Churches in the Pittsburgh area are taking steps to keep parishioners healthy in the face of a possible swine flu pandemic, church officials said.

In Catholic churches, parishioners are dispensing with the traditional passing of the peace through a handshake and opting instead for a nod or a bow. At St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church in Carnegie, Pa., pews hold small bottles of hand sanitizer along with Bibles and hymnals, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported Monday.

"Someone suggested we eliminate the (sign of) peace, but a lot of people look forward to it, especially the young people," said the Rev. Bruce Nordeen, pastor at St. John's.

Hand sanitizer stations, usually found only outside classrooms and child care areas at Congregation Beth Shalom in Squirrel Hill, are now all around the synagogue now.

Some churches stopped offering communion during flu season, but Bishop David A. Zubik left that decision up to parishioners. He reminded diocesan priests to be vigilant.

"Those uncomfortable receiving from the cup during the flu season should not feel obligated to do so," he wrote.