Centre County churches make changes to services to avoid coronavirus spread
To prevent the introduction and spread of coronavirus in Centre County, some area churches are closing or encouraging congregants to attend services and classes online.
The Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown announced that all church members are dispensed from participating at Sunday or Holy Day Masses. State College’s Our Lady of Victory Catholic School and St. Joseph’s Catholic Academy in Boalsburg will be closed next week as students attend classes virtually.
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf announced Friday that all K-12 schools will be closed for 10 business days as officials monitor the coronavirus.
OLVCS and OLV Preschool will be also closed next week.
Prior to Wolf’s announcement, St. Joseph’s said Friday that all athletic practices and school activities were suspended Monday-Friday, March 20.
The Altoona-Johnstown Diocese discourages the reception of Holy Communion on the tongue in an attempt to stop the spread of germs. All clergy and ministers must wash their hands before distributing communion. All holy water fonts in churches will be drained until further notice.
All parish Mass schedules will continue as planned, but all nonessential activities should be canceled until further notice.
Congregants can watch Mass from St. John Gualbert Cathedral in Johnstown live at 11 a.m. Sundays on ABC 23 (WATM-TV) . The Sunday Liturgy will be posed on the diocese Facebook page.
The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Centre County building on Waupelani Drive in State College will be closed through March 26, it announced. All services, meetings and events are canceled, with the church directing members to its website, www.uufcc.com, for further updates.
The Valley in State College announced that it will meet online via Facebook Live this week in an attempt to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The broadcast will begin at 10 a.m.
Calvary has canceled weekend worship at Calvary Midtown and Calvary Harvest Fields. According to the church’s website, this will continue until the end of March. Calvary in Lewistown, Penns Valley and Tyrone still plan to meet.
Services will be broadcast online. For more updates, check Calvary’s Facebook page.
This story was originally published March 13, 2020 at 2:04 PM.
