New ways to reach out

June 4, 2020

NEW WAYS TO REACH OUT The “new normal” has forced parishes and other ministries in the Diocese to find new ways of reaching out to their faithful in lockdown who miss church and the sacraments. That includes one piece of technology that is both virtual and personal: videoconferencing. Singers in the Adult Choir of Corpus Christi Parish in Chatham Township are pictured as they contribute to a recording of a hymn for a video by singing their parts at home — individual performances were then mixed together into a single song using technology.

Parishes find new ways to reach out to faithful — young and old

‘Virtual choir’ gives St. Patrick parishioners hymns of praise for livestreamed Masses

CHATHAM The sound system of St. Patrick Church here thundered with the musical majesty of the ”Hallelujah Chorus” on April 12 during the Easter Mass that was livestreamed. It was a recent recording that brought together 28 voices of singers in the parish’s Adult Choir and Youth Choir who are sheltering in place at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, into a powerful singular voice through the magic of technology.

Maggie Hanson, St. Patrick’s music minister, devised the idea of assembling a “virtual choir” so that two choirs could still have a strong presence in the church during the Easter liturgy on the holiest day of the Church’s liturgical calendar — even though they could not be physically present. Each participating choir member recorded his or her part at home and emailed it to Hanson, who used a computer to edit all the voices together into one performance.

“With this recording, our singers were appreciated and able to share something personal — their own voices — for others in the celebration of our Lord,” said Hanson, noting that the recording also enabled singers whose schedules previously prevented them from performing with the choirs to do so this Easter.

A few weeks before the Mass, Hanson recorded a “backing track” with piano and emailed it to the singers. At home, each singer listened to it through headphones and recorded a vocal part with a cell phone, laptop or tablet device — especially difficult without the benefit of hearing the entire choir. For some, it took several hours to produce an acceptable take, Hanson said.

After receiving the singers’ emailed parts, Hanson used Audacity software to put together the voices into a single choir. She edited out mistakes — flat notes and missed vocal entrances — and added reverb to give the group a fuller sound. Hanson sang and accompanied a cantor on organ during two livestreamed Easter Masses. She also hosts a gathering of Adult Choir members on Zoom videoconferencing.

Meanwhile, Robert Long, music minster of Corpus Christi Parish in Chatham Township, created a virtual choir to perform the hymn “Ubi Cartas” by Bob Hurd for a video on the faith community’s Facebook page. He recorded a backing track of his playing piano and his wife, Ann-Marie, singing a vocal to guide the participating singers of the Adult Choir and emailed it to them along with the sheet music. Then, each singer recorded his or her part at home and sent it to Matthew Cece, the parish’s computer specialist, who mixed them into one song and assembled a video from previous photos of the choir.

“The recording helped keep the singers connected to Corpus Christi,” said Long, who also hosts Zoom meetings for the Adult Choir.

A longtime Adult Choir member, Robbie Curtis told The Beacon, “The video came out great and the performance was beautiful.”

“Something has been missing [for choir members during the pandemic]. People feel that they are an integral part of the Mass. They raise the level of worship for the congregation. They are suffering vocally and socially,” said Curtis, who called the choir a “welcoming place” where she formed longtime relationships.

— Michael Wojcik

By MICHAEL WOJCIK, News Editor

POMPTON PLAINS “OK everybody, ‘Simon Says’ — make jazz hands!”

Responding to that command, 14 teenagers of Our Lady of Good Counsel (OLGC) Parish here scrambled to be the first to shake their hands and wiggle their fingers first while playing the childhood favorite on a recent Zoom videoconference. Quickly, these young people of the parish’s Living Out Our Purpose (LOOP) youth ministry learned one drawback when making “jazz hands” in Zoom: having to keep their movements close to their faces to fit in their small windows on screen. Despite the limitations, they all enjoyed playing, laughing, talking and praying together in LOOP’s two virtual meetings last month — this after having practiced weeks of mandated social isolation to help slow the spread of coronavirus.

“I loved it. I was able to reconnect and continue to share a bond with people who have the same beliefs as me,” said Nicole Jones, 18, a LOOP member, who treasured shared prayer at the end of the meetings when they called out their intensions, even if they could not hold hands in a circle as in their live meetings. “We are doing what we can [in the midst of the health crisis] to stay connected. We are grateful to have some kind of substitute [Zoom],” she said.

Welcome to the “new normal,” which has forced parishes and other ministries in the Diocese to find new ways of reaching out to their faithful in lockdown who miss church and the sacraments. That includes one piece of technology that is both virtual and personal: videoconferencing. This small-screen technology has helped some parishes keep their eyes on the bigger picture: keeping connected with their faithful and helping them stay connected to their faith and each other. Videoconferencing, which enables virtual face-to-face interaction, aids these parishes in conducting meetings with staff and various groups; sessions for Bible study, group prayer, religious education and Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA); and lively “coffee and…” gatherings with staff and parishioners.

During the LOOP meetings on Zoom, the young people had fun with a dynamic and interactive mix of games, socialization, Scripture and prayer. Members offered up prayers out loud or in a text through the GroupMe app, where they could “like” each others’ intensions. On it, Laura Shamber, OLGC youth-ministry coordinator, posted reflection questions for the young people to ponder afterward.

