At St. James Catholic Cathedral in Orlando, the Very Rev. Miguel Gonzalez connected a recent weekly reading about the Prophet Jeremiah to the fear and frustration that many are feeling during the COVID-19 crisis. 

“Jeremiah calls on us to get to work on the challenging issues of fear and trust," Gonzalez wrote in the church bulletin. 

Many in the Orlando Diocese have objected to the order by Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings that people must wear face coverings during Mass. After consulting with legal advisors, Gonzalez told parishioners that the church has decided to adopt the recommended guidelines. 

St. James Catholic Cathedral's Very Rev. Miguel Gonzalez

“After conferral with our Diocesan attorney, churches in incorporated and unincorporated Orange County will be required to comply with the order,” Gonzalez wrote. “All parishioners must wear masks during the celebration of the Mass.”

Gonzalez told the faithful that he has appreciated the frank discussions and comments that parishioners have relayed to him.

“I am humble and grateful that many of you have expressed your feelings (anger, hope, confusion, support, sadness, love) to me during this difficult time. We are all suffering, we are in this together as a parish family.” he wrote. 

In the midst of the turbulent times that he lived in, Gonzalez wrote, Jeremiah also endured in a dangerous, threatening environment. 

“Jeremiah’s only shield is prayer," he wrote. "In it, we discover a song of trust and hope-filled confidence in God, who delivered Jeremiah from all his enemies. Like Jeremiah, we also feel defenseless, poor and weak. Our world has become a dangerous and insecure place. The threat of a small virus, called COVID-19, has created doubts and fears in our lives.” 

The Word of God is the key to surviving these times, Gonzalez wrote. 

“Filled with faith and trust in God, we are all called to do our part in confronting this destructive virus by exercising prudence and responsibility as we follow guidelines that will help us control the spread of this disease,” he wrote. “My hope is that a vaccine will soon be approved that will weaken and diminish the symptoms that have caused deep chaos and countless deaths.”