Mois : août 2024

A cartoon I saw recently depicted a woman saying, « My desire to remain well-informed is currently at odds with my desire to remain sane. » Her sentiment may be shared by many today who find it hard to deal with all that’s happening in politics, AI, wars, climate, and on and on.

Desire. It can sound like a dangerous word. While our puritanical culture often hears it with sexual connotations, St. Ignatius of Loyola made the discovery of our deepest desires a key part of his Spiritual Exercises. That’s also what Jesus was talking about when he reproached the Pharisees for performing ritual practices that maintained an aloof avoidance of involvement with their hearts.

Today’s readings each touch the theme of the heart.

First, Moses tells the people to hear what he has to say so that they might remain close to God. As they are about to enter into the Promised Land, he reminds them that God alone is the source of all that they have and are. Recognizing that is what will make them a wise people, as Isaiah will say, a light to the nations.

The books of Exodus and Deuteronomy give us diverse renditions of the law of Moses. This indicates that, in spite of what today’s text seems to say about changing nothing, the essence of the law is not in regulations but in the relationships the law fosters among the people and between them and their God.

The people who seek to know and follow God’s will are the ones who will be « wise and intelligent. » As today’s psalm says, they think the truth in their heart, which means that their intellect and emotions will lead them to the reverence that expresses an appreciation of the meaning of law, far beyond the letter.

St. James develops Moses’ idea as he encourages his community to allow God’s word to continually bring them to life.

Their relationship with God begins with God’s initiative, like a seed planted within them. God planted the seed, now they need to cultivate it, rejecting the temptation to delude themselves by thinking that they know God when they don’t live as ambassadors of God’s love.

Interacting with his critics, Jesus dubbed them « hypocrites. » The word comes from Greek theater, where the actors masked themselves, pretending to be the character they were playing. That’s normal in a play. Jesus saw his critics play-acting, masking themselves with legalism and rituals rather than living faith in God.

The word religion connotes a relationship, a binding of one to another. The legalists had bound themselves to ideas, to particular practices rather than to God and neighbor. They put on a very good act, but their hearts were comfortably disengaged.

When Jesus went on to talk about what was truly impure, he mentioned not one single infringement of ritual laws. Instead, he gave his listeners a list of actions that harm others, behaviors that defile the perpetrator even as they denigrate others. He knew that it’s a lot easier to wash one’s hands or follow the rubrics than it is to live in reverence for all of God’s creation. He also demonstrated which of those two options brings joy.

Jesus minces no words in his reproach. He challenges all of us who hear him to stop deluding ourselves by accepting compliance with regulations as a substitute for the kind of relationship with God that frees us to act out of love and nothing else.

What does this say to the woman who sees herself trapped by seemingly mutually exclusive desires? St. Basil the Great taught that love for God cannot be taught any more than people need to be taught to enjoy the light or life. Rather, we are created with an interior longing for love and the source of love. When we are deeply aware, we know that love is our deepest desire.

Jesus didn’t convert many of his adversaries. Although he invited everyone to explore the depths and the meaning of their humanity, most didn’t take him up on it, and those who did were by and large outsiders: social outcasts and disciples rejected for having faith in him.

Finding and following our deepest desires will free us to follow the Lord, who was called insane and a lawbreaker — but was never accused of failing to love. 

As I crossed the graduation stage in May, I felt a welling sense of pride. I was proud of myself, sure, but I also took pride in both my school and my Catholic identity. Attending an interdenominational seminary helped me discover the richness of my Catholic tradition — as well as the wealth of insight and wisdom that exists when we dialogue amongst denominations.

Having been confirmed in the Catholic Church just a mere three years before starting my master’s in theology, I found my graduate studies stretched me beyond what my RCIA classes had taught. And since I was usually the only Catholic student in class, I was frequently called upon to speak to the Catholic stance on matters of liturgy or theology. While this representation was daunting, my classmates and professors were patient with me when I needed time to study Catholicism’s viewpoint or speak with a trusted friend or priest to better understand a topic. My research fostered an appreciation for the Catholic tradition as I delved into the church fathers and mothers, mystics, and the spiritual and theological basis for my faith.

