Archbishop Bernard Hebda asks Catholics to wear masks to Mass in a July 7 video posted by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. CATHOLIC SPIRIT SCREENSHOT

Archbishop Bernard Hebda thanked Catholics for following safety protocols at Mass, including wearing masks, and asked them to continue to, in a short YouTube video posted July 7.

“As a Church that is pro-life, we need to embrace those practices that will reasonably minimize the risk of harm to our most vulnerable brothers and sisters,” he said. “Please continue to follow the protocols adopted by your parish. Wear your mask.”

Wearing a white mask with blue stripes and standing in the Archdiocesan Catholic Center chapel, Archbishop Hebda began the three-minute, twenty-second video quipping, “It may be hard to tell, but this is Archbishop Bernard Hebda behind the mask.”

He went on to thank viewers for prayers and support, “not just for me,” he said, “but for each other during the pandemic and the social unrest we’ve seen and experienced over the past few months.”

Many people have expressed their gratitude for the limited return to public Mass, while others have expressed “words of caution,” he said. Most people have mentioned the “tremendous work” of their priests and parishes to make Mass as safe as possible, he said.

“I love hearing about ongoing online and parking lot Masses,” he said. “It’s important for us to stay connected to each other and to the sacraments as much as we are able.”

He thanked priests and parish teams for their efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic, and then thanked “each and every one of you for following the safety protocols” recommended by Minnesota health officials. The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis adopted those protocols when limited public Masses resumed May 18, two months after Archbishop Hebda first suspended public Masses March 18 to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.

“While I realized that there are lots of opinions out there, the safest path seems to be following the recommendations of the Minnesota Department of Health and Centers for Disease Control,” he said.

“I suspect that there are very few people who enjoy wearing a mask, but our desire to work for the common good leads us to do that whenever we come together in church, much as when we go to the grocery store, the pharmacy and the many other places we visit during our day,” he added.

He continued: “It is my hope that our mask wearing and social distancing will continue to keep hospital and intensive care unit beds open for those who need emergency care. I ask you to please continue to wear a face covering to protect yourself, your family and others. It’s especially important now as we have seen infection numbers spike across the country. No one wants to see public Masses suspended again.”

He acknowledged that “wearing a Mass can be inconvenient and uncomfortable.”

“I hear that a lot and I get it,” he said. “If it is, I ask that you see it as a small sacrifice, and unite it to the suffering of so many of our sisters and brothers in the world, whether they’re battling COVID-19, hunger, homelessness or anything else.”

“We are hopeful that, by following the practices and protocols recommended by public health officials, we really can make a difference, which will keep us from moving backwards, which we can all agree is something we would like to avoid.”

He asked Catholics to pray for an end to the pandemic. “Pray for our brothers and sisters who have died from COVID-19. Pray for all who are sick, and pray for those, who often at great risk to themselves, care for them,” he added. “Thank you.”

He ended the video by invoking the prayers of “Our Lady, help of the sick.”

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