Acknowledge our grief during time of coronavirus

From Austin-

Recently, I found myself doing something unfamiliar, and unexpected: pressing “publish” on a Facebook post that felt a bit too keenly like a sermon.

Yet, as new prescriptions and restrictions keep getting broadcast by our public health officials, with regard to how we move through this new world with COVID-19 most prudently, I have been feeling more and more aware of a crucial fact about the moment we are navigating culturally.

All of us, to some degree, are in grief (and will be).

In her influential study, “Death and Dying” (1969), psychiatrist Elizabeth Kübler-Ross identified five stages of grief: Denial (avoidance, confusion, elation, shock, fear), Anger (frustration, irritation, anxiety), Depression (overwhelm, helplessness, hostility, flight), Bargaining (struggling to find meaning, reaching out to others, telling one’s story), Acceptance (exploring options, new plan in place, moving on).

We experience grief not just when we lose someone (or some thing, job, place, or community) we love, but also when we experience the loss of what we considered (and valued as) “normal.” We are experiencing such loss now — individually, in differing intensities; and collectively, culturally, even globally.

More here-

https://www.statesman.com/entertainmentlife/20200414/acknowledge-our-grief-during-time-of-coronavirus

There’s no church, but it’s still Easter and Christians are celebrating

From Channel 3000-

Bishop Michael Curry, head of the Episcopal Church, will be in two places at once this Sunday.

Thousands of Episcopalians and other Christians will see him deliver his Easter sermon from the pulpit of Washington National Cathedral at 11 a.m. He pretaped the sermon on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Curry himself will be sitting in his living room in Raleigh, North Carolina.

The effervescent preacher, who stole the ceremony at Prince Harry and Megan Markle’s wedding two years ago, may not even watch his own Easter sermon.

“I have never watched myself preach,” Curry said light-heartedly. “Maybe it’s humility, but I avoid that.”

Instead, the presiding bishop will pull out his iPad and watch another church’s service this Sunday.
It will be the first time in living memory he won’t be in church on Easter Sunday, Curry said. He’ll miss it, but said he sees a larger purpose at work.

“To love your neighbor is to love God. And one of the most loving things we can do this Sunday is not gather in a public assembly so that nobody else gets sick. It is an act of worship.”

More here-

https://www.channel3000.com/theres-no-church-but-its-still-easter-and-christians-are-celebrating/

Winner: We're losing Easter services. But we aren't losing Easter.

From Texas-

In its 1898 annual report to the diocese, St. Philip’s Episcopal Church in Little Rock, Arkansas, — an African-American church founded about a decade earlier — explained the parish’s relatively modest number of baptisms and confirmations that year: Just one each, because the “usual day for such services” was Easter and the church had no service that Easter Sunday, “on account of smallpox anticipation.”

Over the past few weeks, Christians have adapted to the Sunday shutterings of churches — this time on account of coronavirus anticipation. But being barred from church on Easter feels like another matter altogether. As an Episcopal priest who’s also an American historian, I take some comfort in precedent. This will not be the first Easter churches have closed because of epidemics. Smallpox, diphtheria, scarlet fever: They’ve all closed churches on Easter Sundays past.

More here-

https://www.news-journal.com/opinion/winner-were-losing-easter-services-but-we-arent-losing-easter/article_15a209b0-7c0d-11ea-ad7c-a37ea331f380.html

Presiding Bishop who preached at Royal Wedding offers hope for churchgoers during COVID-19 pandemic

From North Carolina-

The bishop gave his perspective on processing an Easter with no family gatherings and no going to church. Curry likened the feeling to the first Easter: Jesus executed; his followers uncertain where God was; then the miracle of resurrection.

"Easter was about a tragedy that was turned into a triumph; about God working behind the scenes, invisibly, in ways that people didn't know," Curry said. "And if we work together with our God and together with each other we will find our way forward."

Curry gained global fame two years ago for his passion-filled sermon at Prince Harry and Megan's wedding. On Easter Sunday he is set to deliver the sermon at Washington's National Cathedral. But, because of COVID-19, Curry has already recorded it -- on his iPhone to be streamed live Sunday morning.

"So I'll be home, sitting in front of a computer screen, watching the service like everybody else by livestream," Curry said.

