On March 13, 2020, every Catholic in the Archdiocese of Hartford was dispensed from the obligation of attending Sunday Mass by Archbishop Leonard P. Blair due to the potential danger of the coronavirus pandemic. In May, the dispensation was extended through Labor Day and then in August, the dispensation was again extended through the end of the church's liturgical year (November 28), and then extended once again until Ash Wednesday of 2021. Now, in light of the continued circumstances within the Archdiocese of Hartford and the state of Connecticut, Archbishop Blair has now extended the dispensation from the obligation to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation for all the Faithful of the Archdiocese of Hartford up to and including Sunday, May 23, which is Pentecost Sunday. The Archdiocese continues to monitor the severity of the situation surrounding the pandemic and will provide updates regarding decisions reached for the archdiocese as they are made.