How do you pray now? Churches, temples, mosques go virtual as coronavirus deepens
As the coronavirus crisis deepens, the faithful are increasingly not able to attend a religious service in a house of worship, where many find spiritual solace and fellowship.
Instead, the thousands who attend services at churches, temples and mosques in South Florida will have to look to their computers, as many houses of worship begin streaming their services.
Services going online
On Wednesday, the Archdiocese of Miami suspended celebrations of Mass and other liturgical events in parish churches and other sanctuaries.
Catholic leaders encouraged parishes to livestream celebrations of Mass that priests can lead.
Radio Paz, the Archdiocese’s Catholic radio station, will continue to broadcast 24/7 in Spanish, and Relevant Radio, on 880 AM and 1080 AM, will provide programming in English and Creole. Links to the services can be found on the Archdiocesan website.
“These efforts will enable the faithful to continue to remain close to the Lord and the church in this challenging time, while protecting one another and the community against COVID-19,” Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski said in a statement.
The Archdiocese has not specified when services will resume with parishioners in churches; it’s monitoring the situation with state and federal health officials.
The Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida undertook similar measures. The Right Rev. Bishop Peter Eaton made the call to not hold Sunday worship services in the diocese, which extends from Key West in Monroe County to Jensen Beach in Martin County, for at least a month.
Sermons will either be livestreamed or posted on YouTube, said the Rev. Canon John Tidy of the Episcopal Diocese.
“We’re climbing a steep learning curve as quickly as we can,” Tidy said.
The moves have disrupted parish life during Lent, the solemn period that leads to Holy Week, culminating on Easter Sunday on April 12.
“In a normal week our St. Philip’s offices would be busy right now — filled with the sounds of children laughing, teachers at the copy machine, and the phones ringing. But this week has been anything but normal as we have distanced ourselves from one another, sent students home with lessons, and canceled our Sunday worship services. Normal feels like a very long time ago,” the Rev. Mary E. Conroy said to members of St. Philip’s Episcopal Church in Coral Gables in an email Wednesday.
In the Jewish faith, Temple Beth Sholom in Miami Beach has also suspended services through March 29, about 10 days before Passover on April 8. Many temples and synagogues have done so as well.
Friday evening and Saturday morning Minyan services, as well as Shabbat services, will be livestreamed on Beth Sholom’s website with no congregants in attendance. Funerals will continue, but only the immediate family will be allowed to attend. (The same goes for funerals in the Archdiocese and Episcopal Diocese.)
“Our remote operations will continue to evolve over the coming days and weeks as we strive to best serve you in these challenging times,” Rabbi Gayle Pomerantz wrote on the temple’s website. “Wherever we may be located in the coming weeks, we look forward to creating offerings that will reaffirm your sense of belonging in the vibrant and caring Jewish home that is Temple Beth Sholom.”
Temple Beth Am, a Reform congregation in Pinecrest, had added daily virtual offerings via its website.
“Once Temple Beth Am suspended all in-person gatherings on the campus on March 13th, we became concerned that this newfound time at home could produce anxiety, and have added these new offerings so congregants could be with us every day, albeit virtually,” Senior Rabbi Jeremy Barras said in a news release.
Temple Judea in Coral Gables, another large Reform synagogue with more than 600 member families, has gone completely digital. The temple is offering live streaming worship services, daily video and adult and youth education programs, and other content on its website and Facebook page.
Not livestreaming
The Chabad of South Broward has elected not to hold virtual services. Rabbi Raphael Tennenhaus instead closed the synagogue indefinitely, instructing congregants to pray at home.
They can attend Torah classes online, via Zoom or other online platforms.
“It’s not totally no, but it’s certainly totally new that this is the only way we will give a class,” Tennenhaus said.
Mt. Zion Historic Baptist Church in Overtown also said it won’t be livestreaming, even though it has suspended services through March.
“We are not one of the churches that has been doing livestreaming in the past,” said Linda Rogers, chairman of Mt. Zion’s trustee board. “... We are not set up for it but we do have some people who are into electronics who have been working to see if they can start putting in equipment.”
The Islamic Center of Greater Miami canceled group prayers on Friday for the first time in nearly half a century.
“We don’t want to gather more than 10 people [who are] standing and lying together shoulder-to-shoulder while praying,” said Khaild Mirza, president of the Muslim Communities Association of South Florida.
Mirza says they’re hoping to begin livestreaming services on Facebook and WhatsApp over the next few days, which he believes will encourage “people to pray.”
This story was originally published March 19, 2020 at 6:00 AM.