More here-

https://abc11.com/presiding-bishop-of-the-episcopal-church-michael-curry-nc-coronavirus-covid-19/6093944/

Idaho Episcopal Bishop On Keeping The Faith During Pandemic: 'We've Never Been Alone'

From Idaho-

As Christians around the world prepare to mark the holiest day on the Christian calendar, many will be worshiping under a shelter-in-place edict. As a result, faith leaders are planning to share an Easter message unlike any other, in the shadow of COVID-19.

"I'm hesitant to say that it's all going to be okay because it might not be for some people; but it can be holy," said Rev. Brian Thom, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Idaho. "It's a time when God may not be more accessible, but we can more aware."

Thom visited with Morning Edition host George Prentice to share stories of sorrow, sacrifice and hope.

More here-

https://www.boisestatepublicradio.org/post/idaho-episcopal-bishop-keeping-faith-during-pandemic-weve-never-been-alone#stream/0

The Easter of Empty Churches

From Atlantic-

In April of 2019—exactly a year ago next week—flames shot through the roof of Paris’s Notre-Dame cathedral. Before long, the dread became the reality—there would be no Easter at Notre-Dame.
We could hardly have imagined there would be no Easter anywhere in Europe a year later.

The cathedral I serve, the American Cathedral in Paris, has been closed for three weeks now. It will likely be closed until the end of the month. But when we were forced to shut the gates by order of the government, we were hardly alone. This is the Easter of empty churches.

All churches, not just our churches, have been closed throughout Western Europe—the place where Christianity made its Faustian bargain, evolving from a small gathering of socially marginal believers to a dominant civilizational force.

The late Yale historian Jaroslav Pelikan wrote that, during the past 2,000 years, nothing had more forcefully brought forward the fundamental assumptions of each epoch in Western history than “the attempt to come to terms with the meaning of the figure of Jesus of Nazareth.” This, in a simple phrase, is the essence of Easter; on it hangs not hollow claims of privilege or longing for past grandeur, but the central idea of Christianity. But when the doors of the churches are barred, does any compulsion to make sense of Jesus’s story remain?

More here-

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/04/easter-empty-churches/609694/?fbclid=IwAR3O5LgB3Bzfci1jRCBfJD2u6JIw9VgQiztuctrl6bTu0uQ_VWtcuWB6Xww

Seminaries launch ‘Dial-a-Priest’ to give prayers, last rites to patients so they don't feel alone

From Christian Post-

A pair of Episcopal Church seminaries have launched a hotline in which clergy can give prayers and last rites to people in the hospital over the phone, namely for coronavirus patients for whom access might be limited because of social distancing. 

Virginia Theological Seminary and General Theological Seminary launched “Dial-A-Priest” on Tuesday through their joint project, the TryTank Experimental Lab.

The Rev. Lorenzo Lebrija, director of TryTank, told The Christian Post that he believed the coronavirus pandemic “has brought out in many of us the deep desire to want to help.”

“When a call comes in, it rings at the same time to all of the volunteers currently logged into the system,” explained Lebrija, who noted that at present “Dial-A-Priest” had around 100 volunteers “on the system,” plus 70 who were on a wait list.

More here-

https://www.christianpost.com/news/seminaries-launch-dial-a-priest-to-give-prayers-last-rites-to-patients-so-they-dont-feel-alone.html

I Dare Police To Stop Me – Anglican Archbishop Says As He Holds Church Service Amid Lockdown

From Nigeria-

Archbishop of the Enugu Province and Bishop of Enugu Anglican Diocese, Most Rev. Emmanuel Chukwuma, yesterday, said the Province will not shut any of its branches over the Coronavirus pandemic.

He said shutting the church at a time like this would mean giving the devil an opportunity to ravage the people and the country, Sun News reports.

Chukwuma faulted the order of government to close churches and places of worship. He said it is unfortunate and wrong to categorise church and worship centres with drinking parlours, night clubs, markets and companies.

The cleric said he would not shut the churches because he is not the owner, as the church belongs to Jesus Christ, adding that if people were stopped from “running to their God in worship in a time like now the whole world is in confusion, where would they run to for safety, help and deliverance?”

