News - March 2020 RSS Feed

The Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee announces the cancellation of classes on campuses, for grades PreK-12, through May 1, 2020, in accordance with the directive of Governor Desantis and the Florida Department of Education.

The USCCB Office of the General Secretary has received communication from Most Reverend Christoph Pierre, Apostolic Nuncio, that the Secretariat of State of the Holy See has requested that all local Churches be informed that all members of the faithful and other Christians are invited to participate in the special prayer of the Holy Father taking place in Saint Peter’s Square on Friday, March 27, 2020. (read more)

The Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee has been notified of an active email scam targeting pastors and parishioners from someone impersonating Bishop Wack. In the fraudulent email, the imposter, mentions the email recipient by name and asks for a favor. Please be aware that this is a scam and do not respond.

Churches will suspend all public Sunday and weekday Masses beginning noon Friday, March 20, 2020, until further notice. Bishop William A. Wack, CSC dispenses Catholics from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass while this suspension remains in effect. All other regularly scheduled liturgies and gatherings in churches will be canceled as well. At this time, churches will be open for private prayer and devotion at the pastor’s discretion.

In May 2019, Pope Francis released his apostolic letter, Vos estis lux mundi (“You are the light of the world”) to address the issue of sexual abuse and bishop accountability in the global Catholic Church. Vos estis calls upon the metropolitan archbishops to undertake the responsibilities for receiving and assessing reports involving bishops that pertain to sexual abuse and related misconduct. (Read more)

The Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee announces school closures for all Catholic schools in the diocese in response to the growing COVID-19 outbreak starting March 16 through March 29, 2020.

Dear Diocesan School/Early Learning Center Families: Our principals and directors met last week and discussed the topic of the Coronavirus. In addition, there has been communication among diocesan offices within the ecclesiastical province of Florida. Please know that the diocese and schools/early learning centers are treating this virus seriously and are creating plans now on how to react in the case of local confirmed outbreaks. (read more)

Reverend Robert (Bob) Francis Morris, 85, a retired priest of the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee, passed away in the early morning of March 6, 2020, at The Haven of Our Lady of Peace in Pensacola.