Catholic Church children's ministry outreach hit by Covid-19 social distancing rules

 EAP: Black Valley Vic, Aust. To the list of detritus of collateral damage wrecked by the worldwide pandemic of Covid-19 has been added the children's outreach program run by the St Christopher Parish of the Roman Catholic Church. Already hit hard by thinning pew numbers before the pandemic and further hit by the necessary removal of 2 in 3 pews to meet with mandated social distancing regulations the parish clergy now find themselves unable to interact with the young in their outreach program and unable to tend to their pastoral needs.

Father Brian Fitzerrol told an EAP reporter, "Social distancing means we can not interact with children in the way clergy traditionally have done. Zoom is not the same spiritual experience. It's has to be a hands on experience in order to win children to Christ. I know a lot about children's ministry because of my experience of being transferred more than 20 times between different parishes in the course of my vocation doing this work for the lord."

Father Fitzerrol's experience is echoed across the state of Victoria as the state is griped in a rolling second wave of Covid-19 infections. Many priests are reporting that the necessity of tackling the pandemic has led to lower quality ministry with the youngest members of the congregation. Father Vince Barney of the nearby St John Parish asked, "How can we bring children closer to Christ, and his holy church. if we can not be in close contact to the children we are ministering to?"

Others however remain hopeful that, with faith and God's will, a vaccine that the church'es supreme position as a light bearer for God's Kingdom will return to strength. Brother Jim Lennon says"We must have faith that whatever happens God will have a purpose and, with prayer we, the church and the people of the good state of Victoria will see the other side of this crisis. God will surely make a vaccine available if his will is done. Maybe God intends other forms of pastoral care. Without children on our hands we will have time on our hands to attend to other pastoral needs but we pray that this generation will not be lost to the church because of a lack of close contact with the holy father."

***

Evil Atheist Press, August 2020

 

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