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Despite being one of the biggest holidays on the christian calendar, this year’s Easter weekend services will have a bit of a different feel to them.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic all Holy Week celebrations will be live-streamed only, according to the Saskatoon Diocese.
According to Father Geoff Young from Our Lady of Lourdes parish in Saskatoon, at an important time like Easter, this process can be difficult for the congregation and for the priests who now have to preach to an empty room.
“It’s very difficult and it’s a tough time. This is the high point of our whole year and really the culmination of our prayers and our life as a parish and family and so ya it’s quite difficult to not be able to physically gather,” he said.
“Even our prayers as catholics when we celebrate the liturgy, it’s not like a lecture it’s ultimately like a prayer to God. We are with the people, offering our prayers to God. So when you remove that, when the people aren’t physically there, you do have to call to mind your people and you have to try to reach out to them, even if it’s through video.”
Following along with the prayers and liturgy from home is one thing but when it comes to other essential parts of a service like confession of sins or receiving the body and blood of christ, the solution isn’t as simple.
“It’s absolutely essential, we live on the holy eucharist and we long to come each Sunday but even people come throughout the week daily. It’s very essential for our soul and for our spiritual life,” said Young.
“Even though we can’t come to receive the sacrament of holy communion, individuals are invited to make an act, a prayer, of spiritual communion and this is an old tradition in the church. We say ‘now that we are not able to come to you in the holy eucharist, I offer myself to you and ask that you will come and be one with me and be in union.'”
Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday services will be live-streamed from Cathedral of the Holy Family at various times. Easter Sunday service will be live-streamed from St. Paul Co-Cathedral at 10 a.m.
Other parishes may also be live-streaming some of their services if they have the equipment to do so.
