Churches prep for Easter service in San Mateo County

As a small congregation, the church at 1005 Crystal Springs Ave. has plenty of space for its members to social distance while in collective worship, Ball said. The auditorium can seat 250 people but has been met with crowds in the 30s lately, said Ball, confident the church will respect recommended capacity levels.

With the county now in the orange tier, signaling a moderate risk of spreading the virus, churches are permitted to open at 50% capacity. Singing and chanting are permitted but performers and attendants are required to wear face coverings aside from when eating or drinking.

For Ball, hitting that number is unlikely, but he said he’s praying otherwise. Recognizing sustained hesitancy to return to in-person services, the parish will also live stream the event for members to watch from home.

“We want to make [service] available to as many people as possible,” Ball said. “We realize that some of our seniors are still being very cautious and rightfully so.”

Modifying catholic Mass

Alternatively, Father Mark Reburiano of Saint Gregory Church in San Mateo said he anticipates hundreds of members will come Easter morning. The Roman Catholic church could seat 950 people but with social distancing measures in place, only roughly 160 members will be allowed to sit inside.

Prepared for a large turnout for the sacred holiday, mass can also be live streamed in a gym for overflow members. An outdoor mass will also be offered as an option which Reburiano said could draw up to 400 congregants. Those too wary to attend mass in person can view live from home through Facebook.

“It’s spiritually enriching and inspiring to see people coming in here,” Reburiano said. “I thank, really, our leaders and as a spiritual leader I appreciate most of those decisions [to reopen churches] because they are quenching the thirst of our spirit, of our souls.”

Preparing for the indoor services comes with hurdles though, Reburiano said. While pleased to see large numbers of members returning to mass, he noted the need for more volunteers to help steer the crowd. Cleaning before and after each service also comes with a large price tag, he said.

Aspects of service have had to be modified to accommodate safety protocol. The Eucharist, an act of honoring the Last Supper by receiving bread and wine blessed by the priest, is given outside at the end of mass instead of in the middle of service.

“The Catholic mass, which is the Eucharist, is a sacramental celebration which means we are not evangelists,” Reburiano said. “We are not a community that can just celebrate through TV or live streaming because we receive the body and blood of Christ. We need to gather in person and that has been missed.”

Online reach

Some religious leaders are less eager to return to in-person service though. The Rev. Dr. G. Penny Nixon from the Congregational Church of San Mateo said she plans to hold off on opening the church’s doors until she’s confident all members can safely attend and more is known about the virus.

She and the team at CCSM are preparing for their second virtual Easter service but the event has substantially evolved over the pandemic year. Professional camera equipment has replaced the Apple iPad used to broadcast last year’s Easter service and the parish has the ability to now feature an array of prerecorded videos.

While digital platforms fall short of an in-person experience, Nixon said she’s thankful for the technology. Now, those of all abilities can watch the service from home and families separated by distance can worship together, she said.

“One of the things I say is virtual does not mean not real. Virtual is real but it’s not physical,” Nixon said. “The connection is real. It’s just not physical.”

Erring on the side of caution

The Rev. Marlyn Bussey, pastor of the St. James A.M.E. Zion Church in San Mateo echoed Nixon and noted she can now bring in musicians from neighboring Contra Costa County to perform live.

The sanctuary was broadcasting parts of its service before the pandemic but, once the virus struck the region, Bussey had to shift to live streaming from her home office. With support from her daughter, the duo has refined the show though she notes that online sermons pale in comparison to in person.

“There’s not a comparison to an in-person service for Easter and anything we can do online, I mean the best of us, isn’t going to capture just the wonder of Easter Sunday,” Bussey said. “There’s no way to capture that.”

Having been with the church for 12 years, Bussey said the holiday always brings a packed crowd but until she can be certain the majority of her members are vaccinated, service will remain online.

The congregation is made up of older adults, a hard-hit demographic during the pandemic. With so much still unknown about potential reinfection after being vaccinated, she said she plans to err on the side of caution.

Bussey still pledged to provide members with a thoughtful service. After the live stream, the church will hold communion outside for First Sunday, a tradition held on the first Sunday of every month to honor Jesus’ final supper.

Aiming to make the spiritual holiday weekend special, Nixon and Bussey also participated in an online service Friday featuring five other women preachers.

Before going digital, a collaboration of its kind would be unlikely with each religious leader physically bound to their own parishes.

“The first one caught us by surprise but this time we’re being more intentional,” Bussey said. “There’s a true sense of ecumenical collegiate collaboration because we’re all dealing the same thing.”

sierra@smdailyjournal.com

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