Pandemic Religion: A Digital Archive

Pandemic Religion Contributions

Item Set

Items

• My mother's funeral - what it's like to have someone you love die of covid-19

  This story, published in the Jewish Standard, tells the story of my mother's death of covid in a nursing home, at the height of the pandemic in New York; her funeral, and sitting shiva for her.
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  Matching Tallis and mask during a socially distanced minyan

  Wearing a Tallis and mask of matching fabric during a socially distanced minyan for Rosh Chodesh Elul
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  Church of Good Counsel serves breakfast, again

  Many houses of worship ceased providing meals due to Pandemic. Slowly they start serving food again
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  Broadway Presbyterian Church prepares for Sunday online worship service.

  Broadway Presbyterian Church. The Church doors were almost closed, but through the church gates, I could see all was ready for a live Sunday 10:30 am worship service on Facebook.
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  Corpus Christi Church and its baptismal font. Thomas Merton was baptized at Corpus Christi.

  Notice the pews with blue masking tape indicating appropriate social distancing for worshippers. Mass is offered on Saturday at 5 pm plus three masses Sunday, including one in Spanish. No baptisms at font have been allowed since Pandemic.
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  A Catholic School closes its doors due to the Pandemic after 85 years of teaching thousands of children.

  The Catholic Archdiocese of New York closed 20 Catholic K-8th grade schools due to Pandemic, including the Corpus Christi School with its current 175 poor Black and Latino students.. COVID-19 has had a devastating financial impact on Catholic school families. Mass unemployment means families can not afford tuition so there has been a low rate of re-registration for the Fall. Months of canceled masses caused loss of parish contributions that traditionally help support Catholic schools.
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  Jen Miskov's Saturate OC experience

  Jen Miskov posted about her experience with Saturate OC on Instagram. The text below is the caption from her post:
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  Dycota, a St. Mary volunteer, explains he lived in shelters at one time.

  Dycota donates his time to St. Mary's Saturday's Food Outreach Ministry.
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  Raul explains that he gives his free time because it's right. Video

  Raul volunteers with St. Mary's Saturday Food Outreach
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  Live from Grace Church

  This page on Grace Church's website provides links to live streamed services, virtual services, and other events.
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  Giving Up Church for Lent

  This blog post, written by Claude Scales (a member of Grace Church), recognizes the difficulty of isolation and separation due to COVID-19, and its impact on church services. The pandemic hit the United States right around the beginning of Lent. Scales normally uses this time as a period of reflection, and chose this time to reflect on the impact of COVID-19.
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  Reverend Brett Younger's Articles on COVID-19 and Religion

  "Easter at the epicenter: last Sunday in New York" is an honest description of the difficulty of living through a pandemic in one of the hardest hit spots in the country. Younger recognizes that hope was hard to feel this Easter, but that only meant that whatever hope they did feel meant more.
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  Plymouth Church Online Worship

  "Hope in the Time of Corona" was the first sermon posted as part of Plymouth Church's online worship services. The sermon is given in an empty church, and addresses the way that worship will be different due to COVID-19. The minister uses attempts at humor to help ease the transition to a virtual meeting space. As the name of the sermon suggests, the focus is on how faith in God can provide hope during the pandemic. The second video in this collection, "Loving God during a Crisis", acknowledges that these are extraordinarily difficult times. The ministers shares the message with his congregation that God can offer support and comfort during these times if they only open their hearts to Him. The third video in this collection is comprised of the Easter Sunday service. It recognizes that while it may be more difficult to feel joy this Easter, that it may mean more this year.
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  Let's Talk Native... with John Kane, #412: Worship in the Age of COVID-19!

  Let's Talk Native... with John Kane is a talk show that provides a forum for Native issues, both local and national. The show airs live from their studio on the Cattaraugus territory of the Seneca Nation in western New York. This episode of the podcast focuses on COVID-19 and worship. Kane discusses how COVID-19 closed churches, mosques, and synagogues. He asks several key questions throughout the podcast: Is "Longhouse" a religion? Must ceremonies continue during a pandemic? Does religion "require" group worship? Kane does not describe himself as big on religion, and he doesn't refer to his culture as being religious or particularly spiritual. He says even their festivals (ceremonies) are pragmatic. They are not about prayer or worship, but rather staying connected to their past and their present and making commitments to their future. Throughout the podcast, he grapples with the way their ceremonies and thanksgivings are now treated as religious, and the way Longhouses are treated like churches, and how this diverges from their traditional and historical use as spaces for celebrations and housing. He also argues that illness is a reason not to host ceremonies, festivals, or any large group events. The cultural celebrations are not worth risking their loved ones and communities. It's important to recognize that there are times to gather, and times where you can't.
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  Passover in a Time of Coronavirus

  This essay from Rabbi David Spinrad of the Beth El Hebrew Congregation in Alexandria, Virginia, addresses how COVID-19 has forced changes to Passover this year. Using four perspectives (priorities, people, preparation, and traditions), he encourages people to enjoy the holiday despite the coronavirus pandemic; to use technology to gather with love ones from a safe distance; give themselves a break when it comes to preparing for Seder; and to recognize that while traditions are important, they have the opportunity to make history this year instead.
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  Volunteers at Church's Food Pantry Help Unload Donated Food.

  Every Monday afternoon St. Mary's Church Food Pantry distributes food to families. The average number of people served has substantially increased due to Pandemic.
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  Man on library steps. Church of Scientology is a few doors away.

  COVID- 19 closed public libraries where homeless rested securely during the day. Man on library steps may be returning to safety.
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  Woman sheltering under a scaffold at Riverside Church

  On my daily morning walk, I pass homeless people sheltering under Riverside Church's scaffolding. It is rare to see a homeless woman. Daily she washes her clothes and leaves it to dry on the railing. The Pandemic causes job loss; as a consequence, eviction from their apartments.
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  Homeless Jesus and Homeless Man. What would you do?

  Homeless Jesus on a bench in the courtyard of St. John the Divine and Homeless man on 124th Street next to the Salvation Army. The Pandemic closed a City-run 101 bed men's shelter on 123th Street and Lexington Avenue, thus increasing the population of homeless living on the street.
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  Riverside Church Service Entrance with Homeless Person's Possessions

  At the service entrance of one of NYC's most iconic churches, a homeless person leaves their bundles for safekeeping. Notice the Toy Story luggage- never leave a person behind.
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  #dynamicdayschools videos

  Jewish day schools and yeshivas continue to be incredibly dynamic, providing excellent learning and community-building opportunities, as well as meaningful commemorations and celebrations, throughout this otherwise challenging time in the world. Because of the values our schools share, we are uniquely positioned to adapt to new challenges and innovate unique ways to educate and nurture our students. Enjoy these videos showcasing Jewish day schools across North America, made entirely from videos, pictures, and music sent to us by schools.
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  Church Reopening Update for Calvary Chapel of Philadelphia

  This video message describes plans to reopen Calvary Chapel of Philadelphia for in-person services after several months of online services. Pastor Joe Focht discusses changes to services, cleaning protocols and other details of the reopening.
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  Fort Jackson Chapel Sign

  This image of Daniel Circle Chapel, located on Fort Jackson in South Carolina, displays a message that says "Social distancing does NOT mean spiritual distancing." Of the three chapels located on Fort Jackson, two have electronic signs that display this message.
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  When the Buildings Cheered

  For five springtime weeks during the pandemic, I walked the sidewalks of New York to capture the nightly 7:00 PM gratitude for front line workers. Wearing a new face mask and holding an old iPhone 5s, I walked on nearly deserted streets that felt both familiar and foreign. As a born New Yorker, I have always found this city to be the most beautiful, ever-evolving place on earth. I still do. Those five weeks became these five minutes… “When The Buildings Cheered.”
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  Cousins monthly get together turned into Zoom happy hour in Atlanta!

  The Bregman clan getting together once covid hit to continue our monthly celebrations with one another!