Letter from Archbishop Greg and Covid-19 Task Force

Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

First, and most important, I give thanks to God for all of you, and for your faithful work of ministry in these difficult times. The creativity shown in extending worship and pastoral care by our congregations amidst the shut-downs and restrictions has been a source of encouragement to me, as we learn new ways of living out our faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, and extending the Church’s mission within our local contexts. Such trials, while they are frequently onerous, are also times of opportunity to deepen our faith and grow stronger in love, patience and hope in the face of challenge.

Second, I am writing to you to provide an update on the deliberations of the COVID-19 Taskforce for the Diocese of Calgary.

As you will recall, in mid-November the taskforce recommended, and I concurred, that we should close down all in-person worship in the Diocese of Calgary. At that time, we were seeing an alarming rise in the number of cases as the virus increased its spread. In mid-December, we considered the situation again, and again found that the situation had not improved and that it was appropriate to maintain the closure of in-person worship.

Now in mid-January, we are seeing some positive signs of the rate of infection having apparently begun to decline. This gives us a measure of cautious hope about the possibility of re-opening for in-person worship in the coming weeks. While we are not yet seeing a clear indication that the time for that has come, we would invite congregations to begin to think about making the plans necessary for that to happen in your particular context; keeping in mind that any such opening will only be allowed under strict adherence to the guidelines on physical distancing, mask wearing, tightly restricted numbers and the other measures that have been described in the original protocols sent out in September, and supplemented in October. Also keeping in mind that those over 60 and those who are vulnerable would be advised to not attend in-person worship in any case. Plans might well include the means of continuing to make available online services for those who will not be able to attend, whether because of age, vulnerabilities or the restriction of numbers.

The needs, resources, and circumstances of our congregations vary widely within our diocese. Because of this, what is achievable and appropriate for one congregation may not be suitable for others. We encourage you to prayerfully consider what might work best for serving your particular parish as we look towards allowing in-person worship to resume.

While we do not think that now is the time to re-open in-person worship, we will be meeting again in two weeks’ time to consider and provide another update.

Once again, thank you for staying the course and working toward serving the church and her mission in these difficult times. While we walk the way of the cross in this life’s journey, we also both live and look forward to resurrection in Jesus. May Christ, the light that shines in the darkness, shine amongst us and through us, as a witness to our faith in this world yearning .