia for Ukrainians
Metropolitan of Ukrainian Catholics in the United States

+ Paul Chomnycky, OSBM
Eparch of Stamford

+ Вenedict Aleksiychuk
Eparch of St. Nicholas in Chicago

+ Bohdan J. Danylo
Eparch of St. Josaphat in Parma

+ Andriy Rabiy
Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia

March 19, 2020
from Metropolitan Cathedral of Immaculate Conception in Philadelphia, PA