MINUS MASSES
Churches adjust to reduce risk to flock
The New York Archdiocese decision to cancel Masses over the coronavirus outbreak hit its faithful like a lightning bolt — but for some houses of worship, the show must go on.
With the city and nation on edge over COVID-19, the archdiocese — which encompasses Manhattan, Staten Island, the Bronx, Westchester and other northern counties — gave members the weekend off, adding that churches, including Manhattan’s regal St. Patrick’s Cathedral, could suspend Mass indefinitely.
Parishes will remain open for private prayer, church leaders said.
“Let us pray for all who are sick, as well as doctors, nurses, caregivers and all those working hard to combat the disease,” Timothy Cardinal Dolan said in a statement announcing the suspension. “We should also remember those whose lives have been otherwise disrupted, especially anyone who has lost income from a loss of work during this difficult time.”
A private Mass will be celebrated at St. Patrick’s and will be available on many cable systems via the Catholic Faith Network and livestreamed on the church’s website.
There was no immediate word from the Brooklyn Archdiocese over whether churches would also be closed in Brooklyn and Queens, which it oversees.
The internet has become an option for many churchgoers as the stubborn virus spreads, but for those in need of oldfashioned fellowship the doors of many churches remain open, albeit with some restrictions. Gov. Cuomo’s ban on gatherings of more than 500 people includes houses of worship, and even the faithful have had to make adjustments.
Among the churches open for business is the Flatbush-Tompkins Congregational Church in Brooklyn’s Ditmas Park. Its senior minister, the Rev. Conrad Tillard, said he is a hugger. But when it’s time to greet parishioners on Sunday, Tillard said, he will settle for a smile and a wave.
“Even in the midst of faith we have to be mindful and take precautions,” Tillard said.
Although many churches are suspending services, Tillard said that for many worshipers, that isn’t a realistic option.
“We are the last line when all other institutions have shut down,” Tillard said. “People say, ‘Why don’t you just close the church?’ But in a crisis like this we are more important than ever.”
The archdiocese’s decision to cancel its services might have come just in time. The Rev. Anthony Trufant, a Baptist minister in Brooklyn, said he attended a funeral Mass at a Catholic church last week, and was alarmed to see Communion still being administered with a single chalice.
“I was surprised,” said Trufant, pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Clinton Hill. “I thought it was not the most responsible thing to do.”
When his church doors open on Sunday, Trufant said there will be ushers in the narthex counting heads. And when it’s time for the faithful to have a friendly moment, a nod or an elbow bump will do.
“We must do everything we can to remain responsible, vigilant and proactive,” Trufant said.
“I have no intention of violating the protocol for the state of emergency.”
Larger churches like Emmanuel and the Christian Cultural Center in East New York have an advantage of being able to stream their services online to their members. They can deliver a message of hope and pass the collection plate without ever really touching it.
“Until further notice, we will not be gathering on Sundays at our Brooklyn campus,” the Christian Cultural Center’s pastor, the Rev. A.R. Bernard, said in a video message to church members.
A 10:30 a.m. service will be livestreamed, but it is not open to the public.
“This is a time to be wise, diligent and also understanding,” Bernard said. “This is a stressful time for so many families.”