The First Friday Club of Cleveland was forced to cancel its in-person programs for the past several months due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, the club tried a new format and presented a webinar-style program on Sept. 3.
Sister Rita Mary Harwood, SND, who heads the Secretariat for Parish Life and Development for the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland, presented a virtual program, “Reimagining Ministry in a Pandemic Environment.”
Portions of the program were pre-recorded and portions were presented live. The presentation was recorded and will be available on the First Friday Club website.
Before beginning the program, virtual attendees were invited to pray along as Auxiliary Bishop emeritus Roger Gries read Pope Francis’ Prayer to Mary for Protection During the Coronavirus Pandemic.
Sister Rita Mary shared her personal feelings about the pandemic.
“I was in a bad place. I had great concern for my family, friends and those I work with. I felt sad, afraid – very afraid, confused, discouraged and helpless for quite a while. How about you? Were my feelings different than yours?”
She said Pope Francis offered an urbi et orbi blessing (on March 24). The special blessing normally is offered at Christmas and Easter but given the extraordinary circumstances of the global pandemic, the pope felt it was important to offer another at this time.
“I remember him walking alone in St. Peter’s Square; there was no life. He carried the weight of the world on his shoulders,” Sister Rita Mary said. “I felt it, too, the weight of helplessness – not knowing what to do.”
She said one priest told her the first time he celebrated Mass alone in an empty church, he cried. The news was filled with stories of doctors and nurses and the pressures they faced, as well as stories about people separated from their families, people dying alone. Meanwhile, she crossed event after event off her calendar – beginning with St. Patrick’s Day – then graduations, anniversaries and most recently, the diocesan Asian Mass` and celebration that has drawn 1,000-plus people for two decades.
And through it all, she said first responders and other front line workers were in harm’s way. She also noted that the African America and Hispanic communities continue to be disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.
“I came to work daily to an empty floor in an empty building. There was no life in the buildings, no cars, no people on the streets,” she added.
Sister said she often thought of the incarcerated during the pandemic and wanted to share the pope’s urbi et orbi homily with them, so she had DVDs made to distribute.
The homily was based on the story of Jesus being on a boat with the disciples and they were being tossed about by rough seas. The Holy Father talked about the disciples’ confusion and said when Jesus awoke, the frightened disciples asked if he cared about the fact that they were in danger. His response was to ask them if they had faith.
“We’re in a terrible storm with this virus, the pain and ugliness of racism and the forces of nature like Hurricane Laura,” Sister Rita Mary said. “These storms awakened our vulnerability.” And, she said, Jesus asks us why we’re afraid – much like the disciples in the Gospel story. She said the pope said in his homily that it is time to separate what’s important and what’s not important.
“Everyday people are in the boat with us rowing and keeping us safe,” she added.
Sister mentioned pastors who quickly shifted to online Masses and found creative ways to stay connected with their parishioners. Also, parishioners watched out for each other.
She said the warden from Grafton Correctional Institution called because the prisoners wanted to know what they could do to help.
She said they started sewing face masks and have made more than 22,000 adult masks that were distributed to various Catholic Charities, Diocese of Cleveland sites, 3,000 children’s face masks for students, they planted a garden and are sharing the produce with hunger centers and they created cards that people can send.
Despite the worry and hardships caused by the pandemic, Sister said there is a silver lining.
“This has been a blessing to some families who were able to pause their busy lives and spend time together, to eat together and to play together,” she said.
Although diocesan offices were closed, many employees continued to work from home and the work of the diocese went on, she said. “There was support from every department for schools, parishes, religious programs and more letting people know we’re here, in the same boat,” she added
Sister said we are one community moving together. In fact, during the pandemic, she hired three people, was settling into new space after moving her department from the third to the fifth floor in the diocesan headquarters and added three new offices to the Parish Life Secretariat.
“I learned a lot about my staff during virtual calls and meetings,” she said. “It was a delightful way to get to know my staff. God has given us so much.”
Four of those staff members shared brief stories about how their ministries continued to serve people throughout the diocese.
Miguel Chavez, who heads the newly formed Office of Missionary Discipleship, joined the diocese in January and was just getting acquainted with his new position and co-workers when the pandemic forced him to work from home.
“We challenge all to encounter Christ,” he said, adding that people need to step out of their comfort zones as the disciples did to share Jesus’ message. He initiated morning prayer services in the diocesan building for employees at the beginning of Lent. The services became virtual after he started working from home and the attendance grew immensely, Chavez said. He also said payers are offered for the needs of all in the diocese and he collaborated on a pair of virtual Marian retreats.
Pattie Batchman, who heads the lay ecclesial ministry program, said it was challenging to find a way to continue the formation of those in the program. They were able to pivot to virtual learning and candidates who are doing their field experience in parishes helped develop technical and virtual ways to keep parishioners connected.
Cary Dabney, director of the Office of Ministry with African American Catholics, talked about how the death of George Floyd put a light on racism and the Church and how to engage people against the sin of racism. His office also created a new newsletter and is working to develop a diocesan race relations task force to create a new way of leadership.
Lynette Saenz, assistant secretary of Parish Life and Development, said the office was just beginning to come together as a staff when the pandemic hit. But she said she spent more time talking to her co-workers while working from home than she did in the office.
“The pastoral care of the people of God is our goal during this pandemic," she said.
Saenz said that Father Joe Hilinski, who directs the interfaith ministry for the diocese, helped create a virtual interfaith prayer service that is available online as well as virtual retreats.
The Parish Life office also began conversations on how to do ministry during the pandemic and the office was involved in conversations about safe ways to resume in-person ministry when talk began about resuming public Mass in May and June. The staff also developed guidelines for youth ministry.
“This time has been a gift to us, a time to reevaluate our priorities. As we hold on to our faith, we’ll continue to reimagine ministry,” Sister Rita Mary said.
“Thank you for letting us get in the boat with you,” said Marian Rubin, president of the First Friday Club of Cleveland.
Rubin said information on past and upcoming programs can be found on the club’s website.