(WWJ) Many Metro Detroiters will be stepping back inside their houses of worship for the first time this Sunday since the pandemic began.
Religious leaders say the experience will be bittersweet—both a blessing to return to church, mosque or synagogue; but also, a stark reminder of how the pandemic has altered (at least temporarily) some of America’s most sacred traditions.
The Archdiocese of Detroit allowed in-person masses to resume at Catholic churches on Tuesday with multiple safety precautions in place, after ordering all services to move online in March.
“The Mass you may attend in the weeks ahead will look and feel quite different from the Mass you remember from two months ago,” Archbishop of Detroit Allen Vigneron wrote in an open letter.
Divine Child in Dearborn is open this Sunday.
“We’ve never been through this before, so we don’t know what to expect,” Father Matthew Hood said in a live interview on WWJ.
He said accommodating as many parishioners as possible is a priority at Divine Child, while still keeping safety in mind.
“We were thinking…. that we want to get as many people in the church as possible. We were told we can have up to 25% capacity for our church,” Pastor Matthew Hood said in a live interview on WWJ.
The church seats 375, according to Hood. The new rules mean only about 90 will be able to attend service at a time
Father Hood said an overflow mass will be held on a football field next to the church if the weather cooperates.
The CDC issued guidance for faith-based organizations recommending social distancing; requiring all people in the sanctuary to wear a mask; and changing up methods for collecting money, including a stationary donation box. The CDC also suggested limiting sharing “frequently touched materials,” including hymnals and prayer rugs.
Father Hood said all parishioners must wear a mask at Divine Child.
Priests will wear one, and sanitize their hands, before serving communion; however, they will be un-masked when delivering the sermon in the sanctuary, according to Father Hood.
Divine Child will continue to stream a Saturday mass online for church members who do not feel ready to return; or who fall into the “at risk” group, including people over 60 and those with pre-existing conditions.
The church will also limit singing, according to Father Hood.
Meantime, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said he thinks the Motor City is ready to go back to church.
“Detroiters have looked out for each other, and I’m confident our clergy and our city will continue to behave in the appropriate manner,” Duggan said during Friday’s press conference.
Archdiocese Allen Vigneron said safety will be a top priority.
“We must remember that this virus does not discriminate between gatherings; a group gathered for sacred worship is not immune by the merits of its gathering,” he wrote in the open letter.
All Catholic churches in Metro Detroit are slated to reopen by May 29. However, many other houses of worship (churches, mosques, temples and synagogues) across the area will remain online only for the time being.
Father Hood said faith is “essential” to so many.
Despite all the trepidation of navigating the changes; Father Hood said his overwhelming emotion is gratitude.
“We are so grateful that we’re no longer just saying mass to a camera and an empty church," Hood said. "It's a little depressing to see an empty church."