A Maryland Priest Opens A Drive-Thru Confessional During Coronavirus Pandemic
BOWIE, Md. (WJZ) -- Father Scott Holmer in Bowie, Maryland took a new approach when public mass was suspended by the Archdiocese of Washington DC to help stop the spread of coronavirus.
Holmer, of St. Edward the Confessor Catholic Church in Bowie, was already waiting at church for the 4 p.m. service.
"It was 10 minutes before Saturday night confessions, and I'm like, 'Well, I can't really open up the church, because then you risk infection and everyone's coming to the same confessional,'" Holmer told Bowie Patch. "And I'm wondering, 'How are we going to do this?'"
CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE:
- Coronavirus in Maryland: Latest News
- Coronavirus In Maryland: What We Know
- FULL LIST: Closings and Cancellations Around Maryland
He set up a drive-through confessional in the parking lot to administer the sacrament from a safe distance.
"Why not just do drive-thru confessions?" Holmer told Patch. "I just grabbed some cones and the usual confession sign we have to direct people to the confessional in the church, pulled out a chair and just kind of sat down."
For those who wish to remain anonymous, he even has a blindfold ready to wear.