Private Prayer in Church during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Questions & Answers

Can I go to Blessed Sacrament Church to pray privately?

  • At the current time and under certain conditions, yes. This may change at any time depending on local public health information and directives.

Personal conditions: You can go to church to pray if you:

  1. have not traveled out of country or out of Saskatchewan in the last 2 weeks;
  2. are not elderly, do not have underlying medical conditions, and are not a healthcare worker; and
  3. have no signs of illness, either yourself or in your household.

*Important Note: It takes time for symptoms to appear after COVID-19 exposure. Also, some of those who are infected show no symptoms at all. It is safest to assume you are infected, and to work to avoid transmitting the illness to others.

Church conditions: You can go to church to pray if:

  1. Blessed Sacrament Church is open from 10:30 AM to 3:00 PM daily (7 days).
  2. you use hand sanitizer upon entry and ensure that your area of the pew is sanitized before and after prayer;
  3. you avoid touching surfaces with your hands or passing items from person to person; and
  4. you leave at least 2 metres of space between you and others.

What if personal or church conditions do not allow you to pray in church?

  • You are not alone. Our entire faith community is sharing this suffering. Our Lord, who dwells in our hearts, is always with us.
  • While we wait for our beloved churches to welcome us back once this trying time is over, we can meditate on the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:6:
  • But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.