This weekend’s Masses are canceled in New Jersey’s largest Catholic diocese and the faithful are not obliged to go to church on Sundays until further notice, Cardinal Joseph Tobin said late Thursday.

The Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Newark will also be closed next week as the state tries to combat the coronavirus pandemic, church officials said.

“The celebration of daily Mass will continue. Churches of the Archdiocese will remain open and the faithful are encouraged to pray while maintaining a prudent distance from each other,” the archdiocese said in a statement.

The decision to suspend weekend Masses will be reviewed daily and any new guidance will be announced next week.

.@CardinalJWTobin suspends weekend Masses and week of Catholic Schools in proactive response to Coronavirus (COVID-19): https://t.co/nPyKBwJM1b — Newark Archdiocese (@NwkArchdiocese) March 13, 2020

New Jersey has one of the highest percentage of Catholic residents in the nation. The Archdiocese of Newark has 1.6 million Catholics in more than 200 parishes in Bergen, Union, Hudson and Essex counties.

Gov. Phil Murphy requested Thursday that any gathering of more than 250 people be canceled, triggering a wave of canceled sporting events, theater performances and other events.

The Archdiocese of Newark is New Jersey’s largest Catholic diocese. It is has not been announced if New Jersey’s other dioceses -- Metuchen, Paterson, Trenton and Camden -- will follow Tobin’s lead and suspend weekend services.

The Diocese of Trenton announced earlier Thursday that it planned to hold weekend Masses, as scheduled. But Catholics are not obliged to go, said Bishop David M. O’Connell.

“I am granting a dispensation from the obligation to attend weekend/ Sunday Mass to all the Catholic faithful until further notice. Mass will still be offered in parishes for those who choose or who are able to attend. Otherwise, I recommend that the faithful pray and take advantage of/participate in Holy Mass that is broadcast on television,” O’Connell said for parishioners in the Trenton diocese.

In the Archdiocese of Newark, Tobin said funerals and previously scheduled celebrations such as weddings and baptisms will be permitted, but attendance should be limited to immediate family members only.

Other sacraments, including the Anointing of the Sick and Reconciliation, will remain available, as needed. Religious education classes, known as CCD, will be canceled for the week.

“Our dedicated teams continue to actively monitor the unfolding pandemic and will continue to meet daily to assess changing circumstances in order to protect the faithful and support its parishes and schools,” said Tobin. “We encourage pastors to think about necessary activities and to postpone non-essential gatherings, keeping in mind the common good.”

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Kelly Heyboer may be reached at kheyboer@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @KellyHeyboer. Find her at KellyHeyboerReporter on Facebook.