Our response to the COVID-19 virus
Dear Friends,
As have many of you, I have been following closely and have been concerned about the spread of the COVID-19 virus. I think, if anything, this virus reminds us that none of us are in control. However, we know who is in control and God is at work in the midst of this entire situation. Nevertheless, we are taking precautions for the sake of our community. Mindful of the concerns about the spread of the COVID-19 virus, at Calvary-St. George’s, we will be following these guidelines and suggestions.
Thorough hand-washing has been shown to kill COVID-19. All liturgical ministers (and other worshippers) should thoroughly wash with soap and water before services. Hand sanitizer with an alcohol content of 60% has also been shown to be effective against COVID-19, and all those serving Holy Communion will use it before the distribution.
At the Peace:
We encourage worshippers not to embrace or clasp hands but to greet one another and acknowledge one another, for example, with a bow. Health care professionals suggest that COVID-19 is most effectively transmitted from people’s hands to their faces, so avoiding hand-to-hand contact is a likely strategy for inhibiting infection.
At the time of the Holy Communion:
Studies by the CDC and other medical authorities have concluded that “the risk for infectious disease transmission by a common communion cup is very low, and appropriate safeguard—that is, wiping the interior and exterior rim between communicants, use of care to rotate the cloth during use, and use of a clean cloth for each service—would further diminish this risk.” At Calvary-St. George’s, we will incorporate those safeguards.
Those who nonetheless chose not to receive from the common cup can trust that Jesus’ offering of himself is complete in the Bread.
The practice of intinction, that is, dipping the consecrated Bread into the Wine, runs the risk of inserting fingers into the Wine. We will not allow intinction during the current health crisis.
Similarly, ministers will not distribute Communion on the tongue because of the risk of contaminating the fingers of the minister.
In light of all of this, we will also no longer serve cookies after the service and lunch at The Forum. This is obviously the most difficult part for me and everyone under the age of eleven. Nonetheless, it is a very important precaution at this time.
When the threat of a pandemic passes, we will return to our standard practices and bring back the cookies. In the meantime, we use this unfortunate period to place our trust in God and consider the health of our neighbor.
Pax,
Jacob