HADDON TOWNSHIP — Three months since their church doors were shuttered for public worship, the parishes of the Diocese of Camden resumed the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for the gathered community on Tuesday, June 9.
In front of a socially-distanced, every-other-pew congregation gathered for the first Mass of its re-opening at 8:30 a.m. in Saint Vincent Pallotti Church, Father Walter Norris, pastor at Saint Joseph the Worker Parish, reflected on the re-opening. “There’s nothing ordinary about this time, but we’ve never let go of God,” he said in a welcome homily.
Left photo: For safety reasons, pews were roped off, the floor was marked with directions, and the congregation was limited to 10 worshippers for daily Mass at Saint Vincent Pallotti Church, Saint Joseph the Worker Parish, Haddon Township, on Tuesday, June 9.
Right photo: Father Walter Norris, pastor, and Father Frederick G. Link celebrate Mass.
Photos by Dave Hernandez
On the altar, he was joined by the retired Father Frederick Link. One lector joined them when it was time for the first reading and responsorial psalm. No musician or choir was present.
Masked worshippers entered and left the church through separately marked entrance and exit doors. Ushers welcomed them with a squirt of sanitizer into their hands. Blue masking tape arrows on the marble floor directed them to available pews, and yellow ropes were tied around pew edges to ensure they maintained safe distances.
There were 10 worshippers.
The reception of the Eucharist, the focal point of the celebration, was moved to liturgy’s end, after the final blessing. Those receiving processed down the side aisle, with arrows marking safely spaced distances, received Communion in their hands, and processed back down the center aisle, out of the church.
“It’s a great joy having our people back together,” Father Norris said at the end of Mass, remarking on the “warmth” of interacting with parishioners, and that there was no better way to celebrate his 47th anniversary, to the day, of his priestly ordination.
He added, “We pray that this virus will be conquered, and we pray for the safety of our congregation,” and he noted the support of parish staff and faithful volunteers who are working hard in this re-opening to provide a safe and secure refuge for them. Most importantly, light has filled the pews once again, Father Norris said.
Those who make up the Saint Joseph the Worker community “are the candles that keep this place burning brightly,” he said.
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