Services are being moved online during the coronavirus crisis, but the faithful are still able to come together this Easter.
“This is a hard time everybody is going through. People are looking for solace and comfort and assurance,” said Rev. Shevalle Kimber of the First Calvary Baptist Church.
Rev. Kimber plans to still offer an Easter service for members of First Calvary Baptist Church in New Haven.
But this year’s service will be streamed online like others they’ve been doing recently.
“We will have songs. We will have prayers. We will even have a little homily and then we will actually check in with each and every member who has called in on Zoom or who has called in on the conference call. So we hear from everyone,” said Rev. Kimber.
With Easter on Sunday and nicer weather ahead, New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker says he realizes people are getting anxious to resume their usual activities.
“I’m discouraged to hear that some people are saying and promoting that just around the corner we’re going to be able to reopen a lot of stores and get back to life as normal because I think that is deeply irresponsible,” said Mayor Elicker.
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The mayor says medical experts tell him now is not the time back out of efforts to protect the health and safety of everyone.
“In the long run for the economy to be strong we need to make sure that now is not the time that we focus on reopening but rather the time we focus on keeping hunkered down and staying home and staying safe,” said Mayor Elicker.
So for this Holy Week, churches have adapted.
Trinity on the Green in New Haven is providing a livestream of services, as is the Archdiocese of Hartford.
And at First Calvary Baptist Church there’s a special message this year.
“This is not punishment to us. This is preparation for us while we are indoors, while we are quarantined this is preparation to go out become better than we went in,” said Rev. Kimber.
Besides online, the Archdiocese of Hartford is also offering its masses on TV as well on the radio.
