Churches across Islington are being forced to adapt to religious life under coronavirus, with some even livestreaming mass to worshippers at home.
Measures to combat the spread of the virus have been in place since the start of the outbreak. Advice from the Diocese of Westminster includes regular and thorough washing of hands for priests before and after communion.
St Mark’s Church, Clerkenwell, has been following these guidelines. Speaking to Islington Now, one churchwarden said: “We’ve been following updates from the government and the Archbishop. We’ve stopped the sign of peace and drinking from the chalice at communion.
“We’ve also put the collection plate at the back of the church, instead of having people pass it round during mass.”
The advice also recommends vulnerable parishioners (the elderly and people with long-term conditions) stay at home.
In order to overcome this isolation, some churches have embraced technology to reach parishioners in their homes.
On 15 March, St Peter’s Italian Church, Clerkenwell Road, livestreamed mass to its congregation for the first time.
Father Andrea, who presided over the livestreamed mass, said the development was “very important” as he could now be “face to face” with his congregation if they couldn’t attend church.
This move mirrors others on the continent. Last week, Pope Francis made the decision to livestream his daily mass from the Casa Santa Marta in Vatican City, after churches across Rome suspended mass until 3 April. Over 2,500 people have died in Italy since the start of the coronavirus outbreak.
In a statement to journalists last week, the Director of the Holy See Press Office said: “due to the risk of spreading the COVID-19 virus, the Holy Father has decided that the private masses celebrated by him in the Casa Santa Marta be broadcast live in the coming days”.
However, not all churches in Islington will be able to livestream services to their congregation.
St Mark’s Church, Clerkenwell, told Islington Now that at the moment, they “don’t have facilities to be able to stream services online for the congregation.”
