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Churches, synagogues tell congregants to stay away

3 min read
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If you attend a church, mosque or synagogue, the message this weekend will be clear: Stay away.

Most houses of worship across faith and denominational lines have closed up shop in recent days as a result of the coronavirus. At a moment when Passover is approaching for Jews and Easter is nearing for Christians, adherents to those traditions and others are being urged to watch or read sermons online and wait until officials say it is safe for large groups to gather once again.

Roy Simmons, the administrator for the Unitarian Universalist Church of the South Hills, was the only person in the office on Thursday morning, and explained that this Sunday’s sermon by the Rev. Jim Magaw would be streamed online, just as last Sunday’s was.

The subject? “Surviving Isolation.” It will offer insights on how we can “survive extended periods of isolation without going batty,” according to the church’s website.

“It’s totally a work in progress,” Simmons said. Religious education classes are being held through online meeting sites, and congregants are being urged to send email messages if they need to get in touch.

“If you’re sick, do not come here,” Simmons said.

Many churches and synagogues operate with autonomy, with decisions on operations left to clergy or governing bodies. The Beth Israel synagogue in Washington will not have services this weekend, and is making decisions on “a day-to-day basis,” according to Rabbi David Novitsky.

“It’s a complicated situation,” Novitsky said. “We don’t know everything.”

He conceded there is room within the synagogue for congregants to stand 6 to 10 feet apart, but that most of those who attend Beth Israel are older and part of the age group most vulnerable to the worst effects of the coronavirus. Judaism is “a communal tradition,” he pointed out, but that “you can always pray as an individual.”

As the severity of the coronavirus has deepened, Bishop David Zubuik has called a halt to all activities within the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh, including services and seasonal fish fries. Important rituals like funerals, weddings and baptisms are being allowed to proceed only with immediate family at hand. Churches are being kept open for private prayer, but no services are being scheduled.

In a statement, Zubik said, “During this time of unknowns, concerns about access to the sacraments have created anxiety among the faithful. We will be working to reassure people and help them with ways to live and strengthen their faith during this unprecedented time.”

Similarly, Dorsey McConnell, the Episcopal Bishop of Pittsburgh, has asked clergy and congregations to stop all in-person activities through Easter. McConnell is asking clergy to stream services online and, according to the diocese, more than a quarter of Episcopal congregations in the region have already done so, with St. David’s Episcopal Church in Peters Township and St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church in Canonsburg among them.

McConnell said, “I wish to emphasize this point: Our churches are not closing. We are continuing to do what we have always done. We are simply adapting the means by which we do these things to the needs of the present crisis.”

The “difficult decision” to cancel services this Sunday at Claysville United Methodist Church was arrived at Wednesday night, according to Rico Vespa, the church’s pastor.

“It’s an elderly congregation, and we don’t think it’s wise to expose anyone at this point,” he said. “The sad part is many people feel that church is a place you can go when there are troubles.”

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