More here-

https://sundiatapost.com/i-dare-police-to-stop-me-anglican-archbishop-says-as-he-holds-church-service-amid-lockdown/

Members desert Anglican, Catholic churches ahead of Easter

From Nigeria-

Members of Anglican and Catholic and Anglican churches in Anambra State are deserting their worship places ahead of the Easter period due to the ravaging threat of Coronavirus otherwise called COVID-19.

The churches shut their doors to their members last Sunday and resorted to Facebook and Anambra Broadcasting Service (ABS) radio broadcast to preach their sermons and directed their adherents to hook on to social media networks and on-air platforms.

At Our Saviour’s Anglican Church, Awka, where Palm Sunday Service was held to mark the final week of Lent and herald Easter Sunday, Archbishop of the Province on the Niger, Alexandar Ibezim defended the worshipers’ action, saying the Church asked them to stay away from service in line with government’s directives.

More here-

https://guardian.ng/news/members-desert-anglican-catholic-churches-ahead-of-easter/

COVID-19 takes its toll on pastoral care

From Connecticut-

For many, the practice of religion is centered around a sense of community. COVID-19 has ripped that away from mosques on Fridays, temples on Saturdays and Christian churches on Sundays, with services going online in some form for the time being.

But there’s another aspect to the practice of religion that has taken on a different form lately: pastoral care. These days, clergy either aren’t visiting their parishioners in their homes or at hospitals or are doing it on only an emergency basis.

“Part of why so many of us wanted to be ordained clergy is because we love the personal connections,” said the Rev. Tuesday Rupp, pastor of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Woodbury. “For me, I experience my faith and relationship to God largely in my relationships with other people. It is really, really difficult right now in a lot of ways.”

More here-

 https://www.rep-am.com/local/localnews/2020/04/06/in-addition-to-communal-worship-covid-19-takes-its-toll-on-pastoral-care/

Montana church leaders adjusting to COVID-19 impacts

From Montana-

The pews at Montana churches are usually filled with faithful during Holy Week, but COVID-19 concerns have made religious leaders rethink the way they deliver messages.

"We’ve been using every technological means possible," said Bishop Laurie Jungling of the Montana Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America.

From live-streaming services to meeting with other churches over the Internet, Covid -19 is not slowing religious leaders down.

"Strangely it may be the busiest I’ve ever been," said Bishop Michael Warfel of the Catholic Diocese of Great Falls-Billings.

Episcopal Bishop Marty Stebbins was ordained in December 2019. Previously she worked as a veterinarian with a specialty in epidemiology and infectious disease. She was preparing for high tech worship before Coronavirus came to Big Sky Country.

"When we started having cases near Montana I had a discussion with the clergy about starting to practice virtual services," said Bishop Stebbins.

More here-

https://www.krtv.com/news/local-news/great-falls-news/montana-church-leaders-adjusting-to-coronavirus-impacts

Thank you, drive through, amen; Lebanon church offers unusual Palm Sunday service due to coronavirus

From Oregon-

Florence Christ drove into the parking lot at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Lebanon and rolled down her car window. “Are we your first customers?” she asked.

Her husband Kenneth Christ, in the passenger seat, leaned forward to peek around her and get a better look at the makeshift altar on the sidewalk by the house of worship.

Priests and church leaders were gathered outside. The church organist Ray Hendricks also was there, playing hymns on an electronic keyboard, safe from clouds under a sky blue pop-up canopy.

After exchanging pleasantries, Rev. A.J. Buckley, clad in a surgical-style mask and gloves, used a grabber tool to pick up a plastic bag that included a palm frond folded in the shape of a cross, as well as the church bulletin and Bible readings for the day. Mindful of keeping six feet away, Buckley used the grabber to transfer the items into the car.

More here-

https://lebanon-express.com/news/local/thank-you-drive-through-amen-lebanon-church-offers-unusual-palm-sunday-service-due-to-coronavirus/article_b4b0b2fd-4282-5ad9-a263-051b5da0b2f6.html

Churches connect for Holy Week during time of pandemic

From New Hampshire-

Heading into Holy Week churches are deploying various means to keep their congregations connected to each other, and God.

“Even though we are really isolated we are being really intentional about being connected,” said Rev. Elsa Worth pastor of St. James Episcopal Church in Keene.

People are in need and really looking for some sort of spiritual connection, Worth said. Her church’s approach has not been on worship services so much as on shepherding the flock, she said.

