ERIE — Bishop Sean Rowe, leader of the Episcopal Dioceses of Northwestern Pennsylvania and Western New York, has suspended Sunday worship and other diocesan events effective immediately.

His jurisdiction includes the Erie and Buffalo metropolitan areas, including the Episcopal Church of the Ascension in Bradford and St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Olean, N.Y.

“The COVID-19 epidemic is spreading so quickly that I cannot in good conscience permit gatherings that could easily hasten the spread of the disease and contribute to the collapse of our health care system,” he wrote in a letter to the two dioceses on Friday.

Rowe said he based his advice on the best public health advice available.

“As Christians, we are obligated to care for our neighbors and the vulnerable among us, and in the circumstances now before us, we can best do that by helping to slow the spread of the virus,” he wrote.

Churches that offer food pantries and lunch programs may continue those programs under practices outlined by colleagues in the Diocese of Indianapolis, the bishop wrote.

The dioceses also canceled the joint annual service at which oils are blessed and clergy renew their vows, scheduled for March 31. “We cannot risk holding an event at which all clergy … could be exposed to the virus at once,” Rowe wrote.

“Doing our part to slow the spread of COVID-19 will require willingness to make sacrifices and to adapt quickly to changing circumstances,” he wrote.

The bishop asked churches to explore online worship following guidelines on the dioceses’ joint website, and to join him in praying for “the most vulnerable members of our congregations and communities, and for the health care workers on whom we all depend.”

The Diocese of Western New York comprises the seven westernmost counties in the state. Its offices are in Tonawanda and its cathedral in Buffalo.

The Diocese of Northwestern Pennsylvania comprises 13 counties in the northwestern quarter of Pennsylvania. Its offices and cathedral are in Erie.