Letter from The Rev. Dorian Mulvey, Rector, St. Anthony on the Desert:
March 16, 2020
Dear Friends in Christ,
These are difficult and uncertain times as we assess how to remain safe and healthy in the face of this pandemic. As a faith community we rely on the power of prayer and we trust in the healing power of God. As a faith community we also rely on one another to provide comfort, courage and strength. We must continue to turn to all of these while navigating new ways to do so.
I am writing to advise you of some significant changes being implemented at St. Anthony due to the health concerns surrounding the Coronavirus. This is a time to make prudent decisions to mitigate the spread of this virus. We are asked to do our part for the sake of the common good and to protect the most vulnerable among us.
Here is what you need to know:
Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord.
They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out roots by the stream.
It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green;
in the year of drought, it is not anxious,
and it does not cease to bear fruit.
Blessings and Peace,
Dorian+
March 16, 2020
Dear Friends in Christ,
These are difficult and uncertain times as we assess how to remain safe and healthy in the face of this pandemic. As a faith community we rely on the power of prayer and we trust in the healing power of God. As a faith community we also rely on one another to provide comfort, courage and strength. We must continue to turn to all of these while navigating new ways to do so.
I am writing to advise you of some significant changes being implemented at St. Anthony due to the health concerns surrounding the Coronavirus. This is a time to make prudent decisions to mitigate the spread of this virus. We are asked to do our part for the sake of the common good and to protect the most vulnerable among us.
Here is what you need to know:
- Beginning next Sunday, March 22nd our public Sunday worship services (8 am and 10 am) will be suspended. In their place we will videotape a Morning Prayer service to post on the church website (www.st-anthony.net) each Sunday. While we will miss shared communion and the ability to gather for worship together, we will engage in another, beautiful way to offer worship and praise to God.
- All other worship services, ministry meetings and gatherings will be cancelled until further notice. This includes upcoming events such as our Wednesday evening Lenten program, youth group meetings, Make a Difference Day, the Final Affairs Workshop, Avid Readers, Seasoned Saints events plus many others. Ministry leaders are encouraged to reach out to those who might attend such events to make sure they are aware of this change.
- While there will be no on-site programs for children or youth, staff members for these ministries will continue to connect with families to provide faith-based materials to use at home.
- We are a community engaged in much outreach. I urge outreach ministry leaders to explore ways we can continue to support those in need without endangering our lives or the lives of others. In addition, please consider donating non-perishable food items, paper supplies and over-the-counter medical supplies to local food pantries for those in need.
- The church office will remain open to handle routine matters. You can reach the church office staff by phone (480-451-0860) or e-mail (office@st-anthony.net). But we ask you, please do not stop by the office unless you have an urgent need. Thank you in advance for respecting our office staff’s health and safety.
- Through this uncertain time, we will continue to pay our staff their normal salaries and cover facility related expenses. I urge everyone to remain current on their pledges whenever possible. This will provide needed cash flow for the church to meet all its financial obligations.
- During this time, I will not be making in-person pastoral visits except in critical situations. However, both I and our Companion ministers will be increasing our calls to check on parish members, especially the home bound. If you have a need please do not hesitate to contact me or your companion.
- The practice of “social distancing” creates an opportunity to find different ways for us to connect. Reach out to others via social media or the old-fashioned way – by telephone - to provide support, encouragement and to share Christ’s love.
- This link for the Center for Disease Control (https://www.cdc.gov/) provides recommendations on safe practices as well as frequent updates on the status of the virus. We will also post updates that relate to St. Anthony on our website - www.st-anthony.net.
- Beyond practical information to keep our bodies safe, I offer some links to nurture the spiritual.
- Presiding Bishop Michael Curry will post a meditation each Monday to encourage what he calls “habits of grace.”
- This website from the Society of St. John the Evangelist provides online resources for those who wish to continue our Lenten program at home.
- Lenten resources from the national Episcopal Church center.
Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord.
They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out roots by the stream.
It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green;
in the year of drought, it is not anxious,
and it does not cease to bear fruit.
Blessings and Peace,
Dorian+
Letter from the Rt. Rev. Jennifer Reddall, Bishop of the Diocese of AZ
March 16, 2020
"That it may please thee to support, help, and comfort all who are in danger, necessity, and tribulation, We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord." --the Great Litany, BCP page 151.
Dear Friends in Christ,
I write to give instructions for congregations in the Diocese of Arizona in the coming weeks in light of the Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommendations for gatherings of groups during this pandemic of COVID-19.
I am instructing all of our congregations to cancel all in-person, public worship through at least April 20, and I expect it will be likely to continue longer, as the CDC is recommending cancelling 8 weeks of public gatherings. I also instruct our congregations to cancel all public events involving more than 10 people during this time, including classes, rehearsals, and meetings. All in-person Diocesan events during this time are also cancelled or being moved to online platforms.
I do not take this decision lightly. But it is made out of love. In this particular season, loving our neighbors means being apart from them.
Guidance for several areas of our congregational life is contained below.
WORSHIP
Several of our congregations in Arizona experimented with offering live-streamed worship yesterday. You are all permitted and encouraged to do so; the Diocese is going to attempt to feature one specific service each week to remind us that we are all in this together, and that we can gather collectively in prayer and praise.
I note that we are not cancelling prayer -- if anything we are called to pray more, not less, during this time of trial. We will be offering additional online prayer resources as the days proceed. But at home, use your Book of Common Prayer. If you do not have one, go to your local Episcopal Church and ask to borrow one. If you do not know how to use it for Morning Prayer or other services, we will teach you. I'm planning to do a YouTube tutorial tomorrow on how to pray Morning Prayer on your own. Nothing can separate us from the love of God-and nothing can force our prayers to cease.
PASTORAL CARE and FELLOWSHIP
We are called to love one another, and we are now called to do so in more creative ways. Work with your congregation to establish a phone tree, and reach out particularly to those who are elderly or isolated. Have children write letters and draw pictures for the homebound.
I know many in our congregations will be missing coffee hour as much as worship. Tiffany Cramer (tiffany@azdiocese.org), our Events Coordinator, has offered to be a liaison for helping teach you how to set up an online event for your congregation so that you can see each other's faces and talk to friends. Even when you are confined to your home, you are not alone. Christ binds us to one another in life and even in death.
OUTREACH
If there is one area where we must continue to put ourselves at some risk, it is in caring for the most economically vulnerable in our communities. I encourage all congregations to see how they can maintain their food pantries, meal programs, small 12-step meetings, and other ministries that will be absolutely essential during the time when hourly employees are unable to work, and ever more people find themselves food insecure. Do so wisely: keep social distance, disinfect everything, and offer meals to go, or drive up food pantries rather than in your buildings. But do not cease serving the vulnerable. And I encourage those who are able to donate to their clergy's discretionary funds, so that our clergy have the capacity to help those who need help when they come to our doors.
CHURCH OFFICES
At this time, I do not see a need to instruct congregations to close their offices entirely. Follow CDC guidelines about keeping yourselves safe, use good judgment about which staff and volunteers are at-risk and should stay home, and work remotely if you can. But phones need to be answered if possible, and instructions given for how to connect if you are in need. An essential function of church life right now is communications: keep talking to your people through phone trees, Zoom gatherings, your website, and good old-fashioned mail. Update your signage, so that people who come to your property know how to get in touch with a human being.
FOR THOSE WHO GET SICK
It appears to me, from what I have read, that even with all these precautions, it is likely that many of us will end up acquiring COVID-19. There is no shame in doing so. Seek help, according to the recommendations of the CDC and others, and let your clergy know so that they can be helpful in making sure you receive the care you need, and have access to the supplies you need.
