Holy Week Will ALWAYS Be Here To Stay

As just one lonely soul among millions held home in lockdown, longing to be back in church for the second Holy Week in a row, I never expected to feel the Glory of God through a message from the Angus Reid Institute, in partnership with Cardus. But of all the most unlikeliest of places, on Holy Thursday, Angus Reid has restored my faith in Catholics. Statistics in their latest poll are likely the same in the U.S. and further abroad.

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“As many Canadians of faith mark a second year of Holy Week at home, a new public opinion survey from the non-profit Angus Reid Institute, in partnership with Cardus, finds this demographic reflecting on what they have gained and lost after more than 12 months of separation from their congregations.(Angus Reid/Cardus, April 1, 2021)

“Easter may be a time of rebirth and renewal, but the new surge of COVID-19 infections across the country means 2021 will not bring a much-awaited resurrection of pre-pandemic in-person prayer, gathering, and Communion. “The study, which canvassed the views of 1,059 Canadian adults who attended religious services at least once per month pre-pandemic, finds more personal prayer (32%), but less connection to a sense of religious community (50%). Many long for a return to in-person worship (49%), but among those who’ve had an opportunity to do so under pandemic restrictions, a plurality (42%) describe the experience as less satisfying. The pandemic has also had equal parts positive and negative impacts on their own spirituality. “As with almost every aspect of pandemic life, online services have been a lifeline for those craving contact with their churches, temples, and synagogues. The vast majority (77%) of Canadians who regularly attended religious services pre-pandemic say they’ve streamed or “attended” a religious service online, most of them on a regular basis, and most praising it in absence of no other alternative. Indeed, more than three times as many say they would maintain the availability of online services rather than discontinue them post pandemic (56% versus 17% respectively).

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Thank you, Fr. Giacomo Capoverdi

Thank You, Fr. Giacomo Capoverdi, pastor at Immaculate Conception Church in Westerly, Rhode Island, and too many other Catholic priests to mention here, for reaching wretched sinners like me through live streaming. Included in Angus Reid poll key findings:

“Religious Canadians praying for return to in-person worship, but won’t forsake online services in future”; “Half of Canadians who regularly attended religious services pre-pandemic “very keen” to go back.”

To me, this is the best one of all: “More than half (55%) of Roman Catholics miss it greatly, while just 5 per cent do not miss it at all.” If government leaders of certain countries, (as some suspect), kept churches closed and attendance restricted, to deprive believers of their faith, they lost. If clerics are in collusion with governments in going along with keeping houses of worship closed (as some suspect), DITTO.

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In the midst of the spread of Marxist misery

In the midst of the spread of Marxist misery, people are keeping their faith. Instead of giving in to despair, they are praying more fervently than ever at home. Try as they might, godless Marxists can not drag all of humanity, kicking and screaming, into Communist Camps. Most of us will refuse to go, leaving them VASTLY outnumbered. Meanwhile, if you cannot get into Good Friday or Holy Saturday church services, join the Passion of Christ, our Lord and Savior in fervent prayer at home. We can then joyfully proclaim on yet another Easter Sunday: “He is Risen!” making it a most glorious and unforgettable Easter for all.

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An Easter Hallelujah - Cassandra Star & her sister Callahan

The Holy Face of Jesus, the Veil of Manoppello

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