New bishop presides at first maskless Mass at Saint Vincent Basilica

In yet another sign that the world is beginning to reopen from the covid-19 pandemic, Bishop Larry Kulick of the Catholic Diocese of Greensburg celebrated Mass without a mask Sunday for the first time in more than a year.

The occasion was a visit to the Saint Vincent Basilica Parish on the grounds of Saint Vincent College and Seminary in Unity.

The parish, one of the largest in the four-county Greensburg Diocese, was the most recent stop on a tour of parishes Kulick is making following his ordination and installation as bishop in February.

Kulick, a native of Leechburg, is the diocese’s sixth bishop and the first who is a native of the diocese.

He celebrated the 29th anniversary of his ordination Sunday, back where it all began at Saint Vincent. He is a graduate of both the college and the seminary.

Preaching from the pulpit of the soaring basilica, Kulick addressed about 140 socially distanced parishioners as brothers and sisters in Christ and commended them on the long history of the parish that dates to Boniface Wimmer’s decision to settle his Benedictine community there in 1790.

“With four centuries with continuity and consistency, you have indeed gone into the world. Everyone has an obligation to consecrate the world, to change it, without falling into the trappings of the world,” he said preaching on the seventh Sunday in Easter.

Although the diocese last week changed its guidelines on priests wearing masks for Mass, some restrictions remain in place.

There is no holy water in the font and no wine at communion. Parishioners also remained socially distanced and masked during the Mass, lifting their face coverings only briefly to receive the body of Christ.

The new bishop, who is trying to make a point of mingling with his flock on the tour of dioceses parishes, is already a well-known figure.

As parishioners filed out of the basilica Sunday morning, many greeted him familiarly, speaking of common acquaintances, family connections and his well-known Slovak heritage. For more than 40 minutes he offered greetings and renewed old acquaintances.

“It’s nice to see him out with the people,” said parishioner Cyndi Farkas of Latrobe as she inched forward in the greeting line.