Watch: Archbishop takes to the skies over San Antonio so he 'could bless the entire city'

Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller hopped aboard an airplane to take a low-altitude flight over San Antonio on Monday, so that he "could bless the entire city" after announcing that the parishes of the Archdiocese of San Antonio would be reopened for mass next week.

The archdiocese's 170 churches, which span across 19 counties, have not held full masses for several weeks due to the coronavirus pandemic.

What are the details?

The Archdiocese of San Antonio teamed up with the Tex Hill Wing of the Commemorative Air Force for an operation called "Mission: Hope," in an effort "to inspire unity and healing," KXAN-TV reported.

At around 2:00 p.m, Archbishop Garcia-Siller set off as a passenger in a 1942 SNJ "Ole Yeller," and was flown over 30 locations at around 1,000 feet on a flyover of the city of San Antonio while offering prayer and blessings for the community.

Ahead of the flight, Tex Hill Wing executive officer Col. Darren Bond said in a statement posted to the archdiocese's Facebook page, "The aircraft is very visible, and I believe the sight of the archbishop flying overhead will be truly inspirational. We have had so much bad news lately. It's time to give people a positive sign."