Will County Gazette

St. Joe's Park summer picnics have been canceled this summer in an attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Father Tim Andres of St. Joe's Catholic Church recently took to Facebook, where he made the announcement that all of the picnics were canceled for the 2020 season because of the coronavirus.  

"I have been following the news, like all of you, hoping that this health crisis would have subsided by now, but that has not come to fruition," Father Andres wrote, "I have also spoken to city and diocesan leaders, our insurance carrier, and medical and infectious disease experts who recommend not going forward with our picnic season, especially since it would be almost impossible to enforce the requirements of social distancing and the need to wear a face covering in public."

In years past, the picnics have drawn thousands of people each weekend all summer long. Father Andres wrote that the decision came with "great disappointment and much sadness." He also acknowledged the financial burden cancelling the picnics place on the organizations that use the park, especially since the picnics generally are a main source of revenue for them like it is for the church. 

Father Andres went on to say the health of the picnic's patrons and the volunteers at St. Joe's Park are of the utmost importance. Andres posted the decision to cancel the picnic season was part everyone's "moral responsibility to confront this pandemic together."