LI houses of worship call for phased-in approach to reopening
Some Long Island religious leaders disagree with President Donald Trump’s call to reopen churches and other houses of worship this weekend, urging a phased-in approach instead.
Trump on Friday deemed houses of worship essential, urging governors to allow them to reopen this weekend despite the coronavirus pandemic. In New York, houses of worship are now permitted to resume holding religious ceremonies with 10 or fewer worshippers as long as social distancing rules are observed, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced late Friday .
Although the religious leaders agree that their buildings are an essential part of their congregants’ spiritual practice, they feel strongly that it is too soon to reopen and urge their worshippers to pray at home.
“At this time, we want our houses of worship to open because they are an essential part of our spirituality, our religiosity and an important aspect of our daily lives,” said Isma Chaudhry, who serves as chairwoman of the Islamic Center of Long Island in Westbury. “However, we have to be very cautious.”
Chaudhry, an internal medicine doctor and public health practitioner, is a member of the state’s Interfaith Advisory Council, which met virtually on Thursday to discuss reopening houses of worship using a phased-in approach, she said.
“If we suddenly open the houses of worship, people will lower their guard and we will make the most vulnerable in our community — children and elderly — susceptible to this virus once again,” Chaudhry said. “We must continue to be very disciplined and have a phased-in approach to open the houses of worship. Let’s start with 10 and then 20 and raise that incrementally.”
On Saturday, Chaudhry and other leaders at the Islamic Center of Long Island handed out about 1,000 goody bags to children in a drive-by celebration of Eid al-Fitr, a Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan. The center has not opened to worshippers but plans to reopen starting this week to a maximum of 10 people at a time and with new provisions, including bringing their own prayer rugs and wearing masks, she said.
Bishop Lawrence C. Provenzano of the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island said his diocese has a target date of July 1 to begin holding in-person worship to a limited number of people. St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Roosevelt is shown Saturday. Credit: Kendall Rodriguez
Meanwhile, Bishop Lawrence C. Provenzano of the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island said his diocese had a target date of July 1 to begin holding in-person worship with a limited number of people. The diocese has its own task force, comprising himself, other bishops, clergy and worshippers, that is in the process of creating a reopening plan, Provenzano said.
“We’re recognizing that ultimately, we will not get back to anything that looks like church prior to the start of this pandemic until we know that there is sufficient, accurate testing and a vaccine or a cure,” Provenzano said.
Provenzano issued a statement Friday in response to Trump’s announcement, saying his diocese will “honor the loyal and selfless dedication” of hospital and essential workers by “avoiding reckless ideas and uninformed options in the face of medical science.”
“To think that somehow we all just ought to go back to church — it would be a complete disaster,” Provenzano said in a phone interview.
He said congregants had been attending Mass virtually and did not need the physical church to pray.
“The church is the people of God. It’s not the buildings,” he said. “The virus is spread by human interaction and almost everything we do in our buildings puts us in too close proximity to each other.”
Sean Dolan, director of communications for the Diocese of Rockville Centre, said those who were sick or part of the vulnerable populations would be encouraged to stay home.
“Each parish is unique in its layout and resources and will need time to adjust” to the new restrictions, Dolan said in a statement. “Until further notice, the dispensation from the requirement to attend Sunday Mass remains in effect.”
Dolan added that some parishes would continue to offer only virtual Mass.
Bishop Paul Egensteiner of the Metropolitan New York Synod, a regional part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, said his churches would remain closed.
“Being at the epicenter of this pandemic and in order to protect our flock, we advise that congregations remain closed until more accurate and uniform information is provided,” Egensteiner said. “We know we are essential, but it is not essential to gather in person at this time.”
