Viewership has skyrocketed, appreciative comments are flowing in from around the world and the phone is ringing constantly in the Markham, Ont., offices of the National Catholic Broadcasting Council. It certainly isn’t business as usual.

QUEBEC CITY -- As the Quebec government tightens measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and allows only essential services, the Catholic dioceses of the province have started temporary layoffs affecting hundreds of Catholic employees and priests.

The needs of the thousands of people served by ShareLife agencies don’t go away in a time of crisis.

When Fr. Rico Passero celebrates Mass in these days of crisis, he does so with a full congregation joining him.

With widespread orders from bishops across North America and Europe to cancel public Masses including the Sunday Eucharist, some naysayers were bound to arise.

Catholic dioceses around the world are preparing for a  Holy Week of empty churches and virtual liturgies — and Easter Masses with empty pews — amid widespread global shutdowns to curb the spread of COVID-19.

After previously cancelling public celebrations of the sacraments including daily and Sunday Masses, the Archdiocese of Toronto has taken the additional step of entirely closing its churches to public access.

It has been a tough couple of weeks for the community of Attawapiskat.

The baby steps are out of the way, but no one is about to go sprinting through the next phase of re-constructing the Diocese of London.

An almost 50-per-cent decline in Mass attendance since just after the turn of the century has led the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth to take drastic measures concerning little used churches on the Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia.