Preaching to empty pews not easy for priests: Archbishop Miller

Dozens of pastors are now livestreaming their Sunday Masses so parishioners can feel connected to the sacraments and the routines of churchgoing during the coronavirus pandemic. But while virtual liturgies help the faithful stay connected, the Archbishop of Vancouver says preaching to an empty church isn’t easy for priests.

“Being able to celebrate Mass is a blessing, but when you look out and there is nobody visibly present in the pews, there is something very contradictory in the experience,” he said in a video interview April 3.

Archbishop Miller is used to celebrating Sunday Mass with hundreds of people and the powerful melodies of choirs and organists at Holy Rosary Cathedral. Now, he preaches to empty pews.

Not being able to celebrate the sacraments in person “is a great loss” keenly felt by priests, he said in the video chat with senior director of communications Makani Marquis.

“It’s a hard period for them because they are used to interactions with people, they are used to sacramental ministry, they are used to being able to preach to people, to receive them, to offer them a helping hand. Without that, because they know they are ordained for the people, that presents … a certain amount of sadness, a sense of loss.”

That is especially true around Easter time, when pastors often celebrate multiple baptisms and confirmations along with all the celebrations of Holy Week and a renewal of their priestly promises at the Chrism Mass.

Due to government-imposed bans on gatherings over 50 people, those great events this year are being postponed or recorded in empty churches for people to participate online.

“Catholics are sacramental people and community people. We like to gather. All of the great means of grace at our disposal are sacramental. We anoint, we pour water, we lay hands, we do all of these things, and of course, that’s not really possible, or only possible to a very limited degree” right now.

He suggested parishioners can help their pastors feel less alone by praying for them or volunteering to drop off groceries and making phone calls to isolated members of the parish and otherwise keep the sense of community alive.

Another challenge pastors are facing is a drop in Sunday donations.

“Our parishes are very dependent upon the free goodwill offerings of the faithful on a regular basis and when they are not gathered together for Mass, there is not the opportunity for them to provide the week-to-week assistance to which they have been accustomed,” he said.

That “places a burden on parishes” in varying degrees.

Some parishes already have online giving options in place, but in response to the drop in Sunday giving during the pandemic, he said the Archdiocese of Vancouver has made it easier to virtually donate to one’s own parish. More information about online giving is at www.rcav.org/sunday-offering.

“It helps sustain the ministries of the individual parish.”

Some parishes, like St. Patrick’s Parish in Vancouver or St. Joseph the Worker in Richmond, have encouraged people who prefer to give their offerings in envelopes rather than online to drop them in the church mailbox.

In response to the pandemic, Project Advance has also been postponed. That annual fundraiser supports future parish and school buildings, various archdiocesan ministries, and other Church projects.

Since the COVID-19 outbreak hit Vancouver, Archbishop Miller has been releasing one video each week to keep the faithful updated. All of his videos are available on the Catholic Vancouver YouTube channel.