On Monday, Gov. Kim Reynolds announced that religious and spiritual assemblies could resume with some limitations in 77 of Iowa’s 99 counties. On Tuesday morning, Bishop of the Sioux City Diocese, R. Walker Nickless, announced in their ongoing efforts to protect their clergy and faithful, they would continue to suspend masses within the diocese. Later Tuesday, all Iowa Bishops joined Nickless in this stance. They say the spread of COVID-19 remains a real and present danger, particularly to the elderly and vulnerable populations and many priests and parishioners fall within this group. Also, in light of the expectation that positive cases of COVID-19 will peak in Iowa in the next few weeks, the Bishops have decided it will be most prudent to continue to follow the liturgical restrictions already in place. The suspension of masses remains in effect statewide. The Bishops ask parish, school and diocesan staff to continue to minister to the faithful, and the faithful to each other, in ways other than meeting in groups. They strongly encourage parishioners to visit the websites and social media outlets of the parishes and schools to stay in touch. They will continue to monitor the situation through May and beyond. When the time comes that gatherings can be structured while still observing physical distancing, safe hygienic practices and other precautions without putting one another at risk, masses and other sacramental celebrations will resume.