Canon Nicole Krug, our Diocesan Disaster Coordinator, is developing a protocol for congregations who have members with COVID-19 and are concerned that the disease may have spread within the congregations.
FINANCE
Cancelling public worship is going to have economic effects for our congregations and our diocese. As the beginning of a plan, we have three guidelines:
Right now, I envision the Diocesan Office as a clearing house for questions, and a source of connection for congregations in need. Some staff members will work remotely; others will come in to the office.
We have set up a resource page on our website to include links for prayer, reliable information about COVID-19, and support for clergy and lay mental health.
BUT WHAT ABOUT EASTER?
The word "quarantine" comes from quaresima, the Italian word for Lent. Ships were "quarantined" for 40 days in port before they were able to dock and unload people and supplies. So of all seasons of the year to be experiencing quarantines, this is very appropriate. Just as Lent ends with Easter, so this season of quarantine will end with renewed faith in our Risen Lord-though it will likely not happen by April 12, 2020. Over the next few weeks, as the situation develops, we will discern what the right way to observe calendar Easter is; and what the right way to observe our eventual return to congregational life, proclaiming "Alleluia" with shouts of joy. That day will be an Easter Day indeed, celebrating the restoration of new life, having passed through the valley of the shadow of death.
I will be in contact with you as things change and develop; know that you are in my prayers: congregations, clergy, laypeople, and all those whom you serve.
May God's peace be with you in the coming days.
Yours in Christ,
+Jennifer
The Rt. Rev. Jennifer A. Reddall
Sixth Bishop of Arizona
Please go to the St. Anthony Facebook page to hear Bishop Reddall's announcement.
March 16, 2020
"That it may please thee to support, help, and comfort all who are in danger, necessity, and tribulation, We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord." --the Great Litany, BCP page 151.
Dear Friends in Christ,
I write to give instructions for congregations in the Diocese of Arizona in the coming weeks in light of the Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommendations for gatherings of groups during this pandemic of COVID-19.
I am instructing all of our congregations to cancel all in-person, public worship through at least April 20, and I expect it will be likely to continue longer, as the CDC is recommending cancelling 8 weeks of public gatherings. I also instruct our congregations to cancel all public events involving more than 10 people during this time, including classes, rehearsals, and meetings. All in-person Diocesan events during this time are also cancelled or being moved to online platforms.
I do not take this decision lightly. But it is made out of love. In this particular season, loving our neighbors means being apart from them.
Guidance for several areas of our congregational life is contained below.
WORSHIP
Several of our congregations in Arizona experimented with offering live-streamed worship yesterday. You are all permitted and encouraged to do so; the Diocese is going to attempt to feature one specific service each week to remind us that we are all in this together, and that we can gather collectively in prayer and praise.
I note that we are not cancelling prayer -- if anything we are called to pray more, not less, during this time of trial. We will be offering additional online prayer resources as the days proceed. But at home, use your Book of Common Prayer. If you do not have one, go to your local Episcopal Church and ask to borrow one. If you do not know how to use it for Morning Prayer or other services, we will teach you. I'm planning to do a YouTube tutorial tomorrow on how to pray Morning Prayer on your own. Nothing can separate us from the love of God-and nothing can force our prayers to cease.
PASTORAL CARE and FELLOWSHIP
We are called to love one another, and we are now called to do so in more creative ways. Work with your congregation to establish a phone tree, and reach out particularly to those who are elderly or isolated. Have children write letters and draw pictures for the homebound.
I know many in our congregations will be missing coffee hour as much as worship. Tiffany Cramer (tiffany@azdiocese.org), our Events Coordinator, has offered to be a liaison for helping teach you how to set up an online event for your congregation so that you can see each other's faces and talk to friends. Even when you are confined to your home, you are not alone. Christ binds us to one another in life and even in death.
