New Directives from Our Archbishop Concerning Services
March 31st Directives from Archbishop Alexander
We’ve received a new directive from our Archbishop that goes through April 30th.
Below are the main points from his letter that apply to us:
Parish Services:
…it is perfectly acceptable in cases where communities and governmental officials have implored citizens to remain at home to stop the spread of the disease (excepting for necessities and exercise), it is permitted and acceptable to close the church for all services. This action is acceptable as a compassionate step to fully participate in community efforts to curb the impact of this disease among our neighbors. Situations where a priest has high risk family members, or is high risk himself, might opt for this approach. This is a compassionate step that our communities may take in situations where the pastor deems it appropriate.
Given our “stay at home” request from both Mayor Burke and Governor Lee, Archbishop Alexander has given his blessing to take the above approach, but with a slight compromise. Instead of completely closing the church for all services, because, as the Archbishop has expressed, he “remain(s) convinced of the importance of celebrating the Divine Services…” we will continue to serve the Sunday Resurrectional Liturgy "on behalf of all and for all." We are going to limit services to just myself and Presbytera. This allows for two things: continued celebration of the liturgy and the lifting up all the people of St Tikhon in prayer, and a situation where there is no risk of exposure between families.
Below are other directives that will be going into effect at our parish based on the Archbishop’s latest correspondence:
All Parishes and Missions
Parishioners shall be instructed to remain at home. The doors of the church are to be locked.
A thorough disinfection shall be conducted after each service.
The Church building shall not be opened for any purposes outside of your scheduled liturgical services [this means everyone!]
No one-on-one pastoral interaction, except in extremis. Therefore, no confessions and no distribution of communion.
Confessions, baptisms and chrismations shall be postponed until further notice
Pastors shall creatively and consistently care for their parishioners while separated from them physically.
Our liturgical services will look very different this coming Holy Week and Pascha. Again, based on the directives we’ve received, we will be serving the following (all will be livestreamed on Facebook):
Divine Liturgy of the 5th Week of Lent: St Mary of Egypt [Sunday, April 5th]
Lenten Lay Vespers for St Tikhon’s Repose [Tuesday, April 7th]
Festal Liturgy of Palm Sunday [Sunday, April 12th. I plan to bless palm crosses to deliver to families mailbox that day!]
Vespers of Holy Friday [Friday, April 17th]
Festal Liturgy for Pascha on Sunday morning [Sunday, April 19th]
I will provide a link from one of the monasteries for all other services of Holy Week. I strongly encourage you to join myself and Presbytera and pray with the monks and nuns at these times.
There’s a hopeful note from our Archbishop in all of this. At the end of his letter, he states:
"...These provisions will remain in place at least through April 30, 2020, unless otherwise updated. When the "all clear" has finally been signaled by all the civil jurisdictions, I will designate a common Sunday that all the parishes and missions of my dioceses will be directed to celebrate the Paschal Matins and Liturgy in full (viz. 2 Chronicles 30:1-4) ."
This would be a true joy to all of us, so let’s pray that it’ll be so. As St Paul reminds us:
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
Please also read this encouraging letter from Archimandrite Gerasim - the Administrator of our Diocese and the Dean of the Cathedral in Dallas.
In the next couple of weeks you’ll be hearing more from me, checking in and providing resources for you as we prepare in a very different way for our Lord’s Pascha. Remember, how we experience Pascha is up to us! Will we prepare our hearts as best we can? Will we walk with our Lord in Holy Week? If we do so, even in our absence from the community, we will still be able to say with confidence and joy that “Christ is Risen”!
