A few things were different at the first Masses held at Our Lady Queen of Angels in Newport Beach since the coronavirus pandemic shut down large gatherings: parishioners in cloth masks sat in staggered rows with empty pews between them; those taking communion received the host in their hand instead of on their tongue; and after lifting up the sacred chalice, the officiating pastor paused for a squirt of hand sanitizer.
But other things were the same as ever: the white candles flickering by the altar; the pastor’s voice bouncing and echoing around the hushed sanctuary; and the prayers for peace, unity and healing during a time of global sickness and unrest.
On Sunday, June 14, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange County resumed Mass at its dozens of churches throughout the county. In late May, Gov. Gavin Newsom gave the approval for churches to start reopening with limitations on how many could fill a sanctuary and health guidelines to follow, and the county’s faithful have been slowing returning to in-person services.
Father Steve Sallot welcomed about 75 people back to Our Lady Queen of Angels for a morning service. The earlier Mass had filled to capacity with 100 worshipers, he said, but the parish hall across the street stood ready to hold any overflow crowds.
With much of the church’s staff furloughed, Sallot has had to navigate a changing landscape of rules and guidelines from the state, county and diocese. But parishioners have been patient and volunteer groups have stepped up to help, he said.
“People are happy to come back,” Sallot said. “Watching Mass virtually is OK, but there’s something about us as tactile human beings – we like to be together.”
Michael Gigliotti, a member at Our Lady Queen of Angels for about 28 years, couldn’t agree more.
“The church is community. It’s an opportunity to be right within the presence of the Lord, to be in his house,” Gigliotti said after the 8:30 a.m. Mass.
As to the changes – the service was reconfigured to limit contact between the faithful and shortened to allow time to sanitize key areas – Gigliotti was resigned. “We have to do what we have to do.”
Sallot said church members seemed evenly split in a recent online survey, with about half ready to gather in person and the other half not yet comfortable with the idea.
As much as 70% of the congregation is people who are 65 or older or have other health conditions that put them at higher risk from the coronavirus, he said – but thankfully, Sallot isn’t aware of any of his parishioners becoming seriously ill or dying from it.
Katitza Schien, a 35-year church member, said she’s been listening to services on the radio, but she likened it to seeing a great work of art on the computer versus standing before it in a museum.
Returning to Our Lady Queen of Angels is “a little bit surreal because it’s different,” she said, adding that some of the changes such as not having a full choir make it bittersweet.
“It’s homecoming, but it’s not quite home.”
Schien said she’s tired of wearing a face covering and thinks it’s unneeded inside such a large building if people are observing proper social distancing. But Sallot said they’ll ask parishioners to wear masks for the time being to help protect the vulnerable in the congregation.
In keeping with the church’s goal of providing sustenance, whether spiritual or physical, Sallot said they’ve begun collecting food donations for those in need, and they’ve been holding weekly Zoom discussions of a book on Catholic saints.
A communion service people could attend in their cars was scheduled for Sunday afternoon – “not what I expected to be doing” in his 40th year with the parish, Sallot said with a laugh.
He’s trying to display the patience his faith teaches, he said, but Sallot is eager for the day the church can resume taking confessions and holding the first communion and confirmation ceremonies families have had to delay.
“I’m looking forward to ending those postponements and getting people back to the fuller life of the parish.”
Source: Orange County Register
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