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Catholics in Upper Peninsula required to wear masks at Mass

Marquette Diocese recommended masks when Masses resumed in May

(Jessie Wardarski, Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

MARQUETTE, Mich. – Face masks are mandatory for people who attend indoor Mass in the Upper Peninsula, starting Saturday, the region's Roman Catholic bishop said.

“Though the scientific evidence on the effectiveness of face masks in limiting the spread of COVID‐19 is still inconclusive, there is sufficient evidence to judge prudently that we should wear face masks to limit the spread of the disease,” Marquette Bishop John Doerfler said.

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A mask may be uncomfortable, he said, “but it is a sacrifice that we can make out of love for each other.”

Doerfler oversees all Catholic churches in the Upper Peninsula.

The Marquette Diocese had recommended masks when Masses resumed in May. They’ve been mandatory elsewhere in many Michigan churches.

The number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Michigan has risen to 81,621 as of Saturday morning, including 6,199 deaths, state officials report.

Friday’s update includes 734 new cases and 8 additional deaths.