Catholic churches change to ward off swine flu threat
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By Cristina Kumka STAFF WRITER - Published: November 2, 2009
The head of Vermont's Catholic churches has advised all priests to make some changes to combat the H1N1 flu.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington last week issued strict new rules for how to celebrate Mass statewide during flu season to stop the spread.
The new rules advise priests not to give parishioners the Holy Sacrament of the Blood or wine from a chalice. The rules also call for not allowing people to shake hands in a normal sign of peace and making sure all ministers' hands are washed and equipment fully cleansed, among other swine flu preventative measures.
In a memo sent to all church pastors and administrators, Vermont Bishop Salvatore Matano ordered the same directives for Mass issued by the Archdiocese of Boston earlier – all holy water fonts are to be cleaned and refilled every day, holding hands in church isn't allowed, and the Holy Communion of bread and wine believed to contain the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ is now merged into one host or one wafer.
The directives will last at least until flu season is over, according to local priests and the Boston archdiocese's Web site.
At Christ The King Church on Sunday, the Rev. Timothy Naples offered a sign of peace to parishioners from the altar by gesturing with his hands.
Most Mass attendees offered peace to one another with simple acknowledgements of nods or glances, rather than the typical handshake or hug.
A copy of the memo was printed on the inside of the bulletin for all parishioners to read.
"Last week, I said don't offer your hand and don't be offended if someone doesn't want to take your hand," said head pastor, the Rev. Justin Baker.
He called the diocese's direction a "cautious move."
"It's interesting … it eliminates the person's ability to make a discerned judgment," Baker said.
Mount St. Joseph alum Kyle McDermott is all too familiar with what it's like to change church practices because of H1N1, or swine flu. Students at his college, Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio, started coming down with cases and prayer at the campus chapel wasn't the same.
McDermott said he fully understood the reasoning behind the new rules.
"Two months ago when school started here, we used to give out real bread and then we had to go back to using wafers and we couldn't shake hands," McDermott said from Ohio on Sunday.
The college's chapel operated that way for about four weeks to ward off more students getting swine flu — McDermott's roommate and at least seven other students on his floor in the dorm came down with it.
"In my case there are more than 100 of us on each floor," he said.
"We're so close together that the simplest contact can spread the virus . . . shaking hands or touching a door handle."
According to McDermott, the Vermont diocese's decision not to allow the Blessed Sacrament of the Precious Blood or wine to be served, urging parishioners not to shake hands as a sign of peace and asking all churchgoers not to come and worship if they're sick are the right measures to take.
"It's an appropriate and acceptable step to take by the Diocese of Burlington," McDermott said
It's not the first time church has changed in reaction to the flu, according to Baker.
A 2004 flu vaccine shortage warranted many of the same changes but nationwide, churches are following the government's suit-calling on everyone to prevent a possible epidemic from a new 2009 strain.
In Utah recently, Catholics temporarily banned the use of the communion cup, they don't hold hands and priests are asked to use hand sanitizer and not to use their hands when making individual blessings.
And across the globe in Ukraine, all public gatherings were banned for three weeks to thwart the spread of the virus.
According to The Associated Press, worldwide more than 5,700 people have now died from the H1N1 virus since it broke out in April in Mexico and the United States, the World Health Organization said.
Vermont reported its first swine flu death last week.
In church, parishioners largely understand the gravity of the situation and how God may have little to do with how a virus spreads, according to McDermott.
"Shaking hands is just symbolic," and receiving the sacraments of body and blood or wafers and wine are just reaffirmations of baptism and a commitment to the church, he said.
"Some churches don't give out wine," McDermott said.
"It's not scientifically immune to diseases or viruses."
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
cristina.kumka@rutlandherald.com
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