Livestreamed Masses

CHATHAM TOWNSHIP  Viewers on Facebook, who tuned in for a livestreamed Mass at Corpus Christi Parish here last Sunday, watched Father Kevin Corcoran, pastor, raise the chalice during the Consecration without the church full of parishioners. Instead, he helped fill the empty church with prayers and preaching to offer Mass to a virtual congregation beyond the camera lens: faithful viewers, many of them filled with anxiety, who are heeding state-mandated orders to stay home to help combat the spread of COVID-19.

In response to directives by civil officials to limit public gatherings and by Bishop Serratelli to suspend public Masses and other public spiritual activities in the Diocese during Lent, Corpus Christi joined many parishes taking to social media and other technologies to allow their faith communities to worship from home by keeping members connected — and calm. The Diocese is asking as many parishes as possible to use livestreaming for daily and Sunday Masses.

At the 11 a.m. Mass for the Fourth Sunday of Lent, Father Corcoran gave viewers a timeless message in his homily for these tough times: “open yourself up to God, so he can transform you.”

“In this crisis, we have many opportunities to do that,” said Father Corcoran during the Mass, which also was available on Corpus Christi’s website. Father Lemmuel Camacho, parochial vicar, concelebrated the liturgy and served as lector, while pianist and cantor Elizabeth Nowik filled the empty church with hymns of praise. Father Corcoran suggested that during Lent Catholics continue viewing livestreamed Mass where now they can “spiritually receive the graces of the Eucharist, even if they can’t physically”; pray, especially now with their families; and “offer up the difficulties of the days and weeks ahead for others.”

In recent weeks, local parishes have been utilizing their websites, YouTube and social media platforms, such as Facebook, to offer the faithful — largely confined indoors — livestreamed weekday and Sunday Masses, Stations of the Cross, Eucharistic Adoration and the recitation of the Rosary. At Masses, celebrants have been reciting with the faithful The Prayer of Pope Francis for Protection and Help, as Bishop Serratelli has asked, and other prayers, such as the Act of Spiritual Communion.

“During these Masses, I try to give people hope and encouragement that we will get through this together and move forward,” Father Corcoran told The Beacon, adding that, at first, he felt “weird,” celebrating Mass in an empty church.

One Corpus Christi parishioner, Karen Kemmerer, has been watching the daily Masses, celebrated by either Father Corcoran or Father Camacho.

“It’s been a gift from God. I miss daily Mass. We can pray that people find solutions and stay healthy. I’m happy that I have my Corpus Christi Mass, even through I’m not there,” she said.

Some parishes also have been offering parishioners an extra spiritual “boost” by livestreaming short missions and presentations on religious topics by their priests, who try to pacify jittery nerves, as well as using technology to conduct religious education and spiritual formation sessions, said some pastors. Many of them have opened their churches for a few hours for Adoration, mindful of directives that people practice “social distancing,” some pastors reported.

During this crisis, parishes have been posting updates on the status of their activities and staying in contact with faithful by using technologies already familiar to most of them, such as email, calls and texts, scheduling apps, their own websites, social media and videos. While practicing “social distancing,” many parishes are reaching out to their faithful, especially the sick and the elderly, ready to assist them with any pressing needs. Through these necessary ways of outreach at this time, some parishes have found new ways of being “Church,” pastors said.

Last week, the Diocese assembled suggestions for livestreaming for parishes to follow at the diocesan website at https://chancery.rcdop.org/tech and offered the assistance of Thomas Barrett, diocesan coordinator of special projects. The Diocese has expressed a preference for livestreaming, instead of recordings, so that liturgies “can be joined together spiritually with our people at the time they are being celebrated,” said Msgr. James Mahoney, diocesan vicar general and moderator of the Curia.

In Madison, St. Vincent Martyr Parish has been offering daily Masses in the church, along with Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, the Rosary in English and Spanish and Stations of the Cross on Fridays, said Msgr. George Hundt, pastor.

“The church is empty when I celebrate Mass, but in my mind’s eye, I see where people usually sit. I feel a spiritual energy with the Holy Spirit,” said Msgr. Hundt, noting that recent renovations included provisions for technology. “At St. Vincent’s we are keeping our social distance but not our spiritual distance. In Christ, we remember people who are suffering and are on the front lines in our nation and world. This crisis has taught parishes to take a deeper dive into how technology can be of service to them,” he said.

St. Peter the Apostle Parish, Parsippany, has been live­streaming daily Masses, without music and with only the celebrating priest in the daily Mass chapel in the Church. At a Mass last week, Father Cesar Jaramillo, parochial vicar, told worshippers, “In the midst of this global crisis, we are called by God to imbue these present times with Christian charity.”

“It’s weird that parishioners aren’t there for Mass to receive the Eucharist but they are all gathered together in Christ’s name. I want to give them hope not to give into the chaos,” said Father Jaramillo, who celebrates Mass in English and Spanish.

Father David Pickens, St. Peter’s pastor, said that the crisis has encouraged “more use of social media” at the parish.

A St. Peter’s parishioner, Helen Miller, praised the online Masses, telling The Beacon, “They give me an opportunity to pray to God, asking him for many things.”

In Paterson, Father Enrique Corona, pastor of St. Agnes and St. Michael the Archangel Parishes, celebrates daily Mass and Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in Spanish — with music — in a chapel that he created for livestreaming. At night, he hosts a video program on Facebook to answer people’s questions about the faith and the pandemic.

“In my homilies, I focus on Lent but I also try to apply it to the situation — that there is pain and suffering in the world because of our infidelity to God. He is calling us to conversion. I also tell them not to panic and be filled with hope,” he said.

Mike Cervine, who had been attending daily Mass this Lent with his wife, Dot, at their home parish of St. Philip the Apostle in Clifton, wrote to The Beacon to praise Father Joseph Garbarino, pastor, and other clergy serving there for acting quickly “to put together a workable plan where daily Mass was celebrated each day online on the parish website.” St. Philip’s also livestreams Stations of the Cross, he wrote.

“The speed, resiliency and professionalism demonstrated by our parish staff is laudable and greatly appreciated,” Cervine wrote.

[Editor’s note: To find out which parishes in the Diocese are currently offering livestreamed Masses and their times, consult the parish’s website, social media pages, such as on Facebook, or other communications that they might disseminate. For help in livestreaming, parishes can contact Thomas Barrett at (973) 777-8818, ext. 231.]