Amid the rising cases of coronavirus in the National Capital Region (NCR), a number of parishes under the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Manila have been temporarily closed.
Some priests and employees of the parishes have also been reported to have tested positive for coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
The National Shrine of St. Jude Thaddeus in Manila has been closed since Dec. 31, 2021 and will reopen on Jan. 14, said Fr. Lino E. Nicasio, SVD, parish priest and shrine rector.
The National Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Makati will also be closed to the public from Jan. 4 to 17.
"The National Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe will be closed starting Jan. 4, 2022 until Jan. 17, 2022 because one of our priests tested positive for the COVID-19 virus,” said Fr. Roderick Castro, shrine rector on their Facebook page.
Fr. Dave Concepcion, parish priest of Santa Maria Goretti Parish in Paco, Manila, meanwhile, has also announced the temporary closure of the church from Jan. 3 – 15 after two of its parish staff tested positive for coronavirus.
The St. Anthony of Padua in Singalong, Manila will also be closed from Jan. 4 and will resume until further notice while the San Roque de Sampaloc Parish will be closed from Jan. 4-7.
With the temporary closure of the parishes, the Archdiocese of Manila invites the faithful to join the Holy Masses online through the Facebook and YouTube channels of the parishes.
The Quiapo Church, earlier, announced the cancellation for the second year of the much awaited Traslacion procession of the revered Black Nazarene as well as the physical masses on Jan.9.