“A little bit more pastoral and addressing people’s anxiety,” she said. “It’s a terrible time and people are having a terrible time emotionally. … It’s a time of lament and we’re not used to lament. … This is hard, people are dying all over the world and we have systems that are not addressing this that well.”

More here-

https://www.concordmonitor.com/Churches-across-the-state-grapple-with-season-of-exile-ahead-of-holy-week-33721478

NYC church has a unique way of lifting the city’s spirits

From New York (with video)-

It’s music to anxious New Yorkers’ ears.

Although St. George’s Episcopal in Gramercy Park closed its doors three weeks ago in the wake of the coronavirus, the church is still lifting the spirits of the neighborhood with pealing chimes.

“Church bells are historically rung to call people to prayer, in times of celebration, and in times of sadness,” Reverend Jacob Andrew Smith told The Post. “We wanted to specifically play some comforting songs that reminded us [of hope] during sadness. We’re tapping into the tradition to ring the bells during a tragedy — I would say we’re in a time of tragedy.”

So every day — at 9am, 10am, 3pm and 6pm — electronic bells ring out songs of comfort, including traditional hymns.

More here-

https://nypost.com/2020/04/04/nyc-church-has-a-unique-way-of-lifting-the-citys-spirits/

Wyoming churches begin receiving Episcopal foundation donations for COVID-19 relief

From Wyoming-

Two weeks after pledging $1 million to the state’s Episcopal churches in support of relief for those negatively impacted by COVID-19, The Foundation for the Episcopal Diocese of Wyoming has mailed $460,000 of that grant to the 46 Episcopal churches in Wyoming. As needs evolve in the coming weeks and months, the remaining $540,000 of the initial grant, as well as any additional contributions to the fund will be allocated.

In Glenrock, The Rev. Leigh Earle of Christ Episcopal Church said many will have input into how its $10,000 is used in the community.

“We have asked our elected vestry and our outreach committee to vote on it, but we want the whole congregation to pray during Holy Week about what they think we ought to do,” Earle said Friday. “Right now, we hope to set up a Zoom meeting with the vestry and the outreach committee on Monday, April 13, to discuss it and vote, so that everybody in our congregation has the opportunity to tell us what they want to do.”

More here-

https://www.bluemountaineagle.com/life/national/wyoming-churches-begin-receiving-episcopal-foundation-donations-for-covid-19-relief/article_4b7ef7b3-d5ec-5e2c-a624-ec93929a0634.html

Fort Worth rector beats coronavirus after a two-week battle

From Ft. Worth-

As he sat in an isolation room at a hospital in Fort Worth, the Rev. Robert Pace felt humbled.

Days earlier, he thought he had the flu. His body ached and he woke up with a deep cough and fever. 

He visited his doctor, who sent him home with a Tamiflu prescription and directions to keep hydrated. Soon, his fever went away. He led the Lenten program at Trinity Episcopal Church of Fort Worth on March 4, but made sure to stay out of close contact with worshipers. He didn’t shake their hands.

But then the fever returned and suddenly it got harder to breathe, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He skipped church that Sunday. Then his friends started to call him.

“Did you see someone at that conference you went to tested positive for COVID-19?” they asked.

More here-

 https://www.tdtnews.com/news/coronavirus/article_b64cc12e-75a6-11ea-8dda-33e55700ae00.html

Houses of worship classified as essential, many taking action to assure safety comes first

From South West Florida-

“Some have gone virtual, some have had people, but they’ve been spread out far enough. I mean you guys are spread out here in this press conference, there’s no reason why you couldn’t do a church service with people 10 feet apart. So, we definitely ask they to absolutely abide by the social distancing guidelines,” said Governor DeSantis during a press conference Thursday afternoon.

Foundation Church in Englewood announced on their Facebook they'll be meeting in person for worship this Sunday because “they’re no longer slaves of fear.” 

ABC 7 reached out to the Foundation Church leaders to inquire about how they’ll practice social distancing come Sunday at their service, but we haven’t heard back yet. 

Others, like a priest in the Diocese of the Episcopal Church says he decided to make the shift to digital beginning this week because his parish is largely senior citizens. 

"I think we all enjoy our first amendment liberties but with rights come responsibility. I think we need to do our part in making sure we don't overload our medical system and the doctors and nurses who are working very hard,” said Episcopal Diocese of southwest Florida, Rev. Matthew Grunfeld. 

