Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Recent reporting on the spread of the COVID-19 “Coronavirus” gives all of us pause and reason to be concerned about our own health and the health of those around us who are most vulnerable to contracting disease. Still recovering from a different strain of influenza, I know first-hand just how much we become impacted by viral infection. Therefore, it’s natural that many parishes and pastors have been approached with concerns about what precautions can and should be implemented,  especially now that there are confirmed cases here in South Dakota. The coronavirus has already directly impacted one of our Catholic schools and parishes and is likely to affect others in the near future.