Thursday, July 2, 2020
The First Re-Closing of Parishes by a Diocese
Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson:
SUSPENSION OF PUBLIC WORSHIP IS EFFECTIVE AS OF TODAY, JULY 1ST, 2020
I suspect this is only the beginning of another wave of suspensions of public worship around the country.
I think we need better solutions than these on again, off again masked Masses without much music.
I much prefer watching the Benedictines of Saint Meinrad's Archabbey (out in the middle of nowhere in Southern Indiana).
https://www.saintmeinrad.org/connect/live-video/ for live broadcasts
https://www.youtube.com/user/SaintMeinrad for past videos
Evidently they are secure in their isolation so that they can worship as a family without masks and a lot of social distancing singing all the music, etc. They broadcast Mass and Vespers each day.
I also enjoy the National Cathedral service even though they don't have anybody attending. They have excellent cantors, musicians and homilists.
Our local parishes are doing Mass with very little music. They are also doing them as videotaped rather than livestreaming. So I have basically ignored them except to occasionally fast forward through one of their recordings to see what is going on and how many are attending.
Our parishes and dioceses are really missing the boat for me by not having a high quality liturgy livestreamed.
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I'm scheduled to play the piano this Sunday at one mass. The most recent instruction I received from our music director was: instrumental-only for the Entrance, the Offertory and the recessional. Apparently, the psalm, the communion hymn and the acclamations will continue to be sung.
ReplyDeleteOur diocese, Chicago, is in a part of the country which was doing terribly during March and April. It had been doing extremely well more recently, although in the last couple of weeks, infections have started to tick up again, and the ratio of infections to tests, which had been falling for a number of weeks, has flattened out over the last two weeks. What has changed is that the state has started to open up again.
Jim, glad to hear that things have been doing better in Chicago.
DeleteSt Patrick's in New York has congregations again, but it has had Masses with singing all along and is continuing to livestream and leaving the Masses up for later viewing. Now, I suspect they got a really good deal on hymnals back around 1894, and they are still using them, so the music may seem a bit out of it.
ReplyDeleteMy parish is back, but still on line, with masked congregations singing, and the music ministers and cantors leading the singing unmasked on Sunday. But with the state setting new records in cases several times a week, I don't know how long we can keep whistling past the graveyard with our Trumpkissing governor.
I could tune in to a really nice, well-done liturgy with music (from our cathedral livestream) if I wanted to. I don't. If we watch one on tv it's one of the local parishes' where we see a few familiar faces at least. Probably heard the same homily before, but that's okay.
ReplyDeleteRight now, we are gingerly, toe in the water, wearing masks, going to actual Mass. The whole works, such as it is, could get locked down again. I hope we don't, since that would mean the virus was on the uptick here.
I guess we have to trust in the Holy Spirit, but I don't see how the church is going to come out of this whole mess except in an attenuated, diminished way. We're doing the absolute opposite of meaningful evangelization and being a community of believers, because we have to, for survival.
What was done by the parish here during the lockdown and really helped me feel part of a community of believers: not the liturgy but service: organizing phone calls to people who are alone, running errands and going to the store for vulnerable people who should not leave their homes, tutoring school-age children online, etc. It was also a form of evangelization since it put us in contact with some people in the neighborhood whom we would never have met otherwise, they really appreciated it, and now view the parish favorably.
ReplyDeleteClaire, it sounds like your parish has done a good job of keeping people connected.
DeleteHow are the number of virus cases going in your area, have they been able to reopen, in a limited way?
Bravo to your parish, Claire. We need to hear about parishes who have remembered how to celebrate the corporal acts of mercy.
DeleteYes, the strict lockdown (March 17 - May 11) brought the number of cases way way down, and since reopening on May 11, the number of cases has been low enough that by tracing, testing and isolating, the government has so far been able to keep that number of daily cases of coronavirus in France hovering around 500 per day.
DeleteWe have been celebrating Mass again since May 23. Touching wood that Mass does not cause a cluster of cases one of these days.
I watch the developments in the US with much worry. A lockdown is hard, but it would work. But it has to be done in coordination, and for long enough. I do not know how things will turn out in the US, but it will get worse before it gets better...
It's about all over except for selling the buildings and joining other denominations.
ReplyDeleteOur Episcopal parish is planning to have its first liturgy on July 19. It will be held outdoors. The email we received today
ReplyDeleteThis is a very challenging time for our congregation, but resumption does require abiding by diocesan and public health guidance/approval for outside gatherings. We anticipate both requirements may be met by Sunday, July 19.
In addition, resumption does require that each of us practices the very best in personal and community protection, including masks, social distancing, hand sanitizing/washing and electing NOT to attend, if ill. MASKS ARE MANDATORY - please wear yours.
As we regather, we will celebrate the Holy Eucharist at both 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM, weather permitting. Our worship services will be held outside - with “sanctuary” and 6’ seating locations on the “Green Top” basketball court and on the lawn of Foley Park. [The music director] has graciously agreed to provide appropriate musical selections from his keyboard, but congregational/choir singing is not possible.
While an outdoor location might be difficult for some, it is ideal from many public health aspects, including excellent fresh air circulation. You are asked to bring your own seating (lawn/beach chairs) and place them in designated (blue tape) spots. Ushers will assist you in locating a spot. If the weather is inclement, our worship services will be canceled.
Parking on the lower part of the “slope” will be reserved for those who would like to attend (in their car), as they may be unsure or uncomfortable with joining others in a group setting. Access to the church building will not be permitted, save for Children’s Church in the Murdock Room and one designated restroom in the dining room. If you do use the restroom, we ask you to sanitize any areas that you may have touched. Disinfectant spray and paper towels will be available in the restroom. Hand sanitizer will be available in several locations in the worship area.
The Eucharist will be Holy Communion of One Kind; that is, only the host will be administered (gloved hands) by the celebrant. Wine will not be administered. There will be no altar rail, so we ask that you make every effort to maintain six-foot distancing while approaching the “sanctuary” and receiving the host
Anne, I think your parish is taking a really smart approach by doing it outside.
DeleteI've done a few baptisms in recent weeks. In the normal course of things everything is done in church, but I've started greeting the families outside (the rite actually calls for greeting them at the door) and doing the first part of the rite outside. I told the pastor I thought the entire thing could be done outside, although the weather has been very hot here recently - I wouldn't wish to make the baby be in 90+ degree weather that long. But if it's a little cooler outside, I'd definitely pursue it.
Jim, heat can be a problem here also. Over 90 today. The 8 am service might become the most popular if outside on hot summer Sundays!
ReplyDeleteHow about closing them by order of the city's District Attorney?
ReplyDeletehttps://catholic-sf.org/news/san-francisco-catholic-archdiocese-surprised-by-order-to-cease-indoor-public-masses?utm_source=CSF+newsletter+subscribers&utm_campaign=f447f4180b-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_NEWS_2020-07-03&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1c1f1b429b-f447f4180b-52086369&ct=t(EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020-07-03)
San Francisco archdiocese 'surprised' by order to cease indoor, public Masses
Wow, that does seem a little extreme. Especially if they are allowing restaurants to open. Wouldn't be any politics involved, would there?
DeleteMost churches are big, high ceilinged buildings. A dozen attendees wearing masks and spaced for distancing should be safe, at least so far as anything is these days. And outdoors, with distancing should be as well. Are they allowing people on the beaches?
The story you linked also mentions a procession which supposedly flouted the rules, but then goes on to say the picture that was on social media was from a couple of years ago.
DeleteWe surrendered to COVID 19 on the glorious beaches of Memorial Day, when it stopped going away and came back in power. So I don't see what a brilliant idea holding mass gatherings outdoors can be. Six feet or masks, good, but six feet AND masks much better. But not at all is best. We are talking large gatherings.
DeleteLikewise, I won't know what it means to limit indoor gatherings to 12. I have been in some churches in town where 12 people couldn't social distance. I have been in churches in town where 12 people could exist without anyone of them being in shouting distance of all of them.
I wish I had gone to Taiwan in the beginning, when it was apparent this country was never going to get it right.
The size of the church is complicated by the air conditioning. There are some large churches with very poor air conditioning, especially if it does not exchange air with the outside.
DeleteThe outdoor situation is fine if there is social distancing and air flow. I am not sure that hot humid beaches without a breeze with people six foot apart without masks is ok. It might be the same as being in a large church without air flow and exchange with the outside.
When I lashed out intemperately above at American incompetence, I had not yet read my newspaper. I see that Florida broke its previous day's record for cases (set on the day the President of the United States sent the Vice President of the United States to Florida to tell the governor what a terrific job Florida is doing). Our new one-day record, 11,548, is only 123 short of New York's one-day record. I have every confidence we shall soon be #1. Go, Gators!
DeleteLocally, we have 16,149 cases and 555 deaths as our county of 1.4 million easily pulls away from Taiwan (pop. 48 million) at 49 cases and still seven deaths.
BTW, how is the bromance with Kim Jung Il going? And has Mexico made its first payment on the Great Wall yet?
I would distinguish between "safe" and "risk." Nothing is "safe" right now. However, some behaviors are less risky than others.
ReplyDeleteEveryone has to calculate how much risk they are willing to take to maintain their physical, mental and spiritual health. And how much risk they are willing to create for others in the event that they are asymptomatic carriers.
There is still a lot of honest debate over how much a public health event/epidemic/pandemic can or should curtail activities protected by the constitution. Given that our nation cannot agree on a) the facts about the nature of and dangers posed by covid19 or b) where covid19 cautions fit into our national priorities, that debate is messy, loud, and unproductive.
I'd be happy if the laundromat attendant would wear a mask and stop singing hymns while working. She told Raber it's her right to worship. M'okay. He'll be going to a different laundry.
"Everyone has to calculate how much risk they are willing to take to maintain their physical, mental and spiritual health. And how much risk they are willing to create for others in the event that they are asymptomatic carriers."
DeleteJean, very good point. To me it just seems like a no brainer to wear a mask, both for others and for my own sake.
Katherine, the restaurants in San Francisco were also closed for indoor dining. They are not persecuting the churches. There were three notifications for the reclosings. Most businesses got the message, and closed again, including the restaurants. The diocese feigned ignorance even though they had been notified just like the restaurants had been.
ReplyDeleteI thought the priest at a Star of the Sea was a bit over the top, practically declaring his unmasked self a martyr for the faith.
Anne, no sympathy from me for pastors trying to make a statement by not wearing a mask.
Delete