Photo by Deb Gau Social distancing barriers on pews at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church came down last week, said Rev. Tony Stubeda. As churches like Holy Redeemer are gradually getting back to more normal worship after the COVID-19 pandemic, Catholic bishops in Minnesota say they will reinstate the obligation to attend Mass in person.

MARSHALL — After a year of changes, things were starting to get back to normal at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church. The tape that had blocked off some of the pews to allow for social distancing came down last week, said Rev. Tony Stubeda, pastor at Holy Redeemer. More people were also coming back to attend Mass.

“That has been happening for a while,” ever since COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings began to lift, Stubeda said.

The return to more normal worship for Catholic churches in Minnesota is set to take another big step forward next month. On Thursday, Catholic bishops said they are now calling on Minnesotans to return to Sunday Mass in person.

While it will still take some time to adjust, some parishioners at Holy Redeemer will be happy to return to more normal worship, Stubeda said. For many people over the past year, “The isolation has been a hard thing,” he said.

Last year, as the state put restrictions on public gatherings and church services to slow the spread of COVID-19, Minnesota bishops said parishioners would not be obligated to attend Mass on Sundays.

“It was a big deal that the obligation was suspended,” Stubeda said. Gathering for the sacrament of Communion is a core part of Catholic faith. During the pandemic many churches, including Holy Redeemer, offered alternatives like livestreaming Masses when parishioners could not meet in person.

In a statement issued Thursday, the Minnesota Catholic Bishops and Diocesan Administrators said next month they will be lifting the dispensation for not attending Mass. Starting the weekend of July 3-4, Catholics in Minnesota will be obligated to attend Mass on Sundays, with some exceptions for people with underlying health risks or who are unable to physically go to church.

Stubeda said the call to come back to Mass in person could be good news for some parishioners, or hard for others who are still feeling more cautious about COVID-19. He said he liked that the bishops’ announcement did make allowances for health concerns.

“It also recognizes that there are people who are vulnerable,” Stubeda said. People who are ill, have health risks, or are caregivers for people who are sick or homebound are excused from having to attend Mass in person, the Minnesota Catholic Bishops’ statement said.

Stubeda said it has been hard for many people over the past year to have limited time together with their church community. Like other Minnesota churches, Holy Redeemer had to space people out at services to allow for social distancing. They also made changes to Communion to allow for more COVID safety, and space at Mass was limited during normally crowded holidays like Christmas and Easter.

“We’re not used to having reservations to go to church,” Stubeda said.

Some church services stopped altogether during the pandemic.

“We haven’t done a funeral lunch for more than a year,” Stubeda said.

However, as COVID restrictions are lifted, Stubeda said he anticipated more things going back to normal. By July, he anticipated Holy Redeemer could be offering funeral luncheons and choirs again.

There may still be some things that don’t go back to the way they were before COVID, Stubeda said. But he was hopeful that parishioners will be able to return to more normal worship again. Through it all, he said, “We need to be patient with each other,” he said.