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The Bishop Responds to COVID-19

Bishops Issue Guidelines for Resuming In-Person Worship:A Journey By Stages

May 18, 2020
To: All Clergy and Wardens

This evening we are sharing guidelines for returning to in-person worship. I have worked with Bishop Alan Gates and Bishop Gayle Harris of the Diocese of Massachusetts so that the Episcopal Church in the Commonwealth can walk together in these days. The canons and deans of both dioceses have been an integral part of this work, and I am particularly grateful for the leadership of Canon Bill Parnell of the Diocese of Massachusetts and our own Canon to the Ordinary, Rich Simpson, throughout this process.
While the Governor’s plan goes into effect tomorrow, I remind you all that no congregation may return to in-person worship before July 1, and only when the criteria for readiness have been met, affirmed by the deans and approved by diocesan leadership.

Following the Governor’s announcement this morning, the Boston Globe reportsthat several epidemiologists have said that “a second wave of infection is possible, likely even. They noted that a return to church and worship services could be especially problematic.” It is reported that several large outbreaks in other states have originated in churches. Gathering is still not safe. Our first priority remains the health and well-being of our communities. We must be deliberate and comprehensive in our preparations. Our deans are developing a checklist specific to our congregations that will be part of preparing for Stage 2. This checklist will be sent to rectors and wardens as soon as it is complete.

I continue to be grateful for your faith in this time of pandemic. We have continued to be the Church in new and hopeful ways. I bid your prayers for those who have died from this virus and for all who grieve them. Doctors, nurses, essential workers are living icons of God’s love for us, and they need our prayers especially. Jesus’ mission of mercy, compassion and hope continues with passion and creativity. It is good for us to imagine gathering again as God’s people. We will undertake this journey in stages trusting that God goes before us and beside us

The Rt. Rev. Douglas J. Fisher

Bishop

Pastoral Directive from the Bishop: Love of Neighbor Guides Our Way Forward

May 9, 2020

To the faithful of the Diocese of Western Massachusetts:

A prayer from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr: “God, we thank you for the inspiration of Jesus. Grant that we will love you with all our hearts, minds and souls, and love our neighbors as ourselves, even our enemy neighbors. And we ask you God, in these days of emotional tension, when the problems of the world are gigantic in extent and chaotic in detail, to be with us in our going out and our coming in, in our rising up and in our lying down, in our moments of joy and sorrow. Amen.”

I have prayed that prayer every day for these two months because it speaks so powerfully to the present moment. Three things are true. These are days of emotional tension, with gigantic problems and chaos. It is true that God is with us. And at the heart of following Jesus is love of neighbor. It is all true.

Thank you for loving your neighbor in these days. Our doctors, nurses, hospital staff and first responders, and all essential workers are truly saints. I have witnessed incredible generosity and pastoral care from all of you. Thank you for staying at home and practicing physical distancing when you are out. And thank you for being faithful people of prayer, in your private prayer and by gathering with others online. The Church is truly open and at work in the world.

How can we continue to be faithful followers of Jesus regarding our worship in our church buildings in the days, weeks and months ahead? Here is where we do not want to be “chaotic in detail.” I am meeting with a team in our diocese and with Bishop Alan Gates and his team in the eastern diocese (which includes two of the top epidemiologists in the Commonwealth) to develop a plan going forward. The plan will always be open to adjustment as circumstances require. Here is what is certain right now:

1) Our church buildings will remain closed for worship through July 1. Listening to medical experts and loving our neighbor make this decision clear. It also allows our congregations to settle into online worship which has developed quickly and faithfully. Remember every church does not have to conduct these services. We can collaborate with other churches locally and with our National Cathedral. During this time, our team will be working on plans for moving forward toward safe in-person worship in our church buildings and we will coordinate those plans with our sister diocese to the east so there will be one plan for the Commonwealth.

2) We commit to having guidelines available to our congregations by July 1 so that may mark the beginning of phasing in worship in our church buildings. What those phases are and how long each one will take, is yet to be determined. The priority each step along the way will be safety and love of neighbor. We had hoped it would be an “Easter reopening” with our doors wide open to everyone but Church leadership throughout the nation has already said, with clarity and faithfulness, that is not safe and not possible. If science tells us that July is too soon, we will watch and wait and continue our suspension of in-person services.

3) Pentecost. You are invited, all our church members and your friends, to a very special Diocesan Pentecost Liturgy online on May 31 at 10 am. We will feast on the Word, renew our Baptismal Vows together, and experience music from many voices across our diocese. It will be my joy to preside and preach, to gather us all as one flock on this holy day.

