Preregistration for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day mass at Sacred Heart Cathedral is full. (File photo/paNOW Staff)

By Alison Sandstrom

Keeping the faith

Prince Albert churches prepare for ‘very quiet’ Christmas

Dec 24, 2020 | 4:00 PM

Christians across the world are adapting their Christmas celebrations this year and Prince Albert churches are no different. Roman Catholic churches in the city will hold in-person celebrations with limited attendance. Meanwhile Anglican churches across the province have suspended all public worship and gathering until Jan. 15.

Bishop Michael Hawkins of the Diocese of Saskatchewan (the Anglican church in Prince Albert and the North) told paNOW his diocese and others in the province made the difficult decision to suspend gatherings out of a fear of increasing transmission. The provincial government’s move to prohibit private gatherings outside of immediate households was another impetus.

“When the province decided that people couldn’t visit their families at all over Christmas… it seemed if it was that risky we needed to close over this period,” he explained.

The concern is particularly acute in areas like P.A., where Hawkins feels high transmission rates have gone underreported by the media and unquestioned by the government.

Both Hawkins and the Diocese of Saskatchewan’s other bishop have had COVID-19. Hawkins was hospitalized for it.

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“Some of our reserves, most of them have their outbreaks under control, but some have had some really serious outbreaks,” he continued. “We’ve had a priest die, we’ve had another member of the diocese die from COVID-19.”

Ultimately, Hawkins said this Christmas will be difficult for many people, particularly for those who are separated from family. In lieu of traditional services and gatherings, a diocese-wide video will available on Facebook beginning Christmas Eve. Different parishes and communities are also providing their own online resources through Facebook, YouTube or Zoom.

“Even in all that difficulty and darkness, which we’ve certainly had enough of this year, you can still celebrate Christmas and our hope is that everyone will be able to do so in the safety and warmth of a home with someone they love,” said Hawkins.

Catholic diocese plans modified celebrations

Meanwhile Catholic churches in Prince Albert will hold in-person services for Christmas while abiding by guidelines from the provincial government including limiting attendance to 30 people.

Father Roque Conception of Sacred Heart Cathedral says preregistration for Christmas and Christmas Eve services at his church filled up weeks ago. Four services will be held on Christmas Eve, with another two on Christmas.

“Usually Christmas is a homecoming,” said Conception. “People who were working in different parts of Canada, those who are in university, it’s just amazing because when they come to mass it’s not only prayer… it’s people gathering together and you can see the joy of socialization, meeting friends.”

This year, few people are travelling and the celebration will be “very quiet,” Conception said. Socialization after mass is discouraged, he added. There will be no singing and no nativity pageant.

However, one of the positive things to come out of the pandemic is the way people have learned to connect online, he continued. Even some of Conception’s older parishioners have been exchanging prayers and scriptural texts on the Internet.

Virtual celebrations will be streamed on Facebook and posted on the Roman Catholic Diocese of Prince Albert’s website.

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alison.sandstrom@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @alisandstrom