Some houses of worship are canceling all in-person services and asking people to live stream from home, others are staying open with caveats.

Ohio’s Catholic bishops announced Thursday that they are dispensing Catholics statewide from the obligation of going to Mass for the next three weekends while The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is suspending all church services worldwide until further notice.

No one is required to attend Mass the weekends of March 14-15, March 21-22 and March 28-29.

"Out of concern for the common good and the physical as well as spiritual well-being of all of the people of Ohio, we have agreed to cooperate with the governor’s direction to create ’social distance,’" according to a statement from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus.

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"As much as possible, we would like to see parish Mass schedules to remain unchanged to allow the faithful to offer worship to almighty God and receive the great grace of the sacraments during this trying time," the statement said. "However, we recognize that this may not be possible because many of our senior priests may themselves be at risk."

The diocese is also canceling all Lenten fish fries and other non-essential activities for the next three weeks, according to George Jones, director of communications for the Columbus Catholic diocese.

On Thursday afternoon, Gov. Mike DeWine announced that all schools would be closed starting Monday and that any public gatherings of more than 100 people are not permitted except for a few exceptions that included churches and other houses of worship.

Despite the exemption, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced Thursday it has temporarily suspended all worship services and public gatherings of its church members worldwide until further notice.

According to a Thursday news release, the suspension includes sacrament meetings, stake and leadership conferences; branch, ward and stake activities, and other large gatherings.

Where possible, church leaders should conduct any essential leadership meetings via technology, the release said.

Bishops should counsel with their stake president to determine how to make the sacrament available to members at least once a month, the release said.

There are several Latter-day Saints or Mormon locations in central Ohio, including the Columbus Temple that serves the 13 stakes that cover most of Ohio as well as parts of western Pennsylvania and southwestern West Virginia. The LDS has more than 62,000 members in Ohio, according to the latest information on its website.

Other Central Ohio faithful also likely won't be leaving their homes as usual to attend a local church service.

Many worshipers will instead be staying in their pajamas and turning on their televisions and starting up their computers to livestream the service they would usually attend.

Though the state has not told houses of worship not to host services, many are exercising an abundance of caution in order to not spread COVID-19.

While many churches have live streamed their services for years as an option, now it is the only option for many.

First Community Church, with two local campuses on the North and South sides, was one of the first local houses of worship to decide to cancel in-person services and worship only online, according to an email sent Wednesday to members.

It will stream live a message, music, prayers and scripture readings. The church also canceled all meetings and events until Tuesday, March 17, though both locations and the church’s food pantry will remain open.

"Senior leadership made the decision to cancel most events and meetings based on a variety of concerns," the email said. "Of primary importance is the safety and health of our members and friends ... many of our most active members are in groups considered to be more vulnerable."

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X Church, with locations in Lithopolis and Lancaster, announced Thursday that it is canceling Thursday night and weekend in-person services.

"We are going through an unprecedented time," Tim Moore, lead pastor at X Church, said in a statement. "In times of stress, struggle and uncertainty, we seek our church family and we want to be there, but we need to consider the health and safety of everyone. We found a way to share a message of hope and peace while focusing on the health of our community."

Still other churches are just encouraging people to watch from home, instead of canceling in-person services.

Short North Church is hosting its breakfast church program outside through the end of the month and asking people to watch online instead of in-person.

Congregation Tifereth Israel, a synagogue on Columbus’ near East Side, is continuing to host services and programs, but — as many other houses of worship are — is asking people to take precautions such as frequently washing their hands, not touching others, keeping a safe distance from others and staying at home to watch a live stream of services instead if vulnerable or ill.

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NOOR Islamic Cultural Center, a mosque in Hilliard, has asked people to not attend for whom prayer is not required by their religious traditions, including the old, sick, weak, women, travelers and children. They are also asking that people bring their own prayer rugs and not touch those of others.

The Rev. Jack Sullivan, Jr., director of the Ohio Council of Churches, said he still plans to attend services on Sunday, though he is being cautious.

"This virus is spreading, but it’s not going to outrun love and compassion and human dignity," he said. "We are going to make sure we live the faith."

Dispatch reporters Jennifer Smola and Max Filby contributed to this story.

dking@dispatch.com

@DanaeKing