Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Daytona Beach shared an open letter Pastor Philip Egitto wrote to his parents.

"We are still living in these strange "pandemic times" as I call them and it continues to fascinate me that on the news, they talk about the states that are experiencing an increase, or a decrease and those that are holding steady," Egitto said in his letter published in the church's Oct. 11 bulletin.

There are roughly 40,000 new cases being reported every single day on a nationwide scale, and we need to get that number down to zero. Florida is the third-worst for new cases, with about 2,400 every day. 

While people may not be aware of the risks of the improper use of masks, the truth is that only covering your mouth is not enough to stop the spread. 

"It appears that some people may not know the importance of covering both their nose and mouth with their face covering," Egitto said. "Also, they need to keep it on for the entire Mass." 

Individuals who say that they cannot cover their noses because they struggle to breathe are welcome to attend Mass in a digital sense from the comfort of their own home. 

"I know I run around without the mask and do my homily and the Eucharistic Prayer without it," Egitto stated. "I think I am going to keep it from now on the entire time. I would feel awful if I infected somebody! I am not being a good example, so change I must."

On the topic of voting, the pastor noted remembering that his parents did not vote, as one of them was Republican and the other Democrat.

"It probably would have been better for one to compromise and use two votes together," he said. "Hopefully, by voting for our problem area separately people will become stakeholders and be willing to get involved in the research, etc." 

Finally, All Souls Day is on Saturday, Nov. 7, at 6 p.m. at the Grotto and will be a beautiful way to celebrate all those who have passed away.