Some Churches Defy Gov. Walz’s Order, Plan to Reopen Next Week

Churches across the state have been closed since mid-March. The Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul & Minneapolis and the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod have written letters to Governor Tim Walz saying they will begin reopening as soon as the 26^th of May.

A spokesperson from Governor Walz has said that he and members of the Minnesota Department of Health plan to meet with members of the Archdiocese later this week.

In letters to Tim Walz, the church has expressed their plan to prepare for a limited return to public mass next week. This would allow for Sunday services beginning on the holiday of Pentecost. Representatives from the church say that they are not looking for special treatment, but to be treated equally alongside retail.

For St. Philip’s Catholic Church in Bemidji, that means preparing to return to services right away starting on the 26th.

While The Church has tasked its parishes to reopen, they do so as a suggestion, not a requirement. At Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, they are still considering when they will reopen, keeping both the governor’s and Church’s suggestions in mind.

When these churches do open, they will be doing so with safety precautions in mind. When opening, churches must follow sanitation protocols and limit attendance to 1/3^rd seating capacity.