OUTREACH
If there is one area where we must continue to put ourselves at some risk, it is in caring for the most economically vulnerable in our communities. I encourage all congregations to see how they can maintain their food pantries, meal programs, small 12-step meetings, and other ministries that will be absolutely essential during the time when hourly employees are unable to work, and ever more people find themselves food insecure. Do so wisely: keep social distance, disinfect everything, and offer meals to go, or drive up food pantries rather than in your buildings. But do not cease serving the vulnerable. And I encourage those who are able to donate to their clergy's discretionary funds, so that our clergy have the capacity to help those who need help when they come to our doors.
CHURCH OFFICES
At this time, I do not see a need to instruct congregations to close their offices entirely. Follow CDC guidelines about keeping yourselves safe, use good judgment about which staff and volunteers are at-risk and should stay home, and work remotely if you can. But phones need to be answered if possible, and instructions given for how to connect if you are in need. An essential function of church life right now is communications: keep talking to your people through phone trees, Zoom gatherings, your website, and good old-fashioned mail. Update your signage, so that people who come to your property know how to get in touch with a human being.
FOR THOSE WHO GET SICK
It appears to me, from what I have read, that even with all these precautions, it is likely that many of us will end up acquiring COVID-19. There is no shame in doing so. Seek help, according to the recommendations of the CDC and others, and let your clergy know so that they can be helpful in making sure you receive the care you need, and have access to the supplies you need.
Canon Nicole Krug, our Diocesan Disaster Coordinator, is developing a protocol for congregations who have members with COVID-19 and are concerned that the disease may have spread within the congregations.
FINANCE
Cancelling public worship is going to have economic effects for our congregations and our diocese. As the beginning of a plan, we have three guidelines:
- I am asking all congregations to continue to pay all of their staff, even staff who may not be working because of the suspension of worship.
- I am asking all church members to maintain their pledges, as they are able.
- I am in the process of asking the Standing Committee to approve a Diocesan Relief Fund to assist congregations in maintaining their payroll, insurance payments, etc. if necessary.
Right now, I envision the Diocesan Office as a clearing house for questions, and a source of connection for congregations in need. Some staff members will work remotely; others will come in to the office.
We have set up a resource page on our website to include links for prayer, reliable information about COVID-19, and support for clergy and lay mental health.
BUT WHAT ABOUT EASTER?
The word "quarantine" comes from quaresima, the Italian word for Lent. Ships were "quarantined" for 40 days in port before they were able to dock and unload people and supplies. So of all seasons of the year to be experiencing quarantines, this is very appropriate. Just as Lent ends with Easter, so this season of quarantine will end with renewed faith in our Risen Lord-though it will likely not happen by April 12, 2020. Over the next few weeks, as the situation develops, we will discern what the right way to observe calendar Easter is; and what the right way to observe our eventual return to congregational life, proclaiming "Alleluia" with shouts of joy. That day will be an Easter Day indeed, celebrating the restoration of new life, having passed through the valley of the shadow of death.
I will be in contact with you as things change and develop; know that you are in my prayers: congregations, clergy, laypeople, and all those whom you serve.
May God's peace be with you in the coming days.
Yours in Christ,
+Jennifer
The Rt. Rev. Jennifer A. Reddall
Sixth Bishop of Arizona
Please go to the St. Anthony Facebook page to hear Bishop Reddall's announcement.
Concerns About Contagious Diseases in Churches:
Care to Help Ensure Good Health
Care to Help Ensure Good Health
With the regular flu season upon us and increasing concerns about the possible spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, the Diocese wishes to remind everyone about mindful practices for hygiene to minimize the risk of contagious diseases in churches. Here are some simple things you can do to help everyone:
Wash your hands frequently. Provide plenty of soap and paper towels in restrooms and kitchens.
To the extent possible, churches should make hand-sanitizers available. Sanitize hands before and after contact with others. Place containers of hand sanitizer in the pews, near doors, and beside tissue boxes to be used when hand washing is not possible.
