Coping with COVID-19: Diocesan pastors share trends, changes, and lessons learned

To see graphics and charts, see page 14 on the online version of New Earth.

Mask mandates, shut downs, empty schools, canceled events, and pared-down holiday events made the past year unforgettable. For the faithful, 2020 changed how we worship, teach the faith, and support one another.

In August 2020, Ministry Brands, a national religious technology firm, conducted a survey of Catholic and Protestant clergy and office managers around the country to find out how their individual churches and parishes are coping with COVID-19. Six-hundred-forty Protestant churches and 792 Catholic parishes responded to the survey. The questions focused on:

• Challenges the churches faced
• How or if a church was offering worship services
• How churches are engaging members

New Earth was interested in how local churches compared to churches nationwide, so we conducted our own survey of pastors in the Fargo Diocese. We asked some of the same questions as Ministry Brands and a few of our own. We sent 66 surveys, and 38 pastors responded. For the purpose of this article, New Earth compared local results with only Catholic parishes surveyed nationwide. All answers are anonymous, and all graphics and text presented from the two surveys are used with permission.

Question #1 - How is your parish offering Sunday Mass during the pandemic?

Responses to the national survey show that in-person worship and reception of the sacraments remain important to parishioners. Among the Catholic parishes surveyed, 83% offer Masses in-person and online, while 14% offer in-person only. However, parishes in the Fargo Diocese are more evenly split. Parishes offering in-person and online Masses total 47%, compared to the 83% nationwide. Parishes offering in-person only amount to 53%, which far outpaces the national results.

One possibility for the disparity between the diocesan and the national results could be the rural makeup of the Fargo Diocese. Many smaller parishes likely have had little to no need for live-streaming Masses due to their smaller congregations, ability to social-distance during Mass, or financial constraints to acquire live-streaming capabilities. Most of the parishes in the Fargo Diocese offering live-streams are in larger communities, where social distancing requirements put a strain on the space available in the church.

Question #2 - Have you invested in new or upgraded technology since the pandemic started?

Thirty-two Fargo Diocese pastors answered this question. Twenty-one of 32 pastors, or 66%, indicated they either purchased or upgraded their technology to allow for live-streaming in some form. Some of the responses stated:

• “We have purchased cameras and a USB conference microphone for virtual (online) meetings and classes, and have dedicated one PC for video-conferencing. We will be purchasing video equipment to stream Mass.”
• “We bought an iPad and a cord to plug into the sound system ($300). We also are paying for a parish website ($240 per year) and a service call Flocknotes ($150 per year) and Formed.org ($1,000). We have bought TVs for live-streaming ($3,400). We also started online giving.”
• “Started with streaming to Facebook, then upgraded to streaming to Facebook and YouTube. And also purchased a low range transmitter for cars to listen to Mass on the radio in the parking lot.”
• “An online recording device was temporary lent to the parish to live-stream Mass during COVID-19.”

Question #3 - How are you engaging with parishioners during the pandemic?

There are a variety of ways parishes answered this question including everything from video conferencing, social media, and online Masses to texting, email, and phone calls. As referenced earlier, the biggest takeaway from this question is the number of parishes nationwide who are offering online and in-person Masses together compared to local parishes, who appear to shy away from offering online and live-stream options.

Question #4 – Have your adult education methods changed?

This question is Fargo Diocese-unique. Some of the comments from pastors were:

• “They have not, we are trying to keep it as normal as possible. We continue to host adult education with social distancing practices in place.”
• “We sometimes have to have participants of a Bible study attend via Zoom.”
• “Trying to do something with The Chosen video in-person. Haven’t found video-conferencing very helpful.”
• “CANCELED.”
• “Social distancing is taking place and adult ed classes are meeting in the church space.”

Question #5 – Has your RCIA program changed?

This is another Fargo Diocese-unique question. New Earth wondered if parishes who offer RCIA classes were doing anything different to try to ensure RCIA candidates would be welcomed into the Church at the Easter Vigil (with or without COVID-19 restrictions). Some of the responses we received were:

• “To mitigate the rate of infections, instructions are done one-on-one instead of meeting in a big group.”
• “We continue the in-person RCIA but have chosen resources to allow us to move online easily if the need arises.”
• “Yes, we have class, Zoom, and meet with people individually to help them come into the Church.”
• “Postponed.”
• “We are sending catechumens to a neighboring parish.”

  Question #6 – Have you restarted religious education programs?

