Statement on COVID-19Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we have received a statement from our Synod of Bishops on COVID-19.
Please carefully read the letter here:
Some key points:
1) We are asked to continue with our services and especially the Divine Liturgy according to the Canons of our Church. We are not blessed to change the giving of Holy Communion itself.
2) On the other hand, we are to take a variety of safety measures: our altar servers will be practicing rigorous hygiene, we are not to engage in physical contact in our greetings, gloves must be worn for serving coffee hour, etc.
3) In our own CT Deanery, the Mission Vespers services on Sunday afternoons have been canceled for the month of March.
4) All parishes are to consult with our Chancellor to respond to cases of infection in their local community or to emergency orders from authorities. In these situations, further restrictions will be applied, such as temporarily closing the church for a quarantine period.
5) We will be adding a special prayer to all our services:
Let us pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
O God Almighty, Lord of heaven and earth, and of all creation visible and invisible, in thine ineffable goodness, look down upon us, thy people gathered in thy Holy Name. Be our helper and defender in this day of affliction. Thou knowest our weakness. Thou hearest our cry in repentance and contrition of heart. O Lord who lovest mankind, deliver us from the impending threat of the Corona Virus. Send thine angel to watch over us and protect us. Grant health and recovery to those suffering from this virus. Guide the hands of physicians and preserve those who are healthy. Enable us to continue to serve our suffering brothers and sisters in peace that together we may glorify thy most honorable and majestic name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.
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In all things, remember that we put all our trust in the Lord who is good and loves mankind, and who calls us to love and serve our neighbor. The letter from our bishops concludes with these wise words:
We seek in these measures to follow the principles enumerated by His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas of Mesogeia of the Church of Greece who said, “All measures that undermine faith and hope in God, anything that doubts the efficacy of Holy Communion and the mysteries is to be rejected. Anything that honors the community of the faithful and our fellow man is an expression of love for them and for God.” In the midst of our Lenten journey to Pascha, beloved children in the Lord, we are given an opportunity, paradoxically, to honor and serve our neighbor as we struggle with this virus. May our Great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, enable us to bear the struggle that is set before us, granting us the wisdom and discernment to know what is well-pleasing to him, and the strength to accomplish it.
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