Following directives of the Catholic bishops of Ohio, all Masses at St. Charles Center in Carthagena, Ohio, will be closed to visitors. That includes Masses in the infirmary chapels, the St. Joseph chapel and also Assumption Chapel, St. Charles’ main chapel.
Because St. Charles is a private facility, administered by the Missionaries of the Precious Blood and used as a retirement home for C.PPS. members as well as a senior living facility for lay people, Masses will continue there. It is hoped that by limiting Mass attendance to house members only, residents will be protected from the spread of the coronavirus, according to Amy Day, St. Charles manager.
Upcoming events at St. Charles have also been cancelled, including Artistry Under the Dome, scheduled for April 17-19, and all other outside meetings until further notice.
At the Sorrowful Mother Shrine, effective today, there will be no daily or weekend Masses. All other events at the shrine will be cancelled. However, individual confession will be heard daily at 10 a.m. and on Tuesdays from 6:30-7:30 p.m. in the shrine chapel.
The discernment retreat scheduled for March 27-29 at the House of Formation in Chicago has also been cancelled, although Fr. Steve Dos Santos, C.PP.S., is exploring bringing discerners together through Zoom.
Please continue to pray for all those affected by this unfolding situation: the sick and those who care for them; those whose jobs or businesses are suffering; students and teachers locked out of schools; families scrambling to take the right steps; and all who are making the decisions that will lead us forward in this crisis.