Catholic Diocese of Raleigh cancels weekend Masses, closes schools due to coronavirus
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Raleigh is canceling Sunday Mass and shutting its schools after Gov. Roy Cooper banned large gatherings in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus.
On Saturday afternoon, Cooper issued an executive order requiring public schools to be closed until March 27 and stopping mass gatherings of more than 100 people.
In response, Bishop Luis Rafael Zarama announced Saturday that all weekend Masses are canceled until further notice in the diocese, which spans the 54 eastern counties in North Carolina.
The Diocese is providing a list of Masses outside the state that are available for viewing. information can be found at https://dioceseofraleigh.org/news/where-watch-mass-online.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte canceled Masses at all churches with a seating capacity of at least 100 until further notice, The Charlotte Observer. reported. The Charlotte diocese covers the other 46 counties in the state
Other churches in the state are also being encouraged to cancel services or switch to online services, The News & Observer previously reported.
In addition to religious services, the Catholic Diocese of Raleigh is ordering that its schools be closed for at least two weeks.
This story was originally published March 14, 2020 at 10:53 PM with the headline "Catholic Diocese of Raleigh cancels weekend Masses, closes schools due to coronavirus."