Remember our church buildings are still closed but Jesus’ Mission of Mercy, Compassion and Hope continues even as we grieve the unimaginable losses- all the saints who have been taken from our midst by COVID-19 and those who have died from other causes and for whom we have not been able to mourn in our comforting traditional liturgies. God’s mission continues as we gather online for prayer and bible study, as we reach out to those who are not online in creative ways, deliver food to the hungry curbside, and wear masks for the love of strangers. If you are feeling depressed or anxious or know others who are, our clergy and lay pastoral care ministers are here for you. Jesus’ Mission is as important as ever. Come Holy Spirit and make us a New Creation as we face new challenges. Love is stronger than death.

In Christ,

The Right Reverend Douglas J. Fisher

Bishop

Governor Baker’s Executive Order Regarding Non-essential Businesses Effective Noon Today

March 24, 2020

March 24, 2020
Colleagues in ministry,
Yesterday our governor notified the Commonwealth that a stay-at-home order went into effect at 12:00 PM today. The closure of all non-essential businesses is part of a strategic effort to curb the spread of COVID-19. In addition to suspending in-person services, I encourage you to proceed as follows:
1. Close all offices in all parishes and worshipping communities of our diocese and direct all staff to work from home as much as is possible. Some who work from home still need to go to the church office to check mail or gather other paperwork to bring home. This is acceptable as needed.

2. Continue finding innovative ways to share regular worship in our parishes and worshipping communities using online technology. In all circumstances, the directives to practice physical distancing and healthy and safe behaviors to avoid the spread of COVID-19 should be observed. Worship should include no more than ten in-person leaders, standing six or more feet apart. Ideally such in-person worship leadership would be limited to one ordained person and one other facilitator/videographer/acolyte/reader, etc. as necessary.


3. Parishes and worshipping communities are urged to continue as much as possible, following physical distancing and healthy and safe behaviors to avoid the spread of COVID-19, their ministries with/to 12-step communities and those who are food and housing insecure. We have several congregations offering 12-step “meetings” via ZOOM. Others are welcoming participants to enter the church building with very specific directions related to physical distancing and cleaning the space afterward. We now must work within the Governor’s instruction, so no more than ten persons may attend such meetings. Food pantries around the Commonwealth are creating new protocols to continue to provide food to the hungry and working poor in our communities. I encourage you to support their efforts, if possible.


For people of faith, being Christian community is our essential service and we are already doing that in new ways. I thank you for your creativity, faithfulness and perseverance in the most challenging ministry context of our time. Many are staying connected through a daily email prayer. Some are utilizing Facebook LIVE, ZOOM, and YouTube to pray The Office or to stream the Holy Eucharist. An ever-growing list of these “gatherings” may be found here. There is no wrong way to minister at this time. There is only the call to tend our sheep in whatever way feels right for each community of faith.


Pope Francis has asked people of faith around the world to engage the prayer that Jesus taught us as a means of connecting us to one another and to the God who is in the midst of our suffering. So I ask you to invite all Episcopalians to pray The Lord’s Prayer at 12:00 PM on Wednesday, March 25. If every follower of Jesus turns to God in this way, with one voice, what a moment that will be. In a time of Eucharistic fasting, the words, “Give us this day our daily bread” have special meaning. They remind us that the Word of God is life for us and sustenance in these days. Know that I will be praying with you and for you as these days unfold.


These are days that require us to take a long view, and to pace ourselves for a season of intense ministry. These moments of shared prayer are no less important than the good work being done on new platforms and in cyber spaces. No one needs to be doing it all. The opportunities to partner with others are even greater in virtual spaces. I am grateful for the experimentation but I also encourage you to do something you know I struggle with myself: slow down. Make time for processing grief and loss. Stay with what is essential to your ministry and to your well-being and let some other things lay fallow for a time. I know that’s hard. I also think it’s crucial as we prepare to face the days, and weeks, and months that are ahead of us. Be still, and know that God is still God. 

 

The Rt. Rev. Douglas J. Fisher

IX Bishop of Western Massachusetts

Suspension of In-Person Services Extended to Include April 12 – Easter Sunday

March 19, 2020
 
Colleagues in ministry,
 
On March 13th I encouraged the suspension of in-person services for a period of two weeks. Since that time we have come to understand more about the trajectory of the pandemic. Today, with our Presiding Bishop, I strongly encourage us all to refrain from gathering in-person through and including April 12. Our physical separation must be extended to ensure that we make every effort to “lower the curve” of the virus, and protect our healthcare system from being overloaded. This pastoral directive includes adaptations of liturgy that place the priest closer than the recommended six feet required for effective social distancing. My hope is that we will continue to model complete observance of what the WHO and CDC recommend. As their prescriptions shift, ours must too. There are positive cases in every corridor now. Many of those in our care are highly vulnerable. We do not want to be the reason people leave their homes – even if it is for a spiritual good.
 
