BY ALLAN JAY, ALEXANDRA LORNA & NATASHA JEE
KUCHING: Christians across the state finally got to celebrate Palm Sunday in person at their churches after two years of the Covid-19 pandemic, but under strict compliance to the standard operating procedures (SOPs).
The SOPs, among others, require a one-metre physical distancing at the pew, as well as putting on face masks throughout the Mass to mitigate the spread of the virus in the society.
But even as all churches opened to congregations throughout Sarawak, Catholic Archbishop of Kuching Simon Poh said St Joseph’s Cathedral is at the same time continuing to livestream the Mass.
“We have decided to do live streaming in St. Joseph’s Cathedral to take care of the spiritual needs of many who are unable to come to church, especially vulnerable persons who are under medical treatment, dialysis and elderly with walking difficulty,” he told New Sarawak Tribune.
He added that with churches reopening to congregations during the Holy Week from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, there will always be some elderly, patients under treatment at hospitals or at home, housebound Catholics who are still unable to go to church.
“For these, I would like to continue the livestream Mass even as we open the doors of the churches to welcome back the churchgoers,” he said.
Poh said for the coming Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Vigil services, they will combine worship for congregations in the church pews with live streaming for the elderly and vulnerable so that they can worship online together with those in church in real time.
“May this Holy Week which falls within the Ramadan month for our Muslim brothers and sisters help us to work together to make the world and society a better place as we pray more, make sacrifices of love to be a more charitable person in thoughts, words and action, to grow in our relationship with God and have mutual acceptance and respect for our neighbour, and above all to put in action by giving alms to the poor and needy to alleviate suffering and poverty in our midst.
“May all Christians have a blessed Holy Week and to all Muslims friends, a fruitful and joyful Ramadan,” he said.
Earlier , in St Peter’s Church at Padungan, congregations were also seen complying with the set SOPs throughout the Palm Sunday sunset Mass.
At the end of the Mass, Rector Father Vincent Chin informed the congregation regarding the SOPs for the coming Easter Triduum celebration (Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday).
Apart from that, the Palm Sunday celebration was also observed at the St Thomas’s Cathedral here.
The Palm Sunday physical Mass commenced at 8.30am for the English service simultaneously with a livestreamed Mass.
