CLEVELAND — Cleveland's Holy Rosary Parish has officially announced that Mass services will be held online, August 15, during the previously canceled Feast of the Assumption Festival.
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"In June, we made a difficult decision to cancel the street festival for the Feast of the Assumption," the church said in a statement to the public on Saturday, "Since that time, we have witnessed a continuing expansion of the Coronavirus contagion, causing state and local governmental and health officials to take additional restrictive actions for public health and safety."
Holy Rosary officials said that given the size of their church's congregation, they cannot condone a mass gathering of their size, or safely accommodate a typical crowd for the traditional August 15 Mass.
"We make this decision with a heavy heart" says a press release from the church, "However, we believe that the Lord calls us, as a first priority to the Gospel of Life, to take great care in protecting and safeguarding the health and well-being of all."
The annual festival celebrates the Catholic holiday of Jesus's mother Mary's assumption into heaven.