Masses will take place as scheduled in all 268 parishes;
parishioners urged to exercise caution when planning attendance

Cardinal Justin Rigali encourages prayers for the safety of everyone as Hurricane Irene approaches the east coast. Due to the extreme weather forecast for the Philadelphia region this weekend, the Cardinal is reminding parishioners in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to exercise caution as they plan for weekend Mass attendance.

Masses will be celebrated as scheduled in all 268 Archdiocesan parishes on both Saturday evening and Sunday. At the same time Cardinal Rigali asks parishioners to use their best judgment about whether it is safe for them to leave home.

If parishioners are unable to travel, they are encouraged to participate in the televised Mass in English on WPVI-TV, which airs at 5:30 a.m. on Sunday or on EWTN (program listings are available at www.ewtn.com). A Spanish language Mass airs at 6:30 a.m. on Telemundo on Sunday.

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Contact
Kenneth A. Gavin
Associate Director of Communications
215-587-3747