Plum, Oakmont, Verona churches re-open after parishioner tests negative for covid-19

In-person Mass at Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh parishes in Plum, Oakmont and Verona resumed Sunday after a parishioner tested negative for the coronavirus.

Diocesan officials last week warned parishioners who attended Mass on June 22 at St. Januarius in Plum that they might have been exposed to covid-19. According to the diocese, a parishioner who attended the service had been with a relative who later tested positive for covid-19.

“We had been praying for a negative test result and were so happy to receive the news,” said the Rev. Kevin Poecking, pastor of the churches of Oakmont, Plum and Verona. “We have and will continue to follow all CDC and diocesan guidelines and state regulations. All of our church buildings have been cleaned, and we used our electrostatic sanitizer in all facilities as an extra precaution. We will continue our regular plan for Masses, with sanitizing after every service and during the day for churches that are open for prayer.”

In addition to St. Januarius, the diocese closed St. Irenaeus in Oakmont, St. John the Baptist in Plum, St. Joseph in Verona and Our Lady of Joy in Plum and began livestreaming Mass.

All scheduled weekday celebrations of Mass in each church building will continue Monday, the diocese said.