Eight LA priests ordained in ‘historic’ liturgy pushed outdoors by pandemic
“Here we are,” Archbishop José H. Gomez said, greeting the relatively small, socially distanced gathering that had come to witness the ordination of eight men to the priesthood Saturday, Aug. 8, at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels.
In some ways, it was like any other ordination at the cathedral, with all the same prayers, blessings, and traditions common to the rite of ordination in the Catholic Church.
But of course, this would be an ordination unlike anything the Church in Los Angeles had ever seen. This was a moment that had been delayed more than two months due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Attendance was limited to 100 people, and before the Mass began, there were instructions on what, and mostly what not to do, i.e., no shaking of hands during the sign of peace, no removal of your face mask, except when it’s time to consume the Body of Christ, for which there’s an area designated with a yellow “X” to do that.