by Kelly Kandra Hughes

Last spring, many churches in the northwest corner of Connecticut suspended communal worship services in response to the Coronavirus. They had no idea at the time that this decision would include Easter Sunday, the most sacred and well-attended holy day on the Christian calendar.  Most churches had returned to in-person worship services by the fall. 

However, as another wave of Covid-19 cases surge across the state and 96 percent  of Connecticut is now classified as a Covid “red zone”, local churches are once again having to make difficult decisions regarding services. The difference is that this time churches are aware that whatever they decide will affect Christmas services, including their usual high attendance by regular church members and significant numbers of visitors seeking fellowship and community during this usually joyful time of the year.

As of the writing of this article, the St. Martin of Tours parish, which includes St. Joseph’s Church in Canaan, St. Mary’s Church in Lakeville and Immaculate Conception in Norfolk, will only offer limited reserved seating for their Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Masses. The 4 p.m. Christmas Eve Vigil Mass at St. Joseph’s has already reached its seating capacity. Immaculate Conception still has seating available for its 7 p.m. Christmas Eve Vigil Mass, and St. Mary’s has seats for its 9 a.m. Christmas Day Mass. Please call the parish office at 860-824-7078 to reserve space. The parish is also seeking volunteers to live stream their service to Facebook to extend the celebration of their Mass and prayers to others.

Father David Dawson, pastor of St. Martin of Tours parish, stresses that Christmas is more than just a single day. “We must remember,” says Fr. Dawson, “that our preparation for Christmas begins in Advent, which starts on the fourth Sunday before Christmas. Then we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus, and continue our celebration until January 6 with the Feast of the Epiphany, which is known as the twelfth day of Christmas.!”

The Church of Christ Congregational, ( UCC,) Norfolk, made the difficult decision at their church council meeting on Nov. 17 to again suspend in-person services effective immediately. This suspension includes their two Christmas Eve services, which annually draw 325 to 350 people into the church pews. According to Pastor Erick Olsen, “Church of Christ staff and leaders agonized over the decision about whether our annual Christmas Eve celebrations could be offered safely. Once we realized they could not, we focused our energies on creating a joyful alternative that we believe will be meaningful and uplifting for all. As much as we may miss some of our traditions, the mystery and wonder of the birth of Christ continues to capture our hearts and bring us strength and peace–much needed in this moment.” 

As a safer, interactive Christmas Eve option, UCC Norfolk is planning a drive-through experience along a path marked by luminaries. Participants will tune into a particular FM radio frequency to hear a short loop of readings and carols from 5 to 8 p.m. on December 24. Church staff and lay leaders will be on hand in the parking lot at Battell Chapel to greet participants and unload any boxes of food donations, including those gathered through their “Reverse Advent Calendar” program supporting the Norfolk Food Pantry. The calendar, which can be found on the church website at https://norfolkctucc.org/ucc/, encourages people to add one (or more) food items to a box each day of Advent, which began on Sunday, Nov. 29 and ends on Dec. 24. 

Further adding to the community Christmas spirit, UCC Norfolk will have two outdoor Christmas trees available on which Norfolk residents are invited to hang ornaments. The first tree is the church’s annual “Blue Christmas” tree, which remembers loved ones who have passed away. The second is a more traditional Christmas tree, although the church is encouraging people to hang bird-friendly ornaments there. More information may be found on the UCC Norfolk website. 

UCC Norfolk continues to offer online services. Anyone wishing to receive access to these weekly services may join the church’s mailing list at https://norfolkctucc.org/ucc/sign-up-for-our-weekly-emails/ or check their website or Facebook page.