Religious groups hopeful about slow restart to gatherings

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This article was published 05/02/2021 (2025 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitoba’s faith communities see a glimmer of hope in Thursday’s announcement that religious services could resume with restrictions by mid-February.

“We would definitely welcome that opportunity because it means we are doing better in Manitoba in getting COVID under control,” said Idris Elbakri, president of the Manitoba Islamic Association, of allowing limited reopening of places of worship.

Under the proposed protocols, which would take effect Feb. 13, houses of worship could hold religious services with up to 10 per cent capacity, to a maximum of 50 people. All worshippers would have to comply with physical distancing, wearing masks, washing their hands, and staying home when sick.

Although the association offers virtual prayer services and other online activities, Elbakri said members of the Muslim community call daily to check if the mosques on Waverley Street and Hazelwood Avenue are open.

“Nothing replaces seeing someone face-to-face. Our religion is a very social one,” he said.

“The spiritual value of praying in the mosque is greater than praying at home.”

Worshipping in person, even with restrictions, allows congregations who don’t use livestreaming technology for religious reasons to regain their sense of community in worship, said Rev. Abraham Rempel, minister at two conservative Mennonite churches in southern Manitoba.

“We are a church family and we like to be on the church yard or in the building because it’s God’s house,” said Rempel of German Old Colony Mennonite Church, which has congregations in Hochfeld, south of Winkler, and Rosetown, near Gretna.

During the initial phase of code red, church members had no way of connecting when parking lot services were banned because the group does not allow video messaging. The congregations reluctantly moved to broadcasting on FM radio during the last two months, with church members listening to the service on their car radios from the parking lot.

“Instead of having nothing, we conceded to it,” he said of setting up the FM broadcast.

Rempel said the new guidelines allow for the baptism of 17 people after Easter inside the church building, and may even make room for their parents to witness the service, instead of listening outside.

Roman Catholics welcome the opportunity to worship again in person, said Archbishop Richard Gagnon of Winnipeg, and look forward to celebrating Easter together in a limited way.

“Easter is a deeply spiritual time, maybe less social than Christmas, but it includes Holy Week as well and it comes after observing six weeks of Lent,” he said.

“So, to be in community to worship, regardless of the size of the congregation, is a very important thing at Easter time.”

Lent begins on Feb. 17, known as Ash Wednesday, and Easter falls on April 4.

St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Cathedral plans to dust off the protocols used last summer to reopen in February, said Rev. Geoffrey Angeles, who anticipates some parishioners will be eager to attend services again, while others may wait until they are vaccinated.

“I’m glad we would be able to have people in the pews, but again, who gets to go and who can’t?” he says of the 50-person maximum for the large downtown cathedral.

Elbakri said his organization is figuring out new system of online registration for Friday prayers, so more people can take in the service, streamlined to 15 minutes to limit contact during the pandemic. Last summer, all the seats were gone within minutes of posting.

Members of Congregation Etz Chayim are also eager to gather again, but they probably won’t resume services with only a 10 per cent capacity, with possible exceptions for special events, said Rabbi Kliel Rose.

“My attention as a spiritual leader is on engagement, providing pastoral support, demonstrating how to be a community ‘beyond the walls of our building’ and offering guidance on how to actively change the mood of defeat and fear,” Rose wrote in an email message.

The proposed resumption of religious services in mid-February likely won’t change the plans of the United Church in Meadowood, which didn’t expect to worship in their building until September, said Rev. Caryn Douglas.

Her congregation has made other plans for worship if the outdoor group size increases from the current five people.

“We would start worshipping outside if that was allowed, beginning in May, and then go back in fall,” she said.

brenda@suderman.com

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