This question was asked in both the national survey and locally. Nationally, respondents were evenly split (337 not restarting and 329 restarting). Among our local parishes, New Earth gave respondents an opportunity to explain their answers instead of just a yes or no answer. Of 35 who answered the question, 33 parishes have resumed religious education classes, one has not and one indicated the parish doesn’t offer classes. Pastors were varied in their answers on how their parishes were conducting classes:

• “For elementary grades, about half of the families have decided to do RE at home. For in-person sessions, students are required to wear masks. For middle schools and high school, all classes are virtual (online).”
• “To minimize any cross-contamination between school and faith formation students, we are not using our school building’s classrooms until the pandemic is over.”
• “Yes, using packets to work on at home along with the Alive in Christ books and weekly teleconferences to encourage parents and students.”
• “Went to one-time per month instead of weekly and helping parents teach it at home.”
• “Yes. Only changes mandated by the situation; option for ‘home-schooling’ if parents wish. Some have.”

Question #7 – Have you had to make changes or reductions in staff?

This question was asked in both the national and local surveys. Thankfully, most parishes across the country and in our diocese did not have to reduce their staff or make cutbacks.

Question #8 – If your parish has a school, have you adapted new technology to provide online or in-person instruction?

Very few parishes in the Fargo Diocese support a school, so of the 33 pastors who answered this question, it’s not surprising that 24 answered “not applicable.” What was surprising and encouraging was that among the nine pastors who answered, all said that they adopted new technologies for their schools to keep learning progressing whether online or in-person.
 
Question #9 – Do you anticipate changing your Christmas Mass schedule?

Christmas 2020 has already been celebrated, but not at the time of the New Earth survey. This was a Fargo Diocese-unique question to see how COVID-19 might affect one of the Church’s most holy celebrations. Pastors were given permission to celebrate an additional Mass to accommodate an expected increase in participation by the faithful. Some pastors made changes, but others took a wait-and-see approach:

• “We are adding two additional Masses.”
• “Still to be determined. We may not, I don’t think the older people who have been staying away from Mass will attend on a day when there is a chance there is even more people.”
• “Adding a Mass to enable people spread out more, social distancing, and more attendance.”
• “Yes, going from one children’s Mass to three Masses on Christmas Eve.”
• “We will offer one more Mass on Christmas Eve and one more on Christmas day.”
• “Extra Masses will be added as our children’s Mass is usually packed to the walls. We discussed talking about a Mass with mask-only for those who want to use that option. We are going to have a professional musician do a concert for us on Sunday, Dec. 27 for the homebound and care center residents who have not had contact since March. They watch the live-stream Mass every week but not able to receive the Eucharist.”
• “With the ability to have Mass transmitted via projector and screen into social hall, I believe we will keep our regular schedule.”

Question #10 – What have you learned about parish life in adapting to COVID-19?

This was another Fargo Diocese-unique question. Responses from pastors included:

• “There is a growing sense for me that we are losing touch with people who are no longer coming to Mass in-person. Things like scheduling for the liturgical Ministries, and people showing up has become more challenging.”
• “Any decision for safety is either praised or criticized. I find this interesting. Not sure about what will change when the pandemic is over. Being new here, still exploring what we do.”
• “I am concerned parishioners believe live-streamed Mass is the same as in-person Mass. The fact of not receiving Communion does not seem to be a big deal if one makes a ‘spiritual communion.’”
• “It has afforded the opportunity or excuse to be in better contact with parishioners, through database management, phone calls, and vlogs.”
• “I’m confident we will continue offering our Sunday Eucharist online.”
• “Prayer/sacraments are showing themselves to be more crucial to people’s lives (not just their ‘spiritual lives’) than perhaps many realized before.”
• “Allowing people to join online even when an event is held in-person was helpful for a few families. They said that they would have liked to participate in other events in the last couple years but could not get out at night due to kids at home. Listening/joining online was an advantage.”
• “Communicate as widely and in as many ways as possible.”
• “It will be a time where things that were already dying will finally be dead, which will allow us to focus on what is actually bearing fruit and having vitality when the pandemic is done.”
• We cannot continue this way indefinitely. Parish life needs in-person meetings, meals, and retreats. Teleconferencing and using live-streams is a Band-Aid that does not replace in-person interaction. Nevertheless, I think live-streams and putting everything online reaches people that would not be at Church. This is a great evangelization tool, and will continue after the pandemic ends.