“With Zoom, it’s harder to interact with each other and keep any conversation going,” said Shamber. During the crisis, LOOP also kept in contact with the young people by delivering to them care packages that included items such as a letter from OLGC’s pastor, Father Darwin Lastra; collected Bible verses; and a bottle of bubbles. “Just seeing the kids again was incredible. It was good for us all to reconnect, even if it was virtual,” she said.

In Hopatcong, Manny Fernandes, a member of the evangelization team of St. Jude Parish, recently gave an interactive course on “Mary, Queen Mother of Heaven,” which featured a video followed by discussion. He said, “It was nice to see the church family again.” At the parish, the Knights of Columbus Council has been connecting through Zoom in efforts to reach out to elderly Knights and widows of Knights who are isolated. The parish’s Rosary Altar Society also has held meetings through videoconferencing, he said.

Corpus Christi Parish in Chatham Township uses Zoom for “Coffee and Community,” an interactive session after Sunday livestreamed Mass, where “staff members talk about the latest parish news, parishioners talk about how they are keeping busy and everyone prays for each other’s needs.” During the summer, Robert Long, the parish’s music minister, will lead a men’s book club to examine “Wild Man to Wise Man: Reflections on Male Spirituality” by Franciscan Father Richard Rohr. Like many other parishes, Corpus Christi also has been reaching out to parishioners online with livestreamed Adoration and videos of reflections and music by staff and parishioners, said Father Kevin Corcoran, pastor.

“We are mandated to feed people wherever they are. With this technology, we are raising the bar so we can meet them on their cell phones, laptops and tablets to tell them that God loves and cares for them and that all will be well,” Father Corcoran said.

At St. Jude the Apostle Parish in Hardyston, Father Michael Rodak, pastor, videoconferences parishioners on Wednesday nights for a 40-minute social with a goal: “to give them support and the latest news while letting them catch up with each other and say whatever they want. Some of them have been laid off or furloughed.” He also “Zooms” with youth group members and holds online meetings with group leaders in the Knights and Rosary Society.

“With this technology I want to give our parishioners who miss the parish badly the message of faith, hope and love,” said Father Rodak who also shares insights on Twitter and in daily YouTube videos.

In Florham Park, Father Charles Lana, parochial vicar of Holy Family Parish, conducted livestream presentations on “Papal Travel in the 20th Century,” “The Good Pope: St. John XXIII,” “Joseph: A Model of Virtue” and “Paul’s Final Instruction to Timothy.” Beyond the parish, Father Thomas Rekiel, Holy Family pastor and dean of Southwest Morris, conducts weekly meetings with pastors of parishes of the deanery, who offer each other support, share ideas for ministry and map out plans for the future.

“Technology has been tremendously effective. This crisis has made the Church become more mission-oriented — going out and sharing the faith — and has updated the Church for the 21st century,” Father Lana said.

At St. Vincent Martyr Parish in Madison, Jan Figenshu, pastoral associate, used Zoom to lead people in RCIA in sessions after Sunday livestreamed Mass to “break open Scriptures to see how God is revealing himself.” The parish also conducted sessions of its Alpha program, which invited people to explore the Christian faith in a welcoming and non-judgmental environment. Figenshu also offered a series about the Acts of the Apostles, while Father Krzysztof Liwarski, parochial vicar, is conducting an interactive series about the saints. Youth ministry also keeps in contact with members and youth leaders, Figenshu said.

In Rockaway, a family rosary group that meets 7 p.m. every night on Zoom gives participants a reverent environment for prayer, but not one that is always so serene. “That’s because the young children there might cause some pleasant distractions by hopping on the couch, singing to themselves or getting up really close to the camera,” said Jennifer Nelson of Sacred Heart Parish in Rockaway. Along with husband Derek, Sacred Heart’s music director, she leads the intergenerational group of 90 people from far and wide who include children, parents and grandparents.

During the 30-minute meeting, people volunteer to recite a mystery of the rosary while the other participants have their sound muted — a way to prevent everyone from getting off-rhythm when reciting it together with the sound on. They also pray to St. Michael the Archangel and St. Benedict for the protection of families and an end to the pandemic. Participants, who include priests from St. Cecilia Parish in Rockaway, can type intentions into a “chat box” on Zoom, Nelson said.

“The elderly people enjoy hearing the voices of our little ones. Priests also get to see what family life is really like by coming into our living rooms virtually. Families see that their families are just like other families with kids jumping on sofa. My kids love the rosary because they are praying with other kids and their friends — which is like watching the rosary on TV,” said Nelson, a married mother of six, ages 11 months to 13 years. The group, she said, prayed for members within the community who suffered from COVID-19 and a young father who was near death — all of whom have recovered. “Many miracles have occurred through this rosary group. We also pray for people who have passed away and are on their journey to heaven and for families that are hurting. We have the recourse of the rosary in these troubled times,” she said.

One participant, Jason Kling of St. Cecilia’s, a father of five, ages 5-17, who prays with his wife, Jenny, and their children, told The Beacon, “At the end of the session, a priest in attendance gives us a blessing. That’s so awesome for us in this time when we can’t go into a church.”