Society, Churches and Coronavirus virus – a review

First Minister wanted to “reach out” to Bishop of Derry, Donal McKeown  +++  Church ‘as important’ as an off licence, says Bishop   +++   No need for churches to be open, Methodist General Secretary   +++   Royal Black Institution appeal to members   +++   Tandragee church pledges £50K to help fight Covid 19   +++   Limerick COVID-19 Community Response group launch video in ‘call to action’

First Minister wanted to “reach out” to Bishop of Derry, Donal McKeown

First Minister Arlene Foster confirmed that she discussed the closure of churches with Bishop of Derry Donal McKeown.

Bishop McKeown had called for churches to be allowed to reopen as places of private prayer during the coronavirus pandemic.

He cited the examples of off licenses being allowed to remain open despite the lockdown.

Mrs Foster telephoned Bishop McKeown on Wednesday to discuss his concerns.

She said she wanted to “reach out” to him.

“I didn’t want people to feel constrained from God,” the DUP leader said, but that the churches had to close as part of social-distancing to stop the spread of coronavirus.

“I did want to reach out to Donal, we will be keeping this matter under review because freedom of religion is a very important piece in a democratic society and therefore people should be free to do that.

“I do join with the church leaders in supporting the call to pray this Sunday, I think that’s an important thing to do and to bring the community together and I hope people will recognise that is a call to bring us all together at this very difficult time.”

Bishop McKeown told the Irish News he “appreciated the conversation”.

Church ‘as important’ as an off licence, says Bishop

Derry’s Catholic Church leader spoke out as religious denominations across Ireland search to find ways how to best serve their congregations amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Weekend public worship has been suspended across the island and church buildings on both sides of the border, initially allowed to remain open for private prayer, are now closed.

Dr McKeown said churches with open doors were particularly important for “people who are distressed”, particularly where “they might go off to the off licence instead if they can’t get to church”.

Standalone off licences across NI were forced to close last week when the government tightened restrictions on what shops could remain open during the Covid-19 crisis.

However, they were allowed to reopen after lobbying led to them being added to the Stormont Executive’s list of “essential businesses”.

“Access to well spaced out private devotion time in a church, particularly in the Catholic tradition, is at least as important as access to an off licence,” said Bishop McKeown.

“We are trying to communicate that to the authorities. I would fight for it, because people miss being able to drop in for private prayer.”

The Bishop also spoke of the dramatic impact the Covid-19 restrictions have had on wakes and funerals.

He said that Ireland’s “very healthy tradition of the wake” meant that bereaved families were understandably upset by the new restrictions.

“We are trying to develop ways of engaging with the reality of bereavement and asking how can we best help people in their really painful hour of need,” he said.

“But we have to have as our starting point: what is the best we can do for people in their hour of grief?”

No need for churches to be open, Methodist General Secretary

Rev Heather Morris, general secretary of the Methodist Church in Ireland, told the BBC she did not think churches themselves needed to be opened for Palm Sunday, one of the most important days of the Christian calendar.

“We are asking people to pray virtually – a building being open is not necessary for us to pray,“ she said.

She said that tough times like these lead to even those who are not normally devoutly religious to “ask questions of God”.

She added the church would to whatever it could to help communities, including delivering prescriptions and foods to those self-isolating.

Eamon Martin, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland said in “anxious and fearful” times people turn to God and each other.

Royal Black Institution appeal to members

The leader of the Royal Black Institution also appealed to its members to pray this weekend to protect healthcare professionals, researchers and other key workers during the coronavirus pandemic.

“I have appealed to Sir Knights to take time this Sunday at 7pm to pray for the Lord to bring comfort in these dark days,” said Rev Anderson.

“Please do so in your own homes, and we will raise a prayer that will be heard in Heaven itself.”

Tandragee church pledges £50K to help fight Covid 19

Tandragee Free Presbyterian Church has ordered £50,000 worth of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) items to help alleviate some of the frontline pressure on the NHS created by Covid 19.

Minister of the church in Tandragee, Rev John Gray said in a Facebook post: “Following a discussion last week our Church Committee took the decision to donate £50,000 toward the supply of specialist PPE equipment for frontline staff at Craigavon Area Hospital.

“We appreciate the tremendous work of the NHS staff and the many others across the community who are playing their part on the frontline as they battle this awful virus. We continue to pray and remember all of our specialist services in these days.

“As a church we are indebted to God for His faithfulness to our congregation down through the years and we felt at this time of unprecedented crisis in our land that it was only right and proper that we try and do something practically to help.

“We pray that when this new equipment arrives that it will be of great benefit to the staff and patients alike and that many lives might be saved.

Clerk of Session of the church Mr Lavelle McIlwrath said: “Tandagee Free Presbyterian Church has always sought to put feet to its prayers whether through missionaries or ministers in God’s work, local evangelistic efforts or simply helping missionary causes financially.

“Over the years the church has supported the Tsunami Appeal, raised thousands for the Children’s Hospital at the RVH and given generously to local charity appeals.

“Our Committee felt that this was an unprecedented situation and with Craigavon hospital on our doorstep then it was only right and proper that we should help practically where we could.

“Scrubs, face masks, gloves and sanitiser are all included in the order and the church is very grateful to a local company who are coordinating the delivery of the products on our behalf.

“Many of us may not be on the front line of this battle but as a church and community we can do our bit to help those who are. We continue to pray earnestly for all of our people in these difficult and trying times and that God indeed would intervene.”

Limerick COVID-19 Community Response group launch video in ‘call to action’

The Limerick COVID-19 Community Response group has today hit the ground running with the launch of a video in a call to action to all across Limerick to get on board and support the volunteer programme.

The short video calls on members of the public to volunteer for the programme, which will coordinate delivery of messages, prescriptions and dissemination of relevant information to elderly people or others who are in isolation to help them stay at home and protect them from the Coronavirus.

The video was released a day after the ‘Community Call’ programme was launched nationwide to coordinate, through local authorities, the volunteer response to help those marginalized by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Limerick initiative is led by Limerick City and County Council in partnership with An Garda Síochána and the HSE, and backed by Limerick GAA, Munster Rugby, IRFU, FAI, Liveable Limerick, the Catholic Church and Church of Ireland, Limerick Volunteer Centre and multiple sporting and volunteer groups.

Based at the Munster GAA headquarters – home also of Limerick GAA – the Limerick COVID-19 Community Response invites volunteers to emailvolunteer@limerick.ie if they want to help and those needing assistance to call the 1800 832 005 freephone helpline or the [ covidsupport@limerick.ie ] c

It operates from 8a.m to 8p.m. daily and is led by Limerick City and County Council, An Garda Síochána and the HSE and backed by up to 40 sporting, community and religious groups across the city and county.

“We are really pleased with the reaction. We have a great volunteer response and the calls from people seeking assistance or information are growing by the day.

“Our short video has also now been launched and is a simple explainer video for the service and it is being shared widely, again reflecting the level of support for this initiative. We are entering a critical period in the fight against COVID-19 and it’s essential that we spread the word that this service is here for those who need it.

“As Mayor Michael Sheahan says in the video, we need to distance right now but we’ve never been closer.” said Anne Rizzo of Limerick City and County Council:

Grateful acknowledgment – Based on reports in the Belfast Telegraph, The Derry Journal, The Limerick Leader and The Lurgan Mail. Please purchase your local newspaper. It needs your support.