Santa Maria churches, parishes resume indoor services following court ruling

After nearly a year of being limited to virtual and outdoor services, church and parish congregations in Santa Maria now can return to limited indoor worship following a recent Supreme Court ruling. 

The Feb. 5 decision from the nation’s highest court declared that the California Department of Public Health could not ban indoor worship on the basis of COVID-19 prevention, after months of tension and lawsuits surrounding state restrictions on indoor gatherings and the civil liberties of churchgoers.

Indoor services were previously restricted in the purple tier — the most restrictive — where most of the counties in the state still find themselves. The ruling, however, allows places of worship in all counties to resume indoor services at 25% capacity with safeguards including masks and social distancing.

At First Christian Church on South College Drive, Pastor Jim Larrabee said Sunday will mark the first indoor service since the start of the pandemic, with virtual and drive-in services also continuing to be offered to meet the preferences of all congregants. 

“This will be our first Sunday to see how that goes. We anticipate getting between 80 to 100 people [inside]. There are lot of folks in our congregation that are excited about it,” Larrabee said.  

In the sanctuary, which can hold up to 200 people at 25% capacity, congregants will be required to wear masks and socially distance, with communion and offering suspended for the time being, Larrabee said.

Although state guidelines for churches restrict singing and chanting indoors as a way to prevent airborne spread of germs, Larrabee said he won’t stop attendees from doing so.

“We have still chosen to do singing, though we do limit the number of songs and encourage mask-wearing,” he said. “Singing is something people come here to do; they don’t come here just to stand and watch.”

The Archdiocese of Los Angeles, which oversees Catholic parishes in Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles counties, shared the state’s new guidelines on Feb. 6 with local parishes. 

“Although outdoor worship is still recommended, if you intend to proceed with indoor Mass, please be sure to limit attendance to 25% of your church’s capacity, and continue to implement all your safety protocols,” the Archdiocese said in a statement. 

Daily Mass at St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church in Santa Maria has immediately moved indoors following the decision. However, English- and Spanish-language services are continuing to be livestreamed on the church’s Facebook page as well. 

“We will continue following the safety regulations of only 100 people inside,” the church said last week. 

During midday Mass on Friday, congregants could be seen spaced out in the sanctuary pews. Plans are now in place for three separate indoor Ash Wednesday services next week. 

St. Louis de Montfort Catholic Church in Santa Maria notified parishioners of rules for hand-washing and sign-in procedures prior to entering the sanctuary for daily Mass. Indoor capacity is limited to 220 people, with the St. Anthony’s Church location in Los Alamos able to accommodate 40 people at this time.

Services at the parish’s San Ramon Chapel in Sisquoc continue to be suspended for the time being, according to its website. 

This article originally ran on santamariatimes.com.