Priests, parishes, and faith-based organizations in the Los Angeles area were planning to use the days and weeks before April 1 to put the U.S. census on the collective radar of their communities.
Then, almost out of nowhere came a worldwide emergency prompted by the rapid spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), prompting the Archdiocese of Los Angeles on March 16 to suspend public Masses until at least March 29.
But that has not stopped the census, or the need to get people to participate, said Isaac Cuevas, director of Immigration and Public Affairs for the archdiocese. For the foreseeable future, the battle will move online.
