PHOTO BY COLLIN GALLANT - St. Barnabas Anglican Church in Medicine Hat is pictured in late March. With public gatherings like church masses heavily limited in Alberta under pandemic restrictions, houses of worship are moving services online to connect with congregations and offer solace in troubled times.
cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant
With church services and public gatherings restricted, religious leaders in Medicine Hat say their members are accepting and even thriving in new online environments, but all are praying for times they can join together again in person.
Thursday begins the culmination on Easter or Holy Week – the most important time on the Christian calendar – – the observance of the Last Supper, moving to Good Friday, and a rejoiceful celebration of rebirth on Easter Sunday, and the end of Lent.
Even in secular circles, the holiday denotes spring and a time for family to gather together.
That’s not possible during a call for isolating within households to avoid the spread of the new coronavirus, but pastors and reverends say that solace is being found and lessons can be learned.
“The first Easter was a lot different than what we’ve come to expect,” said Rev. Jeff Lackie, of St. John’s Presbyterian In Medicine Hat.
“It was a lot of people sitting in a dark room, scared to death about what would happen next. What they found was an empty tomb, and maybe we will find something wondrous as well.”
St. John’s, like many Christian churches in Medicine Hat, is now broadcasting weekly services online. The Palm Sunday sermon was titled “The Church without Walls.”
Members without internet service have been mailed weekly devotional material, and most leaders agree since routine and tradition of actions is not available, it’s time to follow rules for the greater good.
That means cancelling or postponing in-person Last Supper, Good Friday and Easter Sunday celebrations.
The season also comes with walks of the cross, the “Stations of the Cross” as well as the annual major multi-denominational community service sat the Cypress Centre, which is cancelled.
Beyond masses and services, the weekend usually includes a tea or pageant, and family gatherings for a celebration dinner. Secular and religious leaders are asking all to observe the holiday while respecting calls for social distancing.
Pastor Steve Pahl, of Hillcrest Church, said Easter Sunday typically sees the best attendance of the year, but even without choirs and a packed house, the day is special.
“We’ll keep it simple,” said Pahl. “We are trying to create that online community that serves the people.”
The Evangelical church has provided online services at usual times since mid-March and Pahl said those broadcasts have even extended into simultaneous chat programs which serve as a forum to mingle and keep in touch.
The church has also 80 groups now operating in video conferencing sessions on topics ranging from general Bible study to grief sharing and even a new prayer group related to the pandemic and economic worry.
“There is a lot of sharing and good responses,” said Pahl. “It provides a good release for a lot of that stress.”
Major religions have also announced changes, including a more solitary celebration from Vatican, which traditionally teems with crowds for Easter.
For local Catholics, the Archdiocese of Southern Alberta has announced after the indefinite suspension of holding public mass is lifted, a Mass of Thanksgiving will follow in churches throughout the province complete with oils prepared for Easter ceremonies.
Each pastor is to celebrate a private mass locally to fulfill canon law, but the bishop has dispensed parishioners’ obligations to attend Sunday mass.
