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June 2020 www.thefloridacatholic.org
YOUR MIAMI COMMUNITY
W
elcome to the "new normal": mask-wear- ing Mass-goers, sitting six feet apart and pumping hand sanitizer as they enter church buildings. The description Archbishop Thomas Wenski always gives for life amid the coronavirus pan- demic was evident throughout the Archdiocese of Miami the last weekend in May, as the faithful - at least 25 to 30% of them - re- turned to worship in their church- es for the first time in eight weeks. Nowhere was it more striking than at St. Martha Church June 1 2020, as the archbishop gathered with Pastoral Center employees to celebrate a Mass marking the 10th anniversary of his installation as Miami's chief shepherd, back on June 1, 2010. The concelebrating priests wore masks. The archbishop put on a mask to distribute Commu- nion - and rubbed on some hand sanitizer before doing so. The con- gregation was spread throughout the church, where every other pew was roped off to create the needed social distancing. The masks made it harder to recognize people, the archbishop noted. But the variety of masks also revealed creativity and the ability to turn a necessary incon- venience into a fashion statement or spiritual message. The pictures tell the story. - Ana Rodriguez-Soto
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Who are those masked men?
At top left, pastoral center staff wear masks and maintain appropriate social distancing during the Mass marking the 10th anniversary of Archbishop Thomas Wenski's installation. At bottom left, Archbishop Emeritus John C. Favalora, far right, joined the celebration with other priests, including Father Elvis Gonzalez, pastor of St. Michael Church in Miami, left, and Father Antonio Tupiza, defender of the bond, center; Father Kenneth Whittaker, pastor of Our Lady of Mercy in Deerfield Beach, below at far right; and Father Matthew Gomez, seen at left, incoming director of vocations, whose mask symbols read: God is greater than your lows and highs. (PHOTOS BY ANA RODRIGUEZ- SOTO)
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