More here-

https://www.mysuncoast.com/2020/04/04/houses-worship-classified-essential-many-taking-action-assure-safety-comes-first/

Rabbi and bishop offer messages of hope as holy season nears

Video from "Today"-

With Holy Week and Passover just days away, Rabbi Shai Held of the Hadar Institute and Rev. Michael Curry, presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, join TODAY. “We can navigate through tough times by holding onto God’s hand and holding on to each other’s hands – at a respectful social distance,” Bishop Curry says. Rabbi Held says to “get on the computer” to connect with loved ones: “We still have the capacity to reach out and show love for each other.”

More here-

https://www.today.com/video/rabbi-and-bishop-offer-messages-of-hope-as-holy-season-nears-81587269644

Pentecostal church in Sacramento linked to dozens of coronavirus cases

From California-


A Pentecostal church in a Sacramento suburb is the epicenter of a coronavirus outbreak with more than six dozen confirmed cases, prompting county officials to warn against religious gatherings.
“It’s outrageous that this is happening,” said Dr. Peter Beilenson, the Sacramento County public health director. “Obviously there is freedom of religion, but when it’s impacting public health as this is, we have to enforce social distancing.”

The church, Bethany Slavic Missionary Church, did not immediately return a call for comment Thursday. But Beilenson said health officials were concerned that church members may still be meeting in private homes to conduct services, despite county orders. 

“Whether or not you have community-wide sermons or meetings in people’s houses, they are all dangers and they are very detrimental to the public’s health,” Beilenson said. 

More here-

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-04-02/pentecostal-church-in-sacramento-linked-to-dozens-of-coronavirus-cases

In life's last moments, US clergy minister to the sick and dying via FaceTime and Zoom

From Stars and Stripes-

The Rev. Peter Walsh has always treasured the tactile job of performing last rites for his congregants before their deaths, noticing with awe the way that anointing a person with holy oil and laying his hands on their body seems to make them approach their last moments more easily.

But William Pike, a 91-year-old member of Walsh's Episcopal church in New Canaan, Connecticut, was dying of the novel coronavirus.

Walsh realized he would need to do something he had never done before: He administered the last rites by FaceTime.

Pike was unconscious, but a hospital staff member recharged his iPhone and held it up to him, and Walsh believed that his friend could hear him. "I told Bill I loved him, that he was mightily loved by his whole community. That he was a great man," Walsh said in an interview. "I believe in the power of the Holy Spirit to do things that we cannot make sense out of. I simply imagined that the hands of the Lord were laid upon him, and not my hands."

More here-

https://www.stripes.com/news/us/in-life-s-last-moments-us-clergy-minister-to-the-sick-and-dying-via-facetime-and-zoom-1.624617

Bishops of New York State commend Governor Cuomo’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic

From New York-

From the Bishops of New York State:

The bishops of the Episcopal Church in the State of New York sent a letter to New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo today, commending his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Signing bishops include the Rt. Rev. Dr. DeDe Duncan-Probe, Bishop of Central New York.  The text of the letter follows and is linked at: cnyepiscopal.org/2020/04/bishops-of-new-york-state-commend-governor-cuomos-handling-of-the-covid-19-pandemic

About the Episcopal Diocese of Central New York: The Episcopal Diocese of Central New York is made up of 11,000 members worshiping in 85 congregations in 14 counties in the center of New York State, including Broome, Cayuga, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego, Seneca, Tioga, and Tompkins.

Dear Governor Cuomo:

As the bishops of the Episcopal Church in the State of New York and the spiritual leaders of more than 130,000 New Yorkers, we write today to offer our thanks and support for your leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. You are in our prayers during this difficult time.

 More here-

https://www.binghamtonhomepage.com/news/up-to-the-minute/bishops-of-new-york-state-commend-governor-cuomos-handling-of-the-covid-19-pandemic/

 

Matthew Broderick’s sister admits preferential coronavirus treatment, feels awful about it, report says

From New Jersey-

The sister of actor Matthew Broderick, who until last spring was a church pastor in Morristown, says being related to a celebrity got her special attention during her near-fatal bout with coronavirus at a California hospital.

