BUFFALO (WBEN) - "Individuals like you and me, we're just learning as we go along a little bit, and we're taking sensible precautions," said Monsignor Robert Zapfel of St. Leo the Great Church in Amherst. "That's what I think the most important thing is - just to take sensible precautions."
As increasing measures continue to stack up in hopes of slowing down the growing spread of COVID-19 in New York State, almost every aspect of everyday life has been affected in some form. Restrictions on how many people can gather for religious purposes have severely limited the scope of services.
"We certainly encourage people to come together as families to pray, and online is what we can do right now," he said. "We're keeping distances from one another but trying to keep in contact with one another as well."Streaming services are being provided as a sort of substitute for not gathering at a mass or in large numbers at a funeral, and while the change has been difficult, Zapfel believes people are really beginning to take the warnings from health officials to heart.
"What I noticed (Thursday night) when I went to the wake, is that, first of all, for a person who was very involved in the community, there was a minimal number of people at the wake," said Zapfel. "Everyone was very conscious of keeping a distance, a social distance, and I don't think I shook a single hand or gave a single hug."
"We still have to be there to respond to people who need us to care for their loved ones," said Anthony Amigone, Jr. of Amigone Funeral Homes. "Has (coronavirus) changed us? It's changed our mindset - we've instituted precautions; we've instituted all of the recommendations that the health officials have made."