The Coronavirius will have an enormous effect on the Australian community over coming weeks. We’ve put together this guide to help Catholic communities ensure they are doing all they can to minimise the impact of the virus, and support people who are affected.
UPDATED 19 March
An update from the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference:
'On March 18, 2020, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced new measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Those measures included limiting 'non-essential' gatherings to 100 people if held indoors or 500 people if held outdoors. Religious services, including Mass, are considered 'non-essential' under the guidelines.
'The Catholic Bishops are following closely the advice of the Commonwealth Department of Health and local state and territory departments in responding to COVID-19. As of March 18, some bishops have suspended public Masses. Others have issued new guidelines to support adherence with the new national limits on non-essential public gatherings.'
For more details, including updates from various dioceses, visit this page:
https://catholic.org.au/coronavirus
Online Mass
Sunday Mass is available online via Mass on Demand.
Other priests may also want to consider live streaming Mass online. You can use Facebook Live to stream Mass, all you need is an account or page to stream from, and a computer with a webcam and microphone (either built-in or attached), or more simply a smartphone. Here’s some simple instructions on setting up a Facebook Live stream: Read them on PDF or watch the video.
Supporting the vulnerable
Parishes might consider what can be done to support the elderly and vulnerable people during this time.
Vinnies supports many families in need, and will likely see an increase in people looking to access their services in coming weeks. Parishioners might be urged to donate extra funds to support them.
Local Vinnies groups might consider collecting shopping vouchers to be provided to vulnerable people, particularly workers suffering from a lack of income. A phone line could be set up for people seeking help with basic household items, and support could be provided while still maintaining social distancing.
Here’s some guidelines developed by UK-based volunteer groups supporting vulnerable people in their communities. Much of their work is coordinated using phone, email, Facebook or Whatsapp for communication: https://covidmutualaid.org/resources/
Catholic Social Services Australia (CSSA)
CSSA says the federal government’s move to assist small business and protect jobs during the coronavirus crisis must be broadened to include the charity sector.
Governments and other key institutions have a duty to respond to the coronavirus challenge with a focus on pursuing the common good, CSSA said.
See the CSSA website for the full press release.
Advice
Click here for a link to some helpful personal advice about self-isolation and quarantine.
Finally, here are some helpful prayer resources:
Pope Francis prays for families under lockdown: (prayer reflection available).
A coronavirus prayer
A reflection on the pandemic
See Brendan Nicholl’s Faith Matters – The Word.