“I think I’m absolute living proof that this system is completely corrupt,” the told New York Magazine.

Rev. Janet Broderick, rector of All Saints Episcopal Church in Beverly Hills,

The Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles announced May 11 that Broderick, 64, had coronavirus and was being treated for a “severe form of pneumonia" at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Beverly Hills, and had tested positive for coronavirus.

In the magazine interview, she was asked if she received “preferential treatment being a religious leader and Matthew Broderick’s sister."

“Yes, but I feel evil for saying that," Broderick replied.

“My GP (general practitioner) didn’t know I was Matthew Broderick’s sister and didn’t care very much. As soon as I got ahold of the guy at the hospital who knew who Matthew was, I was given the name of the head of the emergency room," Broderick told the magazine.

More here-

https://www.nj.com/coronavirus/2020/04/matthew-brodericks-sister-admits-preferential-treatment-for-coronavirus-feels-awful-about-it-report-says.html

Two more people who attended Episcopal conference in Louisville have COVID-19

From Louisville-

Two more people who attended an Episcopal conference at the Omni Hotel in late February have tested positive for the coronavirus. 

They join six others who were at the Consortium of Endowed Episcopal Parishes conference, which was held Feb. 19-22, then tested positive for the coronavirus. 

In a March 24 letter, CEEP executive director Joe Swimmer wrote, "Based on what health officials have told us, it is impossible to be certain if these individuals had the virus while at the conference or acquired it after leaving. Regardless, all of us should be taking precautions to protect ourselves and those around us." 

More here-

https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/2020/04/01/two-more-episcopal-conference-attendees-have-covid-19/5109266002/

First Openly Gay Bishop To Lead The Episcopal Diocese of Missouri With Hope And Vision

From Missouri-

The Episcopal Diocese of Missouri will soon have a new bishop. The Rev. Deon Johnson officially will become the 11th bishop of the diocese when he is consecrated on June 13. Johnson’s transition into the role is historic: He’s the first openly gay bishop to lead the Diocese of Missouri. 

He and his husband and their two kids moved to St. Louis in February with hopes of getting adjusted to the region. That was put on hold as the coronavirus pandemic grew. St. Louis Public Radio’s Marissanne Lewis-Thompson spoke with Johnson about his new role and how he’s approaching the position in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. 

Marissanne Lewis-Thompson: What kind of guidance has the diocese given as a result of everything that’s going on with the coronavirus?

Deon Johnson: In the midst of all of this, the highest priority are the people in our communities, making sure that they stay safe. So, one of the things that has come out of the bishop's office here in the Diocese of Missouri is that we have closed all public worship until the end of May, at which point we'll re-evaluate. But we really wanted to make sure that those vulnerable populations, our neighbors in Christ, were not going to be impacted directly by actions of either clergy or just going to church or getting together.

More here-

https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/first-openly-gay-bishop-lead-episcopal-diocese-missouri-hope-and-vision#stream/0

One priest who died of the coronavirus could have helped us cope with it

From Washington-

The life of the Rev. Canon William Barnwell, a crusading, liberal, Episcopalian priest who died March 27 of (suspected) coronavirus in New Orleans, could teach lessons we all should apply as we respond to the current contagion.

Barnwell was my friend, just as he was a friend to many other conservatives despite political disagreements. He had a rare ability, as described by journalist Jed Horne in a March 29 obituary: “He could read a room — and immediately begin putting together people he thought might be good at energizing each other in common cause.” 

He could quickly discern which subjects were ones on which you and he would never agree and push them aside forever. He could figure out which things were negotiable disagreements and bank them in his mind for later, cordial discussion. But with just a few probing questions or suggestions, he would find common ground on other topics and immediately home in. How could that agreement be turned into concrete action — and how quickly? And crucially, how could it be organized and leveraged to be most effective? He wanted discernible results, not merely feel-good fulminations or worthless wheel spinning.

More here-

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/one-priest-who-died-of-the-coronavirus-could-have-helped-us-cope-with-it

Episcopal priest, first coronavirus case in nation's capital released from hospital

From Christian Post-

The first confirmed case of coronavirus in Washington, D.C., an Episcopal priest, has been released from the hospital and is continuing his recovery at home.

The Rev. Tim Cole, rector at Christ Church Georgetown, recently garnered headlines when he became the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the District of Columbia.

