Life

Are we ready to unlock our churches?

Fr Tim Bartlett and caretaker John Hanvey install Covid-19 social distancing measures at Belfast's oldest Catholic Church, St Mary's in Chapel lane, ahead of its re-opening for private prayer. A date for the resumption of collective worship in Northern Ireland has yet to be named. Picture by Niall Carson/PA Wire
Fr Tim Bartlett and caretaker John Hanvey install Covid-19 social distancing measures at Belfast's oldest Catholic Church, St Mary's in Chapel lane, ahead of its re-opening for private prayer. A date for the resumption of collective worship in Nor Fr Tim Bartlett and caretaker John Hanvey install Covid-19 social distancing measures at Belfast's oldest Catholic Church, St Mary's in Chapel lane, ahead of its re-opening for private prayer. A date for the resumption of collective worship in Northern Ireland has yet to be named. Picture by Niall Carson/PA Wire

IT is clear that, as with all other aspects of life, going to church will be a completely different experience in the post-Covid-19 world.

The easing of some restrictions, announced last week, is a small, if significant, step out of lockdown.

The decision to allow private, individual prayer in a church building is one that will be especially appreciated by Catholics.

And it is possible that the ability to hold drive-in church services may lead to some new ways of 'doing' church, much as the sudden ending of public worship in the middle of March led to an explosion of creative and imaginative ways of Masses, services, prayer meetings and Bible studies being able to continue.

But a return to collective worship, even in a heavily socially-distanced format, could still be many weeks away.

According to the Republic's five-step plan, the earliest that places of worship where social distancing can be maintained is July 20.

Under the 'family and community' section of the Northern Ireland Executive's undated coronavirus recovery plan, church services aren't contemplated until 'step 4'.

The experiences in countries such as Germany, France and Italy give some idea of what might be ahead of us, whether from July 20 or step 4 - entrance to church via smartphone tickets, no singing, worshippers' temperatures checked, very restricted congregations, stringent cleaning regimes are among the measures being employed...

A woman offers hand gel to a worshipper before entering Saint Roch church in Paris last weekend. France is gradually lifting its Covid-19 lockdown, with public worship looking very different. A Drumalis seminar series starting next week will explore what church will be like when collective worship eventually resumes in Ireland. Picture by AP Photo/Francois Mori
A woman offers hand gel to a worshipper before entering Saint Roch church in Paris last weekend. France is gradually lifting its Covid-19 lockdown, with public worship looking very different. A Drumalis seminar series starting next week will explore what A woman offers hand gel to a worshipper before entering Saint Roch church in Paris last weekend. France is gradually lifting its Covid-19 lockdown, with public worship looking very different. A Drumalis seminar series starting next week will explore what church will be like when collective worship eventually resumes in Ireland. Picture by AP Photo/Francois Mori

Clearly, a lot of thinking - and prayerful consideration - will have to be done before Irish churches can re-open safely.

This question of what church will look like after the pandemic will be explored at a seminar series organised by Drumalis Retreat and Conference Centre in Larne.

The seminars, called The Church Unlocked, will take place via Zoom - one of those digital means of communication with which we have all become familiar in recent months - and aim to explore the impact of the virus on church and faith.

The seminars will be facilitated by religious studies lecturer Marian Curran and look at questions including: Are we ready for our churches to be unlocked? Do we feel we have been changed by the lockdown? And what will this mean as we gather again as the people of God?

The first session of The Church Unlocked starts on Tuesday June 2 at 7.15pm, with the next two sessions on June 9 and June 16. The seminar series costs £30. For more information contact Maura Burns at Drumalis Retreat and Conference Centre on maura@drumalis.co.uk.

An organist in Saint Roch church in Paris wearing a protective shield face mask as part of the measures introduced in France, where public worship resumed last Saturday after a legal challenge to the government's ban on church gatherings. A Drumalis seminar series starting next week will explore what church will be like when collective worship eventually resumes in Ireland. Picture by AP Photo/Francois Mori
An organist in Saint Roch church in Paris wearing a protective shield face mask as part of the measures introduced in France, where public worship resumed last Saturday after a legal challenge to the government's ban on church gatherings. A Drumalis s An organist in Saint Roch church in Paris wearing a protective shield face mask as part of the measures introduced in France, where public worship resumed last Saturday after a legal challenge to the government's ban on church gatherings. A Drumalis seminar series starting next week will explore what church will be like when collective worship eventually resumes in Ireland. Picture by AP Photo/Francois Mori