From Your Pastors
As the Covid-19 pandemic continues, we are especially prayerful for our sisters and brothers in India and Argentina where shortages of essential medical supplies and food are wreaking havoc. Despite the continued struggle in the state of Michigan, northern New Hampshire and lower Maine, and pockets in the upper mid and far-northwestern states and parts of Texas we are fortunate that the current infection and mortality rates continue to fall. Currently, Brooklyn has fewer than 9,000 cases of Covid reported. We are pleased that our efforts in the parishes have assured a safe return to public worship. As more of our parishioners begin to return to worship, we could not be happier and are so glad to see you.
In order for us to continue to provide the safest possible environment for all, we want to encourage you to continue to follow the scientifically based and objective advice of the CDC as you navigate the various activities of daily life. We know most of you, as are we, are tired of wearing face coverings, not embracing, or keeping distance. Yet...Please keep wearing your face covering in the areas and spaces required, including church sites. Please continue to sanitize your hands as you come into the church spaces (we notice that some are slacking off on this.) Please keep social distance. We know you want to talk and get closer to one another again, but we must protect one another with the care of Good Shepherds, with responsible action where someone else might not. And please–get vaccinated!
We know some people have expressed concern or don’t feel the need. But the best way we can care for one another, the vulnerable and the robust, is to get vaccinated. We have been reminded by Pope Francis that there is a moral imperative to get vaccinated if there is no medical reason prohibiting it. He had visited vaccine sites, particularly serving the poor in Rome, to encourage people on this. We encourage you to participate in the NYS Excelsior Pass which verifies vaccination and will be used to access venues and other activities. This link provides more information https://covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov/excelsior-pass.
If you have questions and need resources or someone to talk with, please contact us and we will get you connected with experts and those who can help you navigate the process.
We are pleased that since we have reopened for public worship, we have had no transmissions of Covid-19 conveyed through our church sites. Our protocols are working and many in our communities have helped each other get tested, vaccinated, and keep sane. We thank you for helping us keep one another safe through this pandemic. We remain committed to keeping our community healthy and safe. We hope that we will see the real end for the pandemic in the coming year. Until we do and the science tells us so, let’s do everything we can to keep each other safe. Together we continue forward, as always, by God’s grace. When we can, we’re going to hug the stuffing out of you!
Fr. Michael Callaghan, c.o. and Fr. Mark Lane, c.o.