If you are not feeling well (even a little bit), stay home. You are not helping any one by arriving at church with a cold or the flu to tough it out. Clergy or lay ministers can bring the sacraments to shut-ins and/or provide pastoral care by phone as appropriate. Substitutes can be found for Sunday ministries.
The Peace — respectful acknowledgment of each other with no physical contact. Parishioners who are coughing or sneezing should refrain from handshaking during the Peace. Bowing to each other, friendly waves, and peace signs are all perfectly acceptable substitutes for handshakes and hugs.
Make sure the Holy Eucharist is offered by individuals who have cleaned their hands (and used hand sanitizer). Ask the altar guild to clean handrails and the altar rail before and after each service.
Avoid intinction — the dipping of the bread into the wine — even by celebrants or communion-administrators. Intinction is not a sanitary substitute for drinking from the chalice. Intinction risks possibly unclean hands being dipped in the wine and is thus an infection transmission route. It also creates risk for those with certain allergies.
The shared communion cup. There is little evidence of risk of disease associated with the shared communion cup, but each parishioner must make up their own minds about its use.
The receiving line following the service should include conversation, but with no physical contact.
Coffee Hour. All effort should be made to minimize the touching of food or beverages. Food should be served by individuals who have washed their hands, put on serving gloves, and are using tongs. Beverages should be served by individuals who have washed their hands and are wearing gloves. Either paper plates and napkins or a dishwasher with a water temperature setting hot enough to kill germs should be used for cleanup.
It’s not too late to get your flu shot. While many are worried about the COVID19 virus spreading, this is already a bad flu season. If people have not gotten a flu vaccine, there’s still time before the expected second wave of seasonal flu infections.
Best hygiene practice should continue to be observed in all pastoral contacts.
Additional information and links may be found on the Episcopal Relief & Development web page, “Faith-Based Response to Epidemics.”
Wash your hands frequently. Provide plenty of soap and paper towels in restrooms and kitchens.
To the extent possible, churches should make hand-sanitizers available. Sanitize hands before and after contact with others. Place containers of hand sanitizer in the pews, near doors, and beside tissue boxes to be used when hand washing is not possible.
If you are not feeling well (even a little bit), stay home. You are not helping any one by arriving at church with a cold or the flu to tough it out. Clergy or lay ministers can bring the sacraments to shut-ins and/or provide pastoral care by phone as appropriate. Substitutes can be found for Sunday ministries.
The Peace — respectful acknowledgment of each other with no physical contact. Parishioners who are coughing or sneezing should refrain from handshaking during the Peace. Bowing to each other, friendly waves, and peace signs are all perfectly acceptable substitutes for handshakes and hugs.
Make sure the Holy Eucharist is offered by individuals who have cleaned their hands (and used hand sanitizer). Ask the altar guild to clean handrails and the altar rail before and after each service.
Avoid intinction — the dipping of the bread into the wine — even by celebrants or communion-administrators. Intinction is not a sanitary substitute for drinking from the chalice. Intinction risks possibly unclean hands being dipped in the wine and is thus an infection transmission route. It also creates risk for those with certain allergies.
The shared communion cup. There is little evidence of risk of disease associated with the shared communion cup, but each parishioner must make up their own minds about its use.
The receiving line following the service should include conversation, but with no physical contact.
Coffee Hour. All effort should be made to minimize the touching of food or beverages. Food should be served by individuals who have washed their hands, put on serving gloves, and are using tongs. Beverages should be served by individuals who have washed their hands and are wearing gloves. Either paper plates and napkins or a dishwasher with a water temperature setting hot enough to kill germs should be used for cleanup.
It’s not too late to get your flu shot. While many are worried about the COVID19 virus spreading, this is already a bad flu season. If people have not gotten a flu vaccine, there’s still time before the expected second wave of seasonal flu infections.
Best hygiene practice should continue to be observed in all pastoral contacts.
Additional information and links may be found on the Episcopal Relief & Development web page, “Faith-Based Response to Epidemics.”