Welcoming people inside St. Patrick’s Church for Mass was a breath of fresh air for Father James Hughes.
“There’s a feeling of hope that things are opening wider and wider,” said Father Hughes, who last week celebrated Mass indoors with his Vancouver congregation for the first time in over six months.
Since mid-November, places of worship have been prohibited from holding indoor religious gatherings due to B.C. government restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic, and many Catholics have lamented the loss of in-person Christmas and Easter celebrations. But May 27, officials released guidelines that allow churches and other religious sites to allow up to 50 people indoors.
The guidelines include restrictions including wearing face masks, limiting music to one soloist and five musicians (no congregational singing), and passing a “health check” to participate in a worship service. The 50-person limit includes all musicians, readers, and religious leaders.
But for many Catholic communities, it was welcome news. Despite having very little advance warning, many opened their doors for Mass by May 29.
“This past week, we were fully open – 50 people indoor – for each Mass. Registration filled up pretty quickly,” said Father Mark McGuckin of St. Joseph’s Parish in Port Moody.
He said the community had been prepared to welcome 50 people each for a few Masses May 29 and 30 on the back lawn, so when word spread that churchgoers could meet indoors, they made a quick transition. They even managed to fit in two extra Mass times that weekend for those celebrating First Communion.
“We’re nowhere near back to normal, but it’s a huge step forward,” he said.
Father Anthony Ho at St. John the Apostle Parish in Vancouver said registration for all five scheduled Masses, including one in Cantonese, also filled up quickly that weekend. It was a joy for him as he celebrated 15 years of priesthood May 30.
“I was happy to meet my parishioners and pray with them in person at Mass. It was a busy but meaningful way to celebrate my anniversary.”
While some parishes leaped on the opportunity to host in-person gatherings with two feet, others exercised a bit more caution. Father Pierre Ducharme, OFM, announced a gradual transition plan at St. Joseph the Worker in Richmond that involves phasing in indoor Masses, phasing out drive-in Communion, and keeping live streams up for the “long term.”
Father Hughes at St. Patrick’s said while outdoor drive-in Masses are consistently filling up, he will continue offering them.
All Saints Parish in Coquitlam on the other hand will not open for indoor Sunday Masses until July. Instead, for the month of June, leaders of faith formation programs will be the only ones coming to Mass on Sundays as part of a wider plan of parish renewal.
“While our pre-COVID worship was consistent and enjoyable, the Vision and Strategy Team is convinced our worship needs to be more joyful, friendly, engaging, and life-changing if it is going to make a real impact on our lives,” said a statement on the parish website.
Proposed changes include sharing faith testimonies frequently and finding new ways to engage the congregation. “The Sunday Masses in June will allow the parish disciples to explore these means of enhancing our worship.” This plan was apparently arranged before the government announced its re-opening plan.
In the meantime, All Saints will continue streaming Sunday Masses live and distributing Communion to parishioners who come by afterward.
In fact, many parishes are continuing to run live streams as limited church openings still mean most of the congregation is shut out of in-person participation. An exception is St. Edmund’s in North Vancouver, which ceased all livestreaming after the announcement.
Some parishes are using other means to allow as many people as possible to access Mass. St. Matthew’s in Surrey asked that parishioners limit themselves to two in-person Sunday Masses per month, while St. Paul’s in Richmond imposed a limit of three weekday Masses per week.
In all cases, Catholics are required to register ahead of time for Sunday Mass, though the system used differs from church to church. For weekday Masses, most parishes are using a first come, first served option, and asking participants to register at the door until the church reaches the 50-person limit.
In many cases, only registered parishioners are invited to sign up for a slot.
With churches back open, organizers of a weekly “pilgrimage” outside Holy Rosary Cathedral have called their gatherings to an end. Since churches were first closed for what was supposed to be two weeks in November, at least 100 people have gathered there every week rain or shine with signs and rosaries, praying for churches to re-open to public Masses.
“Let’s give thanks to God for answering the prayers of the pilgrimage to Holy Rosary Cathedral,” said Matthew Palmer.
“Although the pilgrimage will no longer meet each week, we know that our prayers and penances are still needed for many things. Let us carry the spirit of the pilgrimage back with us into our parish communities to support and encourage our people and priests so that our churches will never be closed again.”
For guidelines on indoor Masses, visit www.rcav.org/coronavirus. For all COVID-19 restrictions that apply in B.C., visit www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/covid-19/info/response.
Christ the Redeemer Parish shared a reminder with parishioners that the archbishop’s dispensation of the Sunday obligation is still in effect, for now.
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