My classmates and I were encouraged to engage in denomination-specific research, and the ensuing discussions educated us all on facets of our branching traditions and shared faith. When the topic of the Lord’s table was examined, we had the full spectrum of transubstantiation, consubstantiation and memorial viewpoints gathered together in class. While inquisitive, the conversation remained respectful. Topics fluctuated between theological differences and ministerial considerations, such as the type of bread and wine, how to best serve those with food allergies or those who were homebound. Our viewpoints diverged on some elements, but the overall intent was a deep desire to honor Christ’s sacrifice, to feed our congregations spiritually, and to commune with one another and our God in a meaningful way. It was beautiful to witness this collaboration and creativity, even as I held in my heart a deep gratitude for the sacraments of my Catholic faith. 

While I often found great pride in the enduring theology and practices of the Catholic Church, the darker times in our history came up as well. However, studying our tarnished past inspired in me both humility and desire for reform.

When a recent scandal in the church became the focus of our classroom discussion, a fellow classmate stated that it was time to move away from this particular stained denomination: Scrap the name, form a new denomination and start fresh. Debate rippled over whether this was wise, with each of us considering whether we would ever go so far as abandoning ship.

I spoke up in support of reform from within, citing my confirmation saint Teresa of Avila as an example of a bold voice who both loved and criticized the church. As we shared stories about how our fallen natures had affected our churches, the healing power of accountability and reconciliation was evident.

As I watched this group of future and present church leaders openly admitting their faults, asking for wisdom and advising one another, I was struck by an image of Christianity as a mosaic. Our earthly church could come together to strengthen and help one another serve the people of God — a broken but beautiful picture of wholeness.

Another area of study which brought both delight and perspective was our engagement with spirituality. We were repeatedly taught that nourishing our interior life was vital as we continued our more cerebral education. The practices we were taught were drawn predominantly from the Ignatian tradition and included imaginative prayer, lectio divina and silent retreats. These practices often resulted in more creative expressions of faith. My friends wrote hymns, plays, poetry and prayers, all demonstrating an outpouring of the Spirit through various forms of connection with God. 

One classmate asked me to meet up and discuss the rosary and saints. She had stumbled upon a book on the lives of saints and was fascinated by the wealth of wisdom and encouragement in their lives and writing. We chatted about mysticism, rosaries, saints and all the mysterious richness I have found in Catholicism. I admitted with a chuckle, « I have barely scratched the surface of this tradition, » and my friend surprised me by enthusiastically replying, « isn’t that the best part! There’s always more to discover! » It was a joy to see the ways our spirituality and creativity informed and influenced one another.

My experience attending an interdenominational seminary filled me with hope for a future where the various branches of Christianity can support one another in love. Like a stained-glass window in which various hues shine through, there is a luminous effect when we all come together, fragmented and fragile, but wondrous in the glow of the sun. 

Rising global temperatures are a sign not just of climate change but a signal the planet is sick, Pope Francis said in a new video announcing his prayer intention for the month of September.

The pope has requested that prayers in the coming month be focused « for the Cry of the Earth » — a reference to an oft-quoted passage from his 2015 encyclical « Laudato Si’, on Care for Our Common Home. » In that papal teaching document, Francis wrote that « we have to realize that a true ecological approach always becomes a so­cial approach; it must integrate questions of jus­tice in debates on the environment, so as to hear both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor. »

Francis expanded on that theme in the video, released Aug. 30 on social media and produced by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network.

« If we took the planet’s temperature, it will tell us that the Earth has a fever. And it is sick, just like anyone who’s sick. But are we listening to this pain? » Francis asks.

« Do we hear the pain of the millions of victims of environmental catastrophes? The ones suffering most from the consequences of these disasters are the poor, those who are forced to leave their homes because of floods, heat waves or drought, » he said.

Addressing human-caused environmental crises, like climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, « begs responses that are not only ecological but are also social, economic and political, » the pope said.

« We must commit ourselves to the fight against poverty and the protection of nature, changing our personal and community habits, » he said.

Since pre-industrial times, the planet has heated 1.1 to 1.2 degrees Celsius (roughly 2 degrees Fahrenheit). Countries have committed under the Paris Agreement to limit average temperature rise to 1.5 C — a level scientists say would prevent the most devastating impacts of climate change — but remain well off pace of goals to slash global heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions nearly in half by 2030 and reach net-zero by 2050.

This summer has seen the latest wave of environmental and weather-related disasters, with devastating heat waves and wildfires and deadly storms and flooding. July 2024 was the hottest July on record, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, continuing a streak of the past 14 months ranking at the hottest for monthly global temperatures. The year 2024 is on pace to surpass 2023 as the hottest on record.

On biodiversity, countries have committed to conserving 30% of lands and water by 2030 to stem the alarming pace of biodiversity loss around the world. In 2023, 21 species were declared extinct in the United States.

Major international meetings on climate change, biodiversity and plastic pollution will take place later this fall.

Next week, Francis will travel to southeast Asia and Oceania, where he is expected to spotlight the plight of island nations facing rising seas and stronger storms exacerbated by climate change.

The September prayer intention for the Earth aligns with the Season of Creation, an ecumenical period of prayer and action for Christians around the globe. It begins Sept. 1 with the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation and extends until Oct. 4, the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology and animals.

This year, the Season of Creation carries the theme of « Hope and Act with Creation. »

A virtual Christian prayer service is planned for Sept. 1, and will include Salesian Sr. Alessandra Smerelli, secretary of the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, as well as Bishop Gerardo Alminaza of San Carlos, Philippines.

Francis in June released his message for the World Day of Prayer for Creation, in which he repeated his calls for an ecological conversion that « entails leaving behind the arrogance of those who want to exercise dominion over others and nature itself. »

« To claim the right to possess and dominate nature, manipulating it at will, thus represents a form of idolatry, » the pope wrote, « a Promethean version of humanity who, intoxicated by its technocratic power, arrogantly places the earth in a ‘dis-graced’ condition, deprived of God’s grace. »

In his own message, issued Aug. 28, Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, known as the « green patriarch, » said that respecting the God-given dignity of the human person and the integrity of God’s creation « are inseparable. »

The patriarch echoed the pope’s insistence that religious groups have an important role to play in fighting climate change because true progress will require conversion.

« Genuine religious faith dissolves the arrogance and titanism of humankind » by helping people realize they are not God, Bartholomew said. A person has no right to abolish « all standards, boundaries and values, while declaring himself ‘the measure of all things’ and instrumentalizing both his fellow human beings and nature for the satisfaction of his unquenchable needs and arbitrary pursuits. »

« Respect for the sacredness of the human person and the protection of the integrity of the ‘very good’ creation are inseparable, » the patriarch said in his message.

Bartholomew’s statement, like that of Francis, also emphasized the connection between care for creation and love for one another, especially the poor.

« There is a close and indissoluble bond between our care of creation and our service to the body of Christ, just as there is between the economic conditions of the poor and the ecological conditions of the planet, » he said. « Scientists tell us that those most egregiously harmed by the current ecological crisis will continue to be those who have the least. »

Reporting from Catholic News Service was included in this article.

Archbishop George J. Lucas of Omaha hosted a diverse group of leaders from government, business, education, nonprofit, agriculture and religious organizations from across northeast Nebraska for a day of reflection on how to care for our common home.

The leaders discussed the environmental challenges they face in their communities and the world at large. They also explored ways to collaborate to address those challenges.

The Aug. 17 meeting was inspired by Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical, Laudato Si’, On Care for Our Common Home, which focuses on care for the natural environment and all people, as well as broader questions of the relationship between God, humans and the Earth.

« In recent years Pope Francis has built on decades of church teaching and expressed concern for our common home in his documents Laudato Si’ and Laudate Deum‘ » Lucas said. « The Holy Father has appealed for a new dialogue about how we are shaping the future of our planet, which addresses the urgent environmental threats our world is facing. »

The Archdiocese of Omaha is one of more than 20 dioceses throughout the United States developing an action plan on the Laudato Si’ Action Platform — laudatosiactionplatform.org — a free initiative of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. This shared space creates a bold and active response to the ecological crisis. It equips individuals, parishes, educational institutions, health care organizations and others to establish a flexible action plan to care for the environment and our world.

In Laudato Si‘, Francis invites individuals and organizations to discover what they can do to build a better future together. The local leaders hosted by Lucas reflected on how their values connect with the goals of Laudato Si‘ and made plans for concrete action in the next year.

At the heart of those plans is a commitment to « hearing the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor, » said Andy Dejka, a member of the archdiocese’s