St. Mary’s Cathedral in Kingston, Ont., is live-streaming Easter weekend services so their parishioners can participate while abiding by social distancing rules due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Good Friday, churches and other places of worship across Canada are typically filled with parishioners. This year, parishes are going out of their way to make sure no one misses their local church’s Easter services.
“We can’t postpone Easter. We have to celebrate it. It is a key focus of hope,” says Father Shawn Hughes of St. Mary’s Cathedral.
During one of the holiest days in the Catholic church, Father Hughes says they have been able to reach 800 people by live-streaming their church services this week. For the time being, the general public isn’t allowed in the church during the public health crises.
“Normally, if people were here, the liturgy would run two hours,” says Hughes. Since people can practise their faith from home, it will be cut short to an hour, he adds.
“I think it allows us to draw closer to God in respect because we have less distractions and we can use the time to trust and have faith,” says Stewart Langley, who avidly attends St. Mary’s cathedral.
Father Hughes says he hopes people can hold onto faith during this time of great uncertainty. “We only have the Lord to turn to and he is the source of our hope,” says Hughes.
St. Mary’s plans to live stream an Easter Vigil on Saturday and a mass on Easter Sunday through their website.