Mar 5, 2020 3 min read

The potential for the spread of the coronavirus has most affected Roman Catholic services in the area, but religious institutions of all kinds are following news from health officials in case they need to take other precautions in light of the recently discovered illness.

The Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh announced late Monday that Bishop David Zubik was temporarily suspending the administering of consecrated wine – which members of the religion believe to have transmogrified into the blood of Christ – during Eucharist. Zubik said there would be no physical contact for the Sign of Peace, which is typically exchanged as a handshake, during Mass for the time being.

At Immaculate Conception Parish in Washington, church spokeswoman Tracy Suschel said leaders have “not heard a great deal of concern, but that there has been some concern expressed” about the outbreak.

Suschel said the church is following Zubik’s directive and wanted parishioners to know it’s aware of their concerns.

“We are suspending the distribution of the Precious Blood during the Masses, and we are also suspending the Sign of Peace,” Suschel added.

Just one possible case of the communicable respiratory illness had been reported so far in Pennsylvania. That instance, which was still under investigation as of Wednesday, was reportedly in Philadelphia.

Media reports say more than 100 cases of the disease, whose scientific name is COVID-19, have been reported in the United States, mostly on the West Coast. At least 10 deaths have been confirmed in Washington state, with an 11th in California.

Globally, there have been 90,000 infections and more than 3,000 deaths from the virus.

Pastor Kelley Schanely, of First United Methodist Church in Washington, said her church’s services involve less contact than Catholics.

Worshipers take Communion, but do so with cubes of bread from a plate that they dip in grape juice. Catholics, meanwhile, receive wafers placed directly in the mouths or hands and drink sacramental wine from the same chalice.

Similarly, Schanely said the services at First UMC don’t typically include the exchange of peace by handshake.

“It’s by nature less contact,” she added.

Those who hold the plates of bread for Communion sanitized their hands before worship on Sunday, Schanely said, and people who don’t feel well should stay home from services.

“That’s not just exclusive to the coronavirus,” she said. “It’s flu season too.”

Zubik similarly urged people who feel sick not to attend Mass. He said fonts of holy water should be drained and cleaned weekly.

“I am instituting precautions that will serve as preventative steps to help our faith community, and the region as a whole, stay healthy,” Zubik said in a statement.

In Mt. Lebanon, Rabbi Mendel Rosenblum said nothing has changed so far for the Chabad of South Hills. The Jewish center was keeping an eye out for advisories from health authorities in case they issue more instructions. The only ones up until now have common-sense admonitions, like warnings about keeping one’s hands clean.

But beyond the “technical side” of the situation, Rosenblum stressed the importance of keeping one’s perspective on events.

“While you have to be smart, you have to have faith. You can’t get swept into the panic of all this,” Rosenblum said. “There’s a balance.”