Covid-19 has forced the closing of several churches in the Philippines, according to CBCP News.
Quiapo churchgoers will have to go elsewhere for the next three days as the church is given a thorough cleaning in response to the recent spike in Covid-19 cases in the country’s capital region.
The parish announced Monday that the church will be temporarily closed from Jan. 3 to Jan. 6 as a cleaning crew comes in.
Fr. Douglas Badong, Quiapo Church’s parochial vicar, said the decision was made as a preventive measure against Covid-19 transmission.
“For the moment, we will not allow devotees to go inside the church. This is the Church’s way of helping in efforts to curb transmission of the virus,” Fr. Badong said.
The priest said they will be reopening Quiapo Church on Friday, in time for the Jan. 9 Feast of the Black Nazarene.
According to him, the time will also give the church’s personnel and volunteers their much-needed rest in preparation for the upcoming feast.
Fr. Badong asked the devotees not to insist on entering the Quiapo Church during the four-day closure.
He instead urged the devotees to take the time to get vaccinated or receive booster shots against Covid-19.
In the meantime, the church official said the devotees may continue to attend Masses online.
“We are calling on everyone to join us in the Novena Masses online,” said Badong.
Another Catholic parish church in Manila has been temporarily closed after some of its personnel tested positive for the coronavirus.
The Sta. Maria Goretti Parish Church and its office in the city’s Paco district will be “totally closed” to the public from Jan. 3 until Jan. 15 to give way for the disinfection of the area.
Its parish priest, Fr David Concepcion, made the announcement Monday after two of the parish’s staff contracted Covid-19.
“For the duration of the closure, thorough disinfection and intense sanitation will be undertaken,” Fr. Concepcion said.
The Masses, he said, will continue to be live-streamed at 7:00 a.m. from Monday to Saturday and at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday on the parish’s Facebook page.
“There will be no communion outside the Mass,” the priest added.
The National Shrine of St. Jude Thaddeus earlier announced temporary closure after a priest and three of its staff also contracted Covid-19.
The shrine, which is located inside the Malacañang Palace complex, will be closed to the public until Jan. 14.
The Quiapo Church also closed its doors to the public starting on Monday amid the latest spike in Covid-19 cases in Metro Manila.
No public Masses will be held inside the church, which will undergo massive disinfection until Jan. 6.
The church will reopen on Jan. 7, two days before the feast of the Black Nazarene.
