Buffalo, NY (WBEN) For the first time since 2019, Christians in Western New York can return to churches and fully observe Holy Week in person. For church leaders across the region it's a return to normalcy during an important part of the church calendar and larger turnout is anticipated.
Father Paul Seil of Our Lady of Perpetual Help says lot of people have stayed away from church for quite a long time. He hopes this week will change matters. "We're very hopeful that the open arms, the open doors of the church, they're opening to us and our opening to the people will will cause the crowds to come back," says Seil. He notes attendance was up on Ash Wednesday and Palm Sunday.
The week begins with a mass of the Lord's supper on Holy Thursday, followed by the washing of the feet. "The priest washes the feet of a number of people in the parish. And that's a very important part and significant part of Holy Thursday," explains Seil.
Father Seil says Good Friday follows with the commemoration of the Lord's Passion, which is a very solemn low key ceremony. "Saturday evening after sundown, the biggest mass I would say of the year would be the Easter vigil with the fire and the gathering of the people and there will be baptisms at some churches," says Seil, who notes some people call that the long mass, because there are a number of extra readings that unfold and recount the salvation history, going back to the Exodus, and then coming right up through the New Testament, the Christian scriptures and the resurrection of Christ.
Seil says he's heard of some parishioners hesitating to return to in-person services. "I have run into a few people and receive calls from people who have had some strain of the virus in the last couple of weeks, it seems like there is a bit of an uptick, although the symptoms seem to be much less severe and much less threatening," says Seil. He does encourage people to be cautious. "During the distribution of Holy Communion, we wore masks to add that extra level of concern to protection for ourselves and for others especially. But so there is that hesitancy, but there's also, you know, remedies to the hesitancy taking a little bit of space from one another, wearing masks," he explains.
There will also be precautions at OLV Basilica in Lackawanna. "We do continue to ask people that if they do not feel well, that they have a cold or COVID like symptoms, to please not come to church," says Monsignor David Lipuma, noting the obligation is still lifted for those who are infirmed in any way. He says for Holy Communion people do not have to wear a mask coming up for communion, but the priests and the Eucharistic ministers will continue to wear a mask and sanitize hands before and after communion.
Lipuma says he's excited to have parishioners return as well. "To be able to celebrate these most sacred days in our Christian world, to be helped people calm and feel safe and together publicly, is absolutely amazing," says Lipuma. He says this week 12 people will come into the church, one to be baptized, two that are coming from other faith traditions, and the rest are all being confirmed in the Catholic faith and receiving their Eucharist for the first time. He adds 6 of them have volunteered to have their feet washed on Thursday.
Lipuma says he's also excited for the return of some in-person elements. "Two weeks ago, we opened up our confessionals again before that we were only hearing confessions in the baptistry and then the Marian chapel downstairs with the six feet distance with masks and so forth," says LIpuma. On Easter Saturday, the blessing of the Easter water. "When that's done, we're going to restore the water in the baptismal font as you enter. As you enter the church, we have these beautiful life size, marble angels that hold the shell that holds the holy water," says Lipuma. He says people now are going to be able to come back into the bless themselves as they enter and exit the basilica if they feel comfortable. He notes people have been asking about when that was going to return.
Some Holy Week services will be livestreamed for those who can't be in person.
