Pastoral outreach in a time of social distancing

Sep 18, 2021

KUALA LUMPUR: It has been one and a half years since the various Movement Control Orders have been imposed on us. During this time, the Church has intermittently closed and reopened its doors for public worship. While there is no denying that we miss public Mass and receiving the Eucharist, many have gotten accustomed, and perhaps even comfortable, with the new norm of virtual Mass and online faith formation.

While some make an effort to remain active in their parish community by religiously attending online BEC meetings, sessions and formations organised by the parish, others have decided to take a ‘sabbatical’ from parish life, citing ‘online fatigue’ as one of the reasons.

Now that a majority of the states have been moved from Phase 1 to Phase 2 of the National Recovery Plan, the parishes are gradually rolling out various sacramental and pastoral initiatives in lieu of public Masses. When the churches eventually reopen, we have to admit that we have concerns over whether the faithful will return to physical presence at Mass or whether they will remain hesitant.

Would additional steps be needed to encourage everyone to return to parish and sacramental life?

HERALD posed questions to some of the clergy, and we share their responses here.

1. What can be done to keep the laity committed to their faith during this time of social distancing?

We have certainly witnessed more online sessions being initiated since the second half of last year. More can and should be done via online sessions. However, the challenge is how to make such online sessions relevant and meaningful. As it is, there are clear limitations to how much we can impact participants, given the lack of the “personal touch” or a face-to-face experience which significantly affects such sessions. Therefore, facilitators need to put much thought and creativity (and prayers too!) into carefully planning out the “flow” of an online (formation) session, taking into consideration the needs of each group that is being ministered to.

In these challenging times, there’s a tendency to organise such sessions simply to “tick the box” as just another activity being organised and completed, without actually addressing the real needs of the groups these “activities” are supposed to cater to in the first place. As a result, many struggle to encourage people to attend such online sessions, and this brings us to the next point of “the art” of getting people to attend these online sessions.

Not everyone is social media savvy though many are today. Other than the normal publicity via all the usual social media platforms, nothing is more effective than personally reaching out to faithful. So, there needs to be a dedicated team of people who are willing to reach out by calling people individually to reach your target audience. Set limits to the numbers for such sessions, as too large a group may not really be effective in terms of interaction. Sessions need to also be sensitive to time as they cannot be too long due to limitations of people’s attention in such virtual settings. — Fr Martinian Lee, Church of St Theresa, Melaka

2. Does there need to be a ‘re-learning’ of faith?

I think it is not so much a “relearning”, but a “re-living” of our faith based on Scripture and the teachings of the Church which we have inherited from generation to generation. We need to know how to integrate our faith with life; do small things with great love; be merciful and show people around us that the Kingdom of God is real through our life witnessing, just as, in the Scriptures, Jesus showed to those who were marginalised. The “re-living process” includes drawing inspiration from the early Church (Acts 2:42-47). Knowing our faith is not a textbook answer but an integration of faith and life. It is a tough period for the world and for the Church. Our struggles will continue for the foreseeable future and three powerful words come to my mind about facing this pandemic — the words from the PMPC 2016 final statement: Creative, Inclusive and BridgeBuilding. The diocese and the clergy need to continue our mission. It is a reflection of our faith. Being Creative, Inclusive and Bridge Building is our mission. This is not merely a slogan. Being Creative: The leadership of the Church, at all levels, needs to investigate a real “new way of being Church”, no more Church (building) centredness but to reach out in creative ways. Perhaps using technology like cell phones, the Internet and WhatsApp are some of the ways. I was inspired by a sharing from a priest on how he made the effort to call / WhatsApp his parishioners from his contact list. With movement restriction, we can find creative ways of reaching out. Being Inclusive: We need to continue the pastor/shepherd relationship with all our parishioners, no matter whether they are “Sunday” Catholics, “lapsed” Catholics, “die hard” Catholics etc. I need to be their pastor and shepherd because God has entrusted them to me. It is not a time of judging but, rather, a time of healing and welcoming. Being Bridge Builders: In the fringes of our parish, we have so many people struggling, searching, and seeking for help. They are certainly God’s people too. We need to see, to feel, to reflect and to act as Jesus did. — Msgr Aloysius Tan, City Parish, Penang

3. What are some of the steps that can be taken to encourage the faithful to return to Church once public worship is allowed?

Even in places where Masses were allowed with the social distancing and other SOPs in place, there was the issue of those who were already comfortable staying at home, watching or following on line Masses. Excuses abound: “I am still afraid; I want to protect myself and my family.” Yet these same people had no problems going to work and to the supermarkets. To change this mindset can be very challenging. There is much that we need to undo before we can even think of re-learning. This cannot be the task of the clergy alone. The whole community has a responsibility in this.

Rediscovering the centrality of our Sunday worship is going to be an uphill task. It cannot be over-emphasised that online Masses are no substitute for the “real thing”. One does not fulfil the Sunday obligation by staying at home and following it, no matter how focused or religiously it is done. It must always be a physical community present at the Lord’s summons.

It is a wake-up call to us as to how to live our faith differently and more vibrantly. Each one needs to respond to God in a more personal way instead of saying why the Church is not doing this or that. Yet the first step must be taken towards the reconnecting to and the rebuilding of the physical community. — Fr Jestus Pereira, Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Mentakab