Local churches keeping the faith during COVID-19 crisis

There was no one parking in front of St. Alphonsus Church during what is typically a full house on Easter Sunday. (Rich Rosentreter photos)

by Rich Rosentreter

A sign on the front door of notifies people that the church is closed.

During a time of crisis many people look to their local religious establishments to help them persevere, but it is exceptionally more challenging when they are unable to enjoy the camaraderie of actually attending church services. Such has been the case during the COVID-19 pandemic in which public gatherings have been restricted.

Last month the Diocese of Ogdensburg released a statement notifying its Catholic parishes of the news regarding the cancelation of in-person services.

“This was a difficult decision to make, and it was made knowing some of the faithful may be saddened or unhappy with the suspension of Mass and gatherings,” Bishop Terry LaValley, head of the Catholic Diocese of Ogdensburg, said in a press release. “It was also made with the hopes of ensuring the continued good health of the faithful, including our clergy. I feel we are working to protect all lives, especially the most vulnerable among us, by observing the recommendations to practice social distancing and avoid large gatherings.”

Local churches

Some local churches have been able to provide online services, while another is broadcastings its service live each Sunday via Youtube.

St. Alphonsus Catholic Church is not conducting online services, although parishioners can follow the services of other North Country Catholic churches online. For more information on these, visit the Diocese of Ogdensburg website at www.rcdony.org.

Father Douglas Decker of St. Alphonsus told the Free Press that people in parish are holding up well.

“They’re strong. We did get Diocesan guidelines how to handle it (pandemic). They pretty much gave us the word as to how we are to manage through all of this,” he said.

According the Fr. Decker, there have been private masses for the priests.

“We cannot invite the people,” he said, adding that there is a means for residents to conduct prayers. He said the parish hall has a chapel at the Holy Ghost Center on Marion Street that is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for private prayer.

Fr. Decker said not having public services is something new for everyone.

“It’s a very strange position for us and the people. We’re communities who hold services for people and now it’s no go,” he said. “People in the community have expressed their wish to come back to services, but recognize the magnitude of the situation and the need to be safe. We just have to sit it out and wait until we get the bishop’s guidelines.”

As far as offering online service if the restrictions continue for a more lengthy period of time, he said not at the moment.

“We figure there are enough opportunities for that plan,” Fr. Decker said, referring to the services provided by the Diocese of Ogdensburg.

He also said that not conducting regular services has had an impact on his daily activity.

“It does throw off the schedule because you have a routine you typically follow and now you can’t. It’s like being under house arrest,” he said.

The local priest said so far the number of visitors to the Holy Ghost chapel have been low, probably due to the fact that many residents are following the stay-at-home advisory. He said the chapel gets maybe a couple of people a day.

Despite the frustration he said he thinks most people are still in good spirits.

“I think as it goes on longer, it frustrates them,” Fr. Decker said, adding some thoughts on the pandemic crisis as he reflected on a message once given by a Montreal rabbi. “He said ‘Count your blessings and take it a day at a time.’ We’re all in the same boat and we must sit it out. God’s in charge.”

At St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Rev. A. William Cooper said the diocese has held liturgies online.

“People have really appreciated it,” he said, adding that his parishioners have also been in fine spirits. “The people are holding up well. We’ve been staying in contact with each other via the internet and telephone, that the way I’ve been checking in on people,” he said “It’s tough on them. But they’re a hearty bunch. We all look forward to getting through this.”

Rev. Cooper said he plans on a belated Easter celebration when this is all over.

“There’s not much else we can do at this point,” he said. “We do not meet in person because it’s something that we shouldn’t be doing.”

Rev. Cooper also had a message to all the residents who are impacted by the coronavirus crisis: “Keep praying and have the faith that God will get us through this.”

He added that he and the church are staying focused on maintaining the proper perspective.

“We’re trying to do the loving thing. And the loving thing to do at this point is to maintain social distances and stay at home with no human contact. We’re trying to keep in touch with the lonely ones, the elderly and the homebound,” he said. “We can’t do any physical ministry at this point.”

He said if anyone needs to talk or need words of inspiration, “They have my phone number.”

He also said people should continue to communicate with each other.

“They’re a pretty close-knit group. They have each others phones numbers,” he said.

For more information about St. Thomas’ services, visit its website at https://episcopalchurch.org/parish/st-thomas-episcopal-church-tupper-lake-ny.

Pastor David Boyea of the Tupper Lake Christian Community Church said they are offering its service online on Youtube.

“We started putting something there about three weeks ago. The first Sunday we didn’t do anything but by the second week we offered services on that, and each subsequent week,” he said.

Rev. Boyea said besides the online services, church members have been talking on the phone with each other.

“Of course in any small community church, people get to know each other quite well. There’s been a lot of conversations between people, people are not isolated, they’re still talking to one another,” he said. “Other than meeting physically things are pretty normal for us.”

So far, Rev. Boyea said the church has not faced any major challenges during the pandemic, although the primary issue has been missing out on some of their regular routines.

“Obviously we miss meeting together. At our church service on Sunday we would always have like a pot-luck lunch together. We kind of got used to getting together for an hour for lunch after the service, we miss doing that kind of stuff,” he said, adding that personally he did have one minor challenge putting together an online service.

“I guess for me, I do a sermon for Youtube, but it’s more challenging speaking to a camera than it is to an audience with faces.”

And as with the other church-goers, people are holding together.

“I think folks miss it but they look forward to going to Youtube n Sunday morning to see what we put together. I guess that will wear off in a bout three weeks but at least for now most folks haven’t really felt the impact (of isolation) yet,” Rev. Boyea said “People are looking forward to getting back to a normalcy whatever that will be in the next few months.”

One change that will come once the crisis is over is that the church plans to continue its online service.

“Since we went ahead and bought the equipment we would need to have something that looks halfway decent on Youtube, probably once we do tart meeting again we will still put our service on Youtube, just for folks who would like to see it,” he said. “We started it for one reason we will probably continue it for another reason.”

Rev. Boyea also have a message of faith and hope.

“I know as a person of faith there’s a promise in the Bible that says that God works out all things for the good for those who love him and are called for His purpose,” he said. “I know that it’s annoying right now. I know as a believer in Christ that even bad things will, in the bigger picture, things will work out. We kind of hang on that, but obviously we’d just love to see an answer to this thing for our country and for the world. I can’t help but think that there’s some kind of cure or treatment plan that they can come up with hopefully soon that people won’t have to be so afraid of catching it. Hopefully they’ll come up with something.”

“You sometimes take for granted that the next day will be just like the one before but once you see everything being canceled it’s kind of sobering. Like most people in America, whatever faith group you’re a part of, we’re praying God will rid us of this virus so we can get back to some kind of normalcy.”

Tupper Lake Christian Community Church services can be accessed by going to Youtube and looking up the church’s name.

The Reverend Rick Wilburn, pastor at the Tupper Baptist Chapel, said in recent weeks he has spent a lot of time calling his parishioners and checking on their well being. There also have been many mailings to his parishioners of the Lake St. church.

On Easter Sunday the pastor did a Facebook Live service which many members of his church enjoyed.

“I wish I could do more for everyone,” he said of his frustration.