From the Rector: COVID-19 & Worship

12 March 2020

I send you greetings in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Bishop continues to provide patient guidance to our churches during this challenging time. You may view his teachings on the diocesan website. The most recent teachings have been posted on our parish website. All the teachings are excellent, and I encourage you to read them. I also realize that everyone is being inundated with coronavirus news. (Even my car mechanic has sent me a special email assuring me that they have extra soap for their facilities.)

In regard to our worship life at St. Mark's, a few changes have been enforced. Holy water has been removed from the church, and bodily contact during the peace has been discontinued.

When receiving communion, the bread may only be received into one's hands and no longer on the tongue. In regard to intinction, auto-intinction has not been our church's practice for quite some time now; however, for the current time, intinction (when the Eucharistic Minister dips the host into the wine and places the host on the communicant's tongue) has also been discontinued. St. Mark's will continue to offer the chalice. If you wish to receive the wine by drinking from the chalice, that is a decision based on your conscience.

Please know it is completely sufficient to receive the Sacrament in one kind only. Just as baptism is not dependent on the amount of water used, the grace of Holy Communion is sufficient when only receiving the bread or the wine. Most importantly, we do not judge people for how they choose to receive the Holy Sacrament.

Lent seems to have come with greater force this year. May the joy of Easter come quickly to our broken world.

Father Paul Lillie +