Modesto-area religious groups stay connected during coronavirus pandemic. Here’s how
Along with the rest of the world, religious organizations continue to adjust to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic – and it comes as some are facing their most holy times of the year.
For those Christians who observe, it’s now Lent. That leads to the greater Christian observance of Easter. For the Jewish, Passover is about to begin. Both are times filled with events, gatherings and, ultimately, celebrations. But in-person plans, along with those of other religions, have been halted.
Still, pastors and other leaders are staying in touch with their congregations, heralding the technology that helps them connect virtually for information, comfort, group meetings and regular services.
At Modesto’s Shelter Cove, they’ve called everyone who has been part of the church to check in on them, according Executive Pastor Ed Kelley.
Many other local religious organizations have similarly reached out to members.
“We’re going to get through this as a world with compassion and remaining calm,” Congregation Beth Shalom Rabbi Shalom Bochner said.
Virtual religious services are a sign of these strange times, with numerous groups holding regular services online on various platforms.
“We are offering online services every Sunday and then connect with people over our socials on Tuesday and Thursday each week,” Lead Pastor Matt Whiteford of CrossPoint Community Church said in an email interview. “I think it’s super important to remind each other that we are in this together and while we all feel isolated to some degree, that we are not alone.”
At the Catholic Diocese of Stockton, which serves the greater Modesto region, Chancellor Dyan Hollenhorst said the number of parishes adding livestreaming Masses continues to grow.
“It’s been extraordinary to see how our parishes have stepped up and gotten on board to stream Masses. Right now we’ve got quite a few doing livestreaming,” she said. They’re keeping track of those parishes, along with other resources, for the public on the diocese website, stocktondiocese.org.
Particularly difficult for Jewish faith
Livestreaming during Sabbath is particularly unusual for Jewish congregations, Bochner said, when they are not supposed to use phones, laptops or any technology. He noted that there are orthodox leaders in Israel giving the go ahead to use technology for Seders and services.
CBS will continue to offer online services. “We’re in a time of great need, it’s not a normal situation, it’s a crisis and one needs to be more lenient in such a time of crisis,” Bochner said.
Passover, which begins the evening of Wednesday, April 8, and ends in the evening of Thursday, April 16, presents particular difficulties for the Jewish people, he said.
They are required to clean out all leavened products — those typically containing yeast, baking powder or baking soda — from their homes during Passover, leaving only unleavened items. “It certainly impacts what, for many people, are staple items and all that has to go for Passover,” Bochner said.
It’s been a challenge to find unleavened products, with the shelves at many stores that stock such items having been picked clean, he said. After Passover, they’ll have to restock their regular pantries and refrigerators from stores with shelves that are often sparse these days.
Also troubling for the Jewish community is that the observance of the holiday, the Seder, is an elaborate ritual and meal more than 3,000 years old that is to be eaten with families, Bochner said. People travel hundreds of miles to be together.
“Right now people are only going to have Seders in their homes,” he said. “For people living alone, it’s almost unimaginable.”
Christians face Easter at a distance
For Catholics, the days leading up to Easter — April 12 — are particularly important. Hollenhorst said Bishop Myron Cotta will livestream the Triduum, “our greatest liturgy of the year.” The Triduum includes Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
“I think we’re encouraging everybody to stay as connected to their spiritual community as possible,” she said, via virtual platforms, by text or by phone.
Kelley acknowledged the importance of Easter and said the church has now started to reinvent itself. Shelter Cove services also are being held online.
When churches experience difficult times, Kelley believes they spiritually grow.
“Often the church is where people turn to ... and to the Bible and Jesus,” he said. “When push comes to shove, they really do know there’s something more out there. They start wondering, what else don’t they know.
“I think a lot of people are hurting so I think Easter is going to be bigger online than it’s ever been before, personally.”
Other religious leaders also turn online
Services have stopped at the Sikh temple in Hughson, according to Mani Grewal, secretary of the temple. Grewal also is a Modesto City councilman.
Grewal said there are Sikh religious leaders going online to read scriptures and holding Sangats – services – online. The temple is directing members where to join via its Facebook page and word of mouth in its community.
“A lot of people are at peace that they are able to take part in the ... religious scriptures,” he said.
Pastor Joshua Trautmann at Geneva Presbyterian is broadcasting live Sunday services from his home. The first service attracted more views than the number of church members who normally attend, he said.
He’s also reaching out to church members. “I’m finding most people are not afraid, they’re ready for this to be over, they’re ready to get out,” he said.
Whiteford said that during CrossPoint streaming services, they remind people that they can “contact us if they want someone to call them and pray with them or if they have needs or want to serve.”
“I think people are patient and are just excited to have something familiar that feels anchored and kind of unchanged in a season that everything around them has changed,” Whiteford said.
Many religious groups continue to stream youth and other small ministry groups along with their services. People can find information on most area organization websites or Facebook pages.
At the Islamic Center of Modesto, Imam Ahmad Kayello said they, too, have stopped services and congregations. Normally on Fridays, the holy day in the Islamic faith, about 500 people attend.
In addition, members pray five times daily at the Islamic Center. That also has been halted, Kayello said, and people are now expected to pray from their homes.
“That wasn’t easy news for the community because there is a sacred dedication for the service,” he said.
Kayello said they also now depend fully on social media such as Facebook, YouTube and WhatsApp to broadcast services and other information. In addition, Saturday school for children is being broadcast on Zoom.
He is sharing with his faithful how to overcome stress and anxiety from the Islamic perspective and “what are lessons we can learn from the pandemic. Basically to keep everybody in the loop, keep communication and spirituality up,” Kayello said.
Taking a financial hit
Like many, religious organizations are being hit financially by the pandemic. Trautmann said he had to furlough the entire staff at Geneva Presbyterian.
“We’ve cut back everywhere we can,” he said.
Giving is based on a spiritual practice between the person and the Lord, he said. “Please continue with the practice that you’ve committed to (and that it) is alive and vibrant.”
Hollenhorst said that while many churches have long instituted weekly online giving, not all in the Stockton Diocese are fully set up for that. “Everybody’s numbers are down.”
“Right now it’s important that they know that their parishes are working really hard ... to keep connected, to keep parishes open and going and to really hold their parishes and parish families at the forefront of their mind,” she said.. “Support them in whatever way you can, whether by prayer or financially.”
Kelley said Shelter Cove has been impacted and also had to furlough some staff. “There was no way around that.”
Looking for hope in the future
Religious leaders also are looking ahead to what sort of positives might come once the coronavirus pandemic has passed and life returns to normal.
“This whole thing just might be a pause for us to take an inventory of how we live with one another and how our lives make others better or worse,” Whiteford said. “My prayer is that on the other side, we will be a more humble, grateful, and confident people because we have realized how incredibly blessed we really are.”
Bochner said this crisis might lead to “lasting good in the future.”
“It’s absolutely inspiring to see my colleagues and my members rally, ‘how do we help, how do we stay connected, how do we do a Seder.’ No negativity.”
Kayello said he’s “asking everybody to pray for all of us and for God to save us from this calamity and to remove it from Earth.”
Trautmann said he wants “to tell people that God is fully capable to handle whatever crisis we’re in and God will see us through this.”
Let The Bee know how you’re practicing your faith during the coronavirus pandemic. Send an email to local@modbee.com.
This story was originally published April 4, 2020 at 1:05 PM.
