The stay-at-home order went into effect on March 30 in Maryland, and with it, our parish campus at St. John in Westminster was shut down. My heart broke as the adoration chapel, drive-in confession and other activities came to a halt, but state leaders had to act prudently in the face of a virus surrounded by so much uncertainty.
Our parish priests and staff could have resigned themselves to the sad reality of no more church services. They could have seen the stay-at-home order as an opportunity for a quiet and restful retreat.
They did not. They instead explored every avenue to keep the parish alive, and they worked harder than ever to accomplish that mission.
Seminaries do not offer courses on social media or videography, but that did not stop our priests. They incorporated new equipment and mastered social media platforms to livestream Masses and make them accessible to parishioners. I talked with one priest about the struggle to get the video and audio right in the vast space of an empty church. The high-quality videos of today are a long way from the first livestreams, with the video set in portrait mode and sideways and the audio difficult to hear. Thank you for making virtual Masses available!
As Catholics longed for communal prayer, the priests at my parish opened up their living room and welcomed the community to pray with them. Every day, they have streamed either evening prayer, the rosary, mercy chaplet, or adoration. Thank you for praying with us!
Pre-COVID, our parish had regular spiritual talks throughout the year, but with the option of in-person talks over, we had an edifying presentation on St Joseph streamed on Facebook. The talk served as a kickoff for a 33-day consecration to St Joseph, which is being done by 42 people in the parish, and many individuals, including myself, meet in weekly Zoom meetings to prepare for the consecration. Thank you for keeping us spiritually fed!
With the parish campus closed, parishioners had no way to visit Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. In a sense, Jesus was also being quarantined. Our parish leaders came up with a plan to bring Jesus to the people. Called the Emmaus Encounter, our priests and seminarian drove from home to home of parishioners with Jesus in the monstrance. They spent Sunday afternoon after Sunday afternoon carrying out this wonderful act of faith. Thank you for bringing Jesus to us!
As a society, we often thank those fighting the virus on the frontline, especially individuals in healthcare who are in contact with the sick and dying. Priests should be included in this category as they have been anointing the sick and going into hospitals and nursing homes with individuals infected with the virus. Thank you for risking your personal health to bring the sacraments to the dying.
We also hear moving stories about couples being separated during the lockdown. One spouse, for example, might have to self-quarantine away from his or her family for two weeks after being in a high-risk situation. Jesus is the bridegroom of the Church, and priests are seen as another Christ. Colloquially then, priests are said to “marry” the Church, and they have separated from their “families” during this time period. The priesthood can be a lonely and challenging lifestyle, and now, it is more than ever. Thank you for enduring this suffering for our sake.
We are beginning to reopen parishes again, and the plans to do so are complex. There are countless safety protocols that require a lot of supplies and volunteers. Every announcement is met with negative comments. Some think that there are too many rules. Others think there are too few. Yet, our priests are plugging along amidst the criticism and getting us ready for the return of public Masses. Thank you for your perseverance!
I have been angry, impatient, upset and frustrated over the past two months. I had to step back, and look at the big picture. Now, I have an immense sense of gratitude, especially for our spiritual fathers, who helped keep the flame our faith alive during this time. As I return to Mass this weekend, I don’t feel any of the negative feelings, only joy and gratitude.
