CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — It has been close to two months now since Catholic churches in the Coastal Bend have had people walk through their doors.
Starting this weekend, these churches will be greeting parishioners once again.
"It was a desert I know for people," Bishop Michael Mulvey said when asked about the past two months.
After having mass live streamed to the public, the doors will be opening and like restaurants and retail, only 25% of the capacity will be let inside.
The Diocese of Corpus Christi is making major changes to how mass is operated in order to keep their congregations safe.
"We follow the directives from health authorities," Mulvey said. "We certainly will keep a six-foot distance."
And major changes will be made to how parishioners take communion.
"When they come to communion they will be spaced out like at H-E-B in a line," Mulvey said. "At this it's point it is important that people take it in their hand and the ones distributing communion will have their hands sanitized."
There will be no sharing of the cup during Mass.
Parishioners across the Coastal Bend have been longing for this return.
"We have been more so spectators instead of participants," said Kyle Nohavitza, a parishioner from Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
It is the start of a return to a sense of normalcy.
Brenda Hernandez, a cantor for St. Anthony's Catholic Church in Robstown, says she is excited, but knows that some of her friends and family remain cautious.
"They are just a little bit nervous," she said. "You know just general comments here and there."
That will be the biggest task for the Diocese as they begin to reopen in phases, keeping people safe, just like restaurants and retail that have opened in the past week.
"We certainly want to keep people safe," Mulvey said. "We also want to respect peoples' desire to come."
For more information on the safety guidelines laid out by the Diocese as well as how to watch its livestreams, you can visit their website here.