This means that we will not gather in person to live the mystery and wonder of Holy Week. It means, too, that we will not share the joy of Easter in our beloved worship spaces. This is a poverty and a source of sadness. At the same time, our congregations have been adapting to being Church now in creative ways. We are continuing to be Church in new spaces and grounding our days with common prayer. Nothing can replace the power and joy of gathering as God’s people, but we are moving through this wilderness together. Connections are being nurtured and deepened. What constitutes pastoral care has been expanded. We have been unrelenting in our prayer and in our “presence” to one another.
 
We are in the initial stages of a new dream for our Holy Week and Easter. We will let you know as plans take shape. I want to thank you all for your courage and faith in these days. This is, indeed, a very holy Lent. And, Easter will come in our hearts by faith with thanksgiving. We can’t know what the Great 50 Days will bring, but we trust in the One who will be with us no matter what.
 
Be assured of my prayers for you as you faithfully serve God’s people. I encourage you all to take your day “off” and to keep a healthy balance between the work that feels so vital and your need for rest and the integration of this event into your own lives and families. I am grateful to you all and grateful to God for the faith that binds us.
 

The Rt. Rev. Douglas J. Fisher, Bishop

Two-week Suspension of Services: Be Witnesses of Hope

March 13, 2020
 
Colleagues in ministry, 
 
I have been hearing from many of you about the Sunday celebration of the Eucharist. Many of you have expressed concerns about gathering for worship, and as I said in my last posting, I support you in responding pastorally to your local needs. Others are finding ways to gather together, with care, and I want to support that response as well. Things continue to change, however, and there is increasing anxiety and fear for many about gathering in person for Sunday worship. Liturgy should not provoke fear and anxiety. Therefore, I encourage congregational leadership to suspend public worship services, and other gatherings of congregants, for the next two Sundays – March 15 and March 22. After two weeks we will reevaluate based on the recommendations of local and state health officials. I encourage all of our congregations to do this, not just those in areas that have positive cases of the virus. If you feel you can gather safely and without anxiety, I support you. This is not a mandate. 
 
Even as we embrace the need for social distancing, we are called to keep holy the Lord’s Day. I invite us all to explore new ways to pray together, using the tools of this age and The Book of Common Prayer. I invite our churches to develop networks to check in on one another and offer pastoral care. It’s important that we stay connected to one another as we navigate these days of uncertainty. Our faith is our greatest gift and best defense when the global community is rocked by fear. We may use these two weeks as a time to go deep in prayer, to reach out to the isolated and fearful among us in creative ways, and to be witnesses of hope.
 
I have been in virtual meetings with the House of Bishops all week. This was by no means easy or commensurate with the experience of being with my colleagues and friends in person. I know the adaptations we are making cannot replace the power and joy of gathering as God’s people, but we take this time apart because of love. As we move forward, may we do it in love for one another, and for this world that God so loves. 
 
Let us pray:
 
Living God,
Your love is living water
flowing through us.
In these days of separation,
water the seeds of contemplation
and move us to compassionate action.
For the good of your beloved ones
who wait, and long, and pray,
and for the creation groaning 
with new life beneath the dust, 
in Jesus’ name we pray.
Amen.

The Rt. Reverend Douglas J. Fisher

Bishop of Western Massachusetts

Diocesan Meetings and Events During the Outbreak

March 11, 2020
 
Clergy colleagues,
Today we are considering some practical issues as the COVID-19 outbreak unfolds in the Commonwealth, and in our diocese. With the Executive Team, I am making the following adaptations for the health and well-being of our communities.
 
  • Diocesan Council, Fresh Start, commissions and committees will meet via the ZOOM platform, as much as possible.
  • I have given diocesan staff the option to work remotely.
  • We are cancelling the gathering of clergy here on Tuesday, April 7 in favor of a virtual gathering for prayer and the blessing of oils. The oils will be shipped to our deans for local pick-up/distribution.
  • Clergy Conference is “on” for now. We’ll keep you posted.
 
Due to the pastoral nature of my visit with Worcester clergy on March 19, this event at All Saints’ will take place, as planned. My own schedule of meetings will be adjusted as we go along, with my pastoral responsibilities as determinant.
 
We are facing a challenge for which the Church came into being. We have the opportunity to comfort and assure one another that God is God, and this epidemic will not go on forever. There are wonderful resources surfacing that confirm our pastoral role and help us all think outside the box in terms of communication, and what it means to worship “together.” For now, finding ways to reach out, stay connected and preach the Good News is our work.
 
I realize that all of you are struggling with these same kinds of decisions. “Should the vestry meet?” “What about clericus?’ “Is Coffee Hour a good idea right now?” “Should we be worshiping on Sunday at all?”
 
This is a rapidly evolving situation and we may not be able to keep up with the minute-by-minute advice from the Commonwealth, the CDC and the WHO. I want to be very clear. I believe in you and I have faith in your capacity to make the local decisions, as I have done at 37 Chestnut Street. Know that I will support you in whatever decision you make for the common good – even if you decide not to worship in person on Sunday. I am listening, learning and praying along with you in this. I am doubling-down on my prayers, too, for you and for the grace and wisdom these days require from us all.
 