Chad Thorley, senior warden of Christ Church Georgetown, told media that Cole had been cleared to return home and was discharged on Thursday.

“He spent three whole weeks in the hospital. That was a long ride for him and a long ride for all of us,” Thorley, told news station WTOP. “And the recovery has been slow, but he’s definitely on the upswing now, and he’s resting comfortably at home.”

More here-

https://www.christianpost.com/news/episcopal-priest-rev-tim-cole-first-coronavirus-case-in-nations-capital-released-from-hospital.html 

and here-

https://www.fox5dc.com/video/669223

'Zoombombing' comes for houses of worship

From RNS-

On Sunday, Alex Merritt was signed in to the Zoom video conferencing app, discussing a biblical passage with members of his Sunday school young adults group at St. David's Episcopal Church in Austin, Texas.

Then the trolls attacked.

Some began sharing their screens and drawing obscene images over the text the group had been discussing. "You are being hacked! You are being hacked!" one shouted. Another turned on his video and began revealing his genitals.

“It was generally chaotic and impossible to stop,” recalled Merritt. “It was a huge wake-up call for me because I'm an elementary public school teacher, and I don't want the children in my class exposed to any of the pornographic images that trolls sent us.”

The mass transition of houses of worship to Zoom and other online video conferencing platforms has meant that religious services are more accessible than ever before.

Unfortunately for digital congregants, that means they are also more accessible to online trolls who have plenty of free time to disrupt their services with obscene or hateful interruptions.

More here-

https://religionnews.com/2020/03/30/zoombombing-epidemic-comes-for-houses-of-worship/

Underground Kitchen partners with Episcopal Diocese of Virginia to expand food relief program

From Virginia-

An acclaimed Richmond “roving dinner series” and the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia are pairing up to help feed the Richmond area during the COVID-19 crisis. 

Underground Kitchen and the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia, a Christian community serving nearly 68,000 members and 179 churches throughout Virginia, will partner as part of UGK’s “Community Comes First” food relief program, launched in March to help those in need during Virginia’s COVID-19 outbreaks. 

Over the past two weeks, Underground Kitchen has worked with its team of chefs as well as partners, donors, and volunteers to distribute soup, bread, and tea for free to the metro RVA region. They specifically distribute to:

• Those who are home-bound due to health or logistical restrictions or because they are quarantined

• Emergency and health care workers, including EMT, fire, and police, who typically don’t have time after long shifts to shop or make a healthy meal

• Family members, care-givers, and patients who are in temporary residence in hospital houses while patients undergo treatment

More here-

https://www.wtvr.com/news/coronavirus/virginia-together/underground-kitchen-partners-with-episcopal-diocese-of-virginia-to-expand-food-relief-program

Why did you assault priests? Church asks government

From Kenya-

Leaders of the Anglican Church in Kisii have faulted the approaches the government is using to fight Covid-19.

Kisii Bishop John Omangi wants the government to view the church as an ally and not the enemy in the ongoing efforts to stem the spread of the disease.

Omangi said the sporadic raids on churches and arrests of the clergy painted a wrong picture as the country battles to contain the novel virus that has so far killed more than 30,000 people across the globe.

"As clergy, we appreciate the efforts to contain this disease but the raids on churches and clobbering of priests is uncalled for," said Omangi.

More here-

https://www.the-star.co.ke/counties/nyanza/2020-03-29-why-did-you-assault-priests-church-asks-government/

Fort Worth rector beat coronavirus after a two-week battle

From Ft. Worth-

As he sat in an isolation room at a hospital in Fort Worth, the Rev. Robert Pace felt humbled.

Days earlier, he thought he had the flu. His body ached and he woke up with a deep cough and fever. He visited his doctor, who sent him home with a Tamiflu prescription and directions to keep hydrated. Soon, his fever went away. He led the Lenten program at Trinity Episcopal Church of Fort Worth on March 4, but made sure to stay out of close contact with worshipers. He didn’t shake their hands.

But then the fever returned and suddenly it got harder to breathe, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He skipped church that Sunday. Then his friends started to call him.

“Did you see someone at that conference you went to tested positive for COVID-19?” they asked.

https://www.abqjournal.com/1438110/fort-worth-rector-beat-coronavirus-after-a-two-week-battle.html