Churches react to new pandemic restrictions
Advent begins Sunday for Christian churches — a time of waiting, a time of preparation for Christmas. It's another time with cherished traditions affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
“Some rituals, like lighting the Advent wreath, will not happen,” said the Rev. John Gizler, regional vicar of the north vicariate of the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh.
But Advent will be celebrated, just in a different way.
He said normally, churches hold get-togethers during Advent that include scripture, study, spiritual discussions and speakers.
“None of those are happening in person,” Gizler said. “They would be on Zoom.”
He said the diocese will have a special Advent program on a Sunday evening in December that will include a speaker and music.
“We are just having to adapt and do everything online,” Gizler said.
The Rev. Kurt Kusserow, bishop of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod of the Lutheran Evangelical Church in America, said Advent has traditionally been celebrated by families through dinnertime devotions, lighting an Advent wreath with prayers shared among a family.
“It has long historical roots of being celebrated inside the family,” Kusserow said. “With Advent, we are not unaccustomed to celebrating at home.”
But regarding services during the current spike in COVID-19 cases, Kusserow said he has encouraged all churches in the synod to close for four weeks.
While the Catholics are continuing on with in-church services, the Lutherans and another main denomination, United Methodists, are taking a different path — counseling their congregations to restrict services to online.
Catholic diocese
Bishop David Zubik has permitted up to 50% capacity at Catholic Masses, weddings, funerals and baptisms, according to Gizler.
Gizler said Zubik gave individual parish priests the discretion on whether to administer Communion during Mass as usual or hand parishioners a Communion wafer as they exit the church.
However, social distancing in pews, the removal of hymnals and holy water, mask-wearing and limited singing during Mass are mandated by Zubik. He said bishops nationwide meet each week via Zoom to ensure the same directives are in place churchwide.
“All those (directives) could change, pending COVID-19 cases,” Gizler said.
He said handling their jobs during the coronavirus has been quite a challenge for the diocese's priest.
“I don't think any priest, minister or rabbi had classes in seminary called 'how to pastor in a pandemic,'” Gizler said.
He said priests visit parishioners in hospitals and nursing homes if the facility allows, and they try to be as safe as possible when doing so.
He said many weddings, baptisms and funerals have been postponed to avoid large gatherings, which is stressful for those who are trained to minister to those during joyful and sad events in their lives.
“It's contrary to who we are and what we are called to do every day,” Gizler said. “Everything's thrown up in the air, and it's proven to be quite a challenge.”
Butler parishes
The Rev. Kevin Fazio, administrator of five churches in Butler, said he asked a colleague if the churches could scare up enough equipment to provide livestreams of certain Masses.With just a few purchases, the Rev. Dan Waruszewski provided the technology and the savvy to livestream the 5 p.m. Saturday Masses held at St. Fidelis Parish in Butler Township.Armstrong also televises 8 a.m. Mass from St. Paul each day at that time Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. Sunday Mass is also televised on Channels 10 and 100, Fazio said.Starting this weekend, eight Masses will be held between the five churches he administers with each church allowing 20% capacity, Fazio said.To facilitate social distancing, no pews will be roped off as they were before.“All pews are available and we are letting people use their good common sense,” Fazio said of seating during Masses.Parishioners sign up online to attend Mass so those sitting near an individual who reports that they have COVID-19 can be contacted.Churches are sanitized after each Mass and only one instrumentalist and one vocalist provides the music.Still, there is risk associated with church attendance, even with all the protocols being followed.“My guess is for most people, if they are coming to church on the weekend, it's the only time throughout the week where they are stationary for 45 to 60 minutes amongst people with whom they don't live,” Fazio said, “so you've got to know you're increasing your risk.”Lutheran Evangelical“As bishop, the word is encouragement and guidance, but not directive,” Kusserow said of his recommendation to close churches in the Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod for four weeks. “It falls to each of our congregations to exercise their freedom to make that choice.”The decision came from his habit of checking the state Department of Health website every other day.“What I've found is that for most of the summer, we averaged about 500 new cases a day,” Kusserow said. “Then as October got old and tipped into November, those numbers started to go up until they were five or 10 times those numbers.”He said he published a list on the synod's website regarding which churches are offering online worship services, which many members have taken advantage of.“That leaves our congregations with something to hold onto instead of 'we're abandoning you,'” Kusserow said.Once a COVID-19 vaccine is readily available and life hopefully goes back to normal, the online services will not be eliminated, he said.“I think we are being led into a new chapter of history as a church and maybe a nation,” Kusserow said. “The way we do things in the future is not going to be the same.”He said pastors in his synod are seeing additional calls from people due to fear of contracting the virus or loneliness from isolating themselves from society.That, Kusserow said, has enhanced the creativity of pastors in tending to their flocks.“We have to reinvent how we are doing ministry and do things in ways we've never done them before,” he said. “That challenge has been welcomed by many pastors.”But he knows the strong faith of Lutherans will continue no matter how long the pandemic grinds on.“Even if the buildings are closed, the church is open for business,” Kusserow said. “The business of the church is giving people hope when it looks like all hope is gone.”United MethodistEric Park, Butler District superintendent for the United Methodist Church, said the new state restrictions rendered Monday inspired many Methodist churches to restrict services to an online format until Christmas.He provided clergy in Butler County with encouragement as they face the recent spike in cases, and counseled them on how to deal with closing the churches to prevent further spread of COVID-19.“Where there is divergence of opinions in the church about what decisions to make, always choose the most cautious option, since (that) will most likely be our best way to do no harm and to protect the most vulnerable in our midst,” Park said in the letter to his pastors.He also advised clergy of churches that will remain open that the state's new masking order — which requires all residents to wear a masks unless inside their home — will be the greatest impact on congregations.Park said in the letter that many pastors asked if the mask order applies to churches, which Park said he feels it does.Park summed up the thoughts of all clergy leaders as they deal with the pandemic.“I am trusting you to work with your leadership to make the wisest and safest decisions possible, weighing all the factors in your particular setting,” Park said.
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