Musings of Fr. Bryan T. Reif
Last week we all received the news that the President of the United States and several other members of his cabinet and advisors tested positive for COVID-19. I must confess that I personally had become more lax with regard to the recommendations that have been given to us by the CDC and by State and local officials with respect to the wearing of masks and social distancing. I have a sneaking suspicion that I was not the only one who had become complacent to a degree about the pandemic, after all we have been under this virus threat now since late February, and I am sure that most if not all of us are tired of social distancing and wearing masks. The President’s diagnosis was a wake up call for me personally that we are not out of this yet. In addition to this, I also recently became aware of a COVID case in the neighborhood where my parents live, in addition to the few members of the parish who have contracted the virus. The threat continues to be all too real, and even though I, like many of you, am tired of the mask mandates and other restrictions, especially in church, we will continue to follow them in our pastoral region. Our Archdiocese has decided to comply with and follow the Governor’s orders with respect to the pandemic, which means the wearing of masks in church by those attending, aa well as following social distancing. I am aware that there are some who disagree with this, perhaps vehemently, yet this is a governmental mandate that the Catholic Church in Cincinnati has decided to comply with, and so I ask for your cooperation in this matter. In the end, regardless of what we may believe or not believe about the masks and their effectiveness, it really is a small thing, a small sacrifice we are being asked to make to try and mitigate the spread, and to safeguard the lives of others. I thank you for following the health/mask orders, even though none of us like it, and for taking up this small cross and following in the footsteps of the Lord.
Take Good Care,
Fr. Bryan T. Reif
Pastor