How some P.E.I. churches are approaching COVID-19

Churches across P.E.I. are grappling with COVID-19 as the pandemic widens and people are being asked to keep a distance of two metres from one another. 

P.E.I.'s chief public health officer is continuing to advise Islanders to practice social distancing after the first confirmed case of COVID-19 was announced Saturday afternoon. The social distancing recommendation has provoked the closure and cancellations of many Island events, including UPEI suspending in-person classes for the rest of the semester.

Mass in Roman Catholic churches across P.E.I. will go ahead for now, says the Diocese of Charlottetown.

"We are awaiting to hear any further announcements from the government," said P.E.I. Bishop Richard Grecco. "In other provinces, they've asked that there be no groupings ... then we'd have to take further action."

On Monday, Grecco sent a letter to all the priests in the diocese, now posted on their website, outlining changes to mass. This includes limiting all physical contact, including greetings and offerings, and emptying fonts of communal holy water. 

"It's amazing how quickly things have changed since I sent the letter out just a few days ago," the bishop said.

"I think we need to address the fact that people are fearful and those people who have any symptoms should feel free to absent themselves from church, of course, and isolate themselves. I think primarily we don't want people to panic."

Grecco said that while there will be mass this weekend, they are closely following directives from the chief public health officer.

"We're announcing the precautions we're taking at mass and that the diocese will be watching this from day to day should further steps need to be taken," he said.

Park Royal United Church cancels service

Park Royal United Church in Charlottetown announced Saturday it was cancelling worship and all scheduled activities at the church on Sunday. 

"Things have escalated quickly with regards to the spread of the COVID-19 virus," the church said in an email.

"We have been in discussion with colleagues and taken into account suggestions from the Chief Public Health Office and we feel that this is the best course of action to take at the moment."

The church's leadership team plans to meet "as soon as possible" to formulate a plan for the coming days and weeks.

Services cancelled across country

After several provincial health authorities recommended limits to social gatherings, masses and religious celebrations are being cancelled across the country, including dioceses in Toronto, Montreal, and Saint John, N.B.

Both Ontario and Quebec have set gathering limits at 250 people, while New Brunswick has set their limit at 150. No such limit has been imposed on P.E.I. at this time.

Some churches including St. Paul's Anglican Church in Charlottetown, West River United Church, and Cornerstone Baptist in Montague, Stratford and Cornwall have made their own decisions to cancel Sunday services. 

Grecco said this situation is a first for him in his 11 years as the bishop on P.E.I.

"Know that it will be temporary until we get through this," he said. "I think there's an awful lot of people that I hear from who are quite anxious and a little nervous about what's going on … Panic gets us nowhere and we need to calm anxieties and fears."

We see worship as a necessity in people's life.— Rev. Douglas Rollwage

The bishop is advising churchgoers who are sick or showing symptoms to use their own judgment when deciding to attend mass.

"It's common sense — if you're not feeling well, say your prayers at home on Sunday. It's important to understand the severity of this crisis," Grecco said.

"The first law is to love your neighbour as yourself and you'd never put yourself in jeopardy, so why would you put your neighbor in jeopardy? So, keep your distance."

Different than entertainment, sporting events

Rev. Douglas Rollwage at Zion Presbyterian in Charlottetown says he's considering two things: concern for those who have been affected by the pandemic and how best to respond to various protocols and directives that are being put out in various parts of the country.

Church service will be going ahead at Zion on Sunday.

"One of the things that we're very conscious of as a worship centre and a community of faith is that the opportunity to gather for worship and for prayer is quite a bit different than gathering for an entertainment or a sporting event," said Rollwage. 

"While those are our luxuries, we see worship as a necessity in people's life."

Similar to the Charlottetown Diocese, Rollwage said they will be making changes to the service to try to eliminate physical contact. 

"We're trying to creatively come up with ways as a congregation, as a community of faith, while still being very, very conscious of and responsive to the various protocols and directives which are being set down," he said.

Zion's services are currently available on YouTube and they're looking at a live online broadcast as early as next week.

Rollwage was also a minister in Toronto during the 2003 SARS outbreak. He said accommodations were made then as well. 

"Clergy were encouraged to visit people in the hospital by telephone rather than in person, because by the nature of clergy visits where you're going from room to room and hospital to hospital, care centres, and all over the place," he said.

"I have a scheduled clergy visit tomorrow in the palliative care centre. But in terms of visiting the hospital, that's one of the things we're going to be looking at very closely."

Rollwage and the church's leadership are meeting after the service Sunday to discuss the best way forward. 

P.E.I.'s first confirmed case of COVID-19 was announced Saturday afternoon. The person was tested on March 11 after showing symptoms on the 10th.

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