Pandemic Religion: A Digital Archive

Life without Sacrament

To future historians, hopefully you put my story in a textbook and now my children are reading it. I am sophomore at the University of Texas at Austin. I am what you would call a "cradle" Catholic, which basically means I have been Catholic since birth. Since the first announced classes were cancelled and mass would now be livestreamed I have been struggling. My roommates and all my friends went home and I found myself alone. This is exactly the time I am supposed to turn to Jesus right? As a practitioner of Roman Catholicism one of the most important doctrines of our face is the receiving of Holy Communion, so I literally could not receive Jesus. During this Easter season, a time so full of joy I find it hard to be thankful for the things around me. It was also hard to get in the spirit of the season as all masses were suspended. I find it even harder to keep the faith as I struggle to feel connected to my religious community. In Roman Catholicism the important backbone of this religion is sacraments and not being able to receive the sacraments has affected me deeply, I feel as if a part of myself is missing. Even though I know He is still there for me, I can't help but feel somewhat disconnected. However, I am grateful that our modern technology gives us wonderful inventions such as Zoom, so that I am still able to meet with my Bible Study every week. In order to change how I approach my faith life I have tried to set up my own private time in prayer and livestream adoration services.

May 10, 2020

University Catholic Center

Roman Catholicism

Texas

Austin