Houston-area church warns of possible exposure to coronavirus at Ash Wednesday Mass

Google Street View of St. Cecelia Catholic Church in Houston. Google Street View of St. Cecelia Catholic Church in Houston. Photo: Google Maps Photo: Google Maps Image 1 of / 38 Caption Close Houston-area church warns of possible exposure to coronavirus at Ash Wednesday Mass 1 / 38 Back to Gallery

St. Cecilia Catholic Church near the Hedwig Village area is asking some parishioners who attended an Ash Wednesday Mass to contact the Harris County health department about possible exposure to the new coronavirus.

In an email to the congregation Friday night, church officials wrote that one of the Houston-area individuals who tested positive for the virus this week received ashes and had communion in the hand at the 5:30 pm service on Feb. 26. The individual did not receive communion from the cup.

The email said the church was informed that the individual sat in the last pew on the left side of the church.

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“If you sat in the last three rows on the left side of the church at the 5:30 pm Ash Wednesday Mass, you are asked to contact Harris County Public Health at 713-439-6000,” said the email. “We also urge anyone experiencing symptoms of the coronavirus to seek medical attention immediately.”

The email said St. Cecilia drained and sanitized the baptismal fonts, which they will not fill for the remainder of the Lenten season; sanitized pews, door handles and bathrooms; and have begun providing hand sanitizers at all church entrances.

The email asked people “unwell or uncomfortable coming to mass or in crowded places” to “please stay home and join us in prayer.”

The individual who joined in worship Ash Wednesday is one of eight people in the Houston who’ve tested positive for the virus upon returning from a trip to Egypt in February. The virus, which originated in China and has spread to more than 80 countries, can cause pneumonia-like symptoms.

todd.ackerman@chron.com