[Magdalen] Diocese decisions: "re-gathering"

[Judy Fleener]

The Dioceses of Western and Eastern Michigan now share a bishop.  In
Michigan a set if 4 stages has been released by the bishops.  My parish is
examining how we will proceed.  So far it looks like we will meet in our
parish hall with chairs set up to enforce social distancing.  We will read
ante-communion with sermon.  Other plans are in process.  We will not be
singing immediately. as singing as can send viruses farther than the spoken
word. (I have been told.)  Our bishop is quite aware that parishioners in
Michigan tend toward the older side.

A friend of mine received a letter from her RC parish which among other
things encouraged people over a certain age (I didn't get the number) to
stay at home.

Judy, remembering the days when some of us did church crawls in Manhattan.
I was with Mary Jane Anderson, of blessed memory.

On Fri, May 15, 2020 at 10:47 PM Grace Cangialosi <gracecan at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Michael, I just re-read Bishop Goff's letter to make sure I had it right,
> and there is one easing of the restrictions from the original plan.
> Beginning a week from Sunday, services may again be livestreamed or
> recorded from the church with the fewest number of people possible in
> attendance i.e. Priest, videographer, musician, perhaps a reader or two.
> That's basically what the Cathedral staff has been doing. However, churches
> within the Diocese of Washington, as well as those in the Dioceses of
> Virginia and Maryland, have not been permitted to have services from their
> buildings at all. The Cathedral is not part of the Diocese of Washington;
> it is its own entity.
>
> The exception to this, and it affects me, is that clergy or layleaders over
> 65 may not do services from the church.  I have to say, I'm not happy about
> that, though I do understand the reasoning.
>
> On Fri, May 15, 2020 at 9:24 PM Mahoney, W. Michael <wmmah at stoneledge.net>
> wrote:
>
> > My reactions are rather different than those of my friend and fellow
> > parishioner, Cady.  I find it all very annoying.
> >
> > Under Bishop Goff's rule, our rector may not walk two blocks down an
> empty
> > street, enter a locked building that has been empty for a week, and
> stream
> > a prayer service from our historic and beautiful church.
> >
> > Why?  "We care about others", the Bishop says.
> >
> > Meanwhile, on the other side of the Potomac, the National Cathedral
> streams
> > Eucharists every Sunday.  The Bishop of Washington has been a celebrant
> and
> > our Presiding Bishop has delivered a sermon (albeit in his case,
> > remotely).  Surely, they care about others , too.
> >
> > The Bishop's restrictions are not necessary.  Our rector may, under the
> > Governor's orders, play golf,or go a liquor store, office supply store,
> > nursery, and food market, among other places.
> >
> > There is no inherent virtue in "staying home" other than as a way to
> avoid
> > contact with other people.
> >
> > Now we are told that our Bishop will require each of her 183 parishes to
> > submit reopening plans to her office for approval.
> >
> > Good Lord, deliver us.
> >
> >
> > Mike M
> >
> >
> >
> > On Fri, May 15, 2020 at 9:05 AM cady soukup <cadyasoukup at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> >
> > > To be clearer about the current status in DioVA:
> > >
> > > On April 8, Bishop Susan sent a letter:
> > >
> > > " After Easter Day, beginning on Easter Monday, April 13, a new
> > > sacrifice will be required of us. In light of Governor Northam’s
> > > executive order, and in the face of news that the coronavirus has not
> > > yet peaked in Virginia, we need to stay home. To this end, your
> > > bishops have determined, in consultation with the Standing Committee,
> > > that after Easter Day, clergy and lay leaders may no longer
> > > live-stream or record services from church buildings. As followers of
> > > the crucified and risen Lord, we care about others. We care about our
> > > communities, both local and global, and so we make sacrifices for
> > > their well-being. We care as well for our clergy and other leaders and
> > > want them to stay healthy so that they can offer leadership and
> > > support to congregations until the Governor’s order is lifted. We make
> > > this additional sacrifice on behalf of God’s people, particularly the
> > > most vulnerable. Because we do it for others, it is an act of love,
> > > and our sacrifices done in love draw us close to the heart of God. "
> > >
> > > Our church virtual worship has featured our rectory's garden, back
> > > deck, and living room, with safe distance practices in place. Our
> > > church has been investigating options for replacing our aging
> > > electronic organ, several organ companies have wanted to conduct site
> > > visits, they have been told they cannot visit until the church
> > > buildings are open. Our building is used by other community groups,
> > > all those events have been cancelled.
> > >
> > > We have a "Pastoral Care" team which has become our "Contact and
> > > Cherish" team (24 people!) who are reaching out to parishioners -
> > > local and non-local - by phone, postcard, and letter. They have done a
> > > wonderful job, led by a retired public school teacher. Warden and
> > > vestry meetings are by zoom. All church announcements are by email.
> > > Our annual parish meeting features reports and voting (for vestry
> > > members) by email. We are fortunate to have a predominantly
> > > internet-savvy parish, with able assistance of family members and
> > > personal phone calls for those who are not savvy.
> > >
> > > The Virginia opening today is "phase one" for all but northern
> > > Virginia (health districts) where COVID-19 cases continue to increase.
> > > Phase one still has restrictions.
> > >
> > >
> >
> https://www.governor.virginia.gov/media/governorvirginiagov/governor-of-virginia/pdf/Slide-deck-5.8.2020-Forward-Virginia-Phase-One.pdf
> > >
> > > As an older person with an autoimmune disease, who had 3 increasingly
> > > nasty viruses this past winter (what an awful winter it was!), I plan
> > > to continue to self quarantine. I am very, very lucky to be able to
> > > work full-time from home (as I have for the past 3 years).
> > >
> > > Oh dear, I had hoped this would be a short email and here I am
> > > nattering away - you'd think I missed talking to people! I do!!
> > >
> > > gentle hugs - good hopes - many prayers - Cady
> > > waiting for the hummingbirds to arrive in the wilds of Virginia
> > >
> >
>
>
> --
> Grace Cangialosi
> Ruckersville, VA
>
> *"Not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great
> love."*
> *St. Teresa of Calcutta*
>


-- 
Hope is a thing with feathers that perches in the soul.
Judy Fleener, ObJN,SSH
Western Michigan