The Rt. Rev. Douglas J. Fisher

IX Bishop of Western Massachusetts

Pastoral Directive in Response to COVID-19

March 10, 2020
 
Clergy, lay leadership and people of God,
 
The impact of COVID-19 can be felt around the world, and the suffering of those in the countries in which it was first identified should be in our prayers. We have been communicating the precautions issued from the Centers for Disease Control and from our Commonwealth. For the love of our neighbors and the good of all people in our communities, I am issuing the following directive regarding the celebration of the Eucharist.

 

Liturgical Concerns

Effective immediately, and until further notice, I ask all priests, of and serving in our diocese, to consecrate a small amount of wine. When it is time to minister the bread and wine to the altar party and congregation, the cup of wine is to be left untouched upon the altar as the bread is distributed. Christ’s abiding presence in the breaking of the bread and in the one cup of our salvation is to be preserved, but the consecrated Blood of Christ should be returned to the earth and not consumed. It is important that the priest and altar party not be an exception, but rather abstain from the wine in solidarity with the assembly.
 
I am grateful to the Rt. Rev. Susan Goff, Bishop Suffragan and Ecclesiastical Authority of the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia, who may be the first among the House of Bishops to find a middle way that reflects our tradition and our deep concern to address the developing science around this virus as we make our thanksgiving.
 
I reiterate the following precautions as our communities continue to gather on Sunday.
  • Priest and all ministers of the table must wash hands before the service and use hand-sanitizer before the distribution of Holy Communion. Anyone who touches the bread must observe this protocol, including members of the Altar Guild.
  • The Peace is to be expressed without shaking hands. Clergy are to refrain from shaking hands before or after the celebration.
  • Please do not pass the plate, but ask ushers to reach in to the pews to collect the offering.
  • Baptismal fonts must be drained, and disinfected before liturgical use.
  • Please ask the Altar Guild to sanitize the altar rail before and after the liturgy.
  • Please provide disposable gloves for Coffee Hour hosts to wear when preparing food and drink to be shared.
  • Hand-sanitizer should be readily to the congregation.
  • If you cough or sneeze, please do so into your elbow, or use tissue that may be disposed of at home.
  • If you have a cough or feel at all unwell, please remain at home.
  • Ask members to notify the Church if they are diagnosed with COVID-19, for both practical and pastoral reasons.

Pastoral Concerns

As the news about this illness changes day by day, and sometimes throughout a given day, we may find ourselves growing fearful and anxious. In addition to being a health concern, COVID-19 presents us with a pastoral opportunity to engage and be a non-anxious presence in our congregations. Here are a few things to consider now.
  • Communicate with your congregations about precautions and protocols. Rather than simply send my directive, use your voice, your relationship with members to affirm that our Church is taking this seriously, but will not yield to panic.
  • Be mindful of members who rely on an hourly wage and may experience a disruption in income.
  • Encourage phone checks on those who may be most vulnerable to COVID-19. Elders among us seem to be at greatest risk.
  • Consider some financial options should worship attendance diminish or be cancelled by local health authorities.
  • Investigate online platforms that may be useful if physically gathering becomes impossible for a time, or to enable at-risk congregants to worship from home. Facebook LIVE, ZOOM, Google Hangouts are all good options for staying connected on Sunday and for maintaining connection during days that demand isolation. We know of at least three congregations who are live-streaming their Sunday celebration: St. Mark’s, East Longmeadow; St. Andrew’s, Longmeadow; Christ Trinity Church, Sheffield.
  • Learn more about responding pastorally at this time. US Disaster Program – a part of Episcopal Relief and Development – is offering a webinar on March 13.
These are challenging days for us all. Fear of something like this is truly human, but as followers of Jesus, we know we can give this to burden to God – even as we do all that is ours to do. Do you remember when we talked about “doubling-down” on prayer? Let’s do that. Let’s carry this together and send all our love out to those whose lives have already been effected. May we never forget that we are connected – all members of the Body of Christ. When one suffers, all suffer. Our Presiding Bishop reminded us today that “we are in this together, we can walk through this together, and we will find our way in our life together.”
 
Let us pray:
 
FOR PEOPLE CRITICALLY ILL,
OR FACING GREAT UNCERTAINTY
Adapted from A New Zealand Prayer Book
God of the present moment,
God who in Jesus stills the storm
and soothes the frantic heart;
bring hope and courage to us
as we wait in uncertainty.
Bring hope that you will make us the equal
of whatever lies ahead.
Bring us courage to endure what cannot be avoided,
for your will is health and wholeness;
you are God, and we need you.
Amen.

 

 

 

The Rt. Rev. Douglas J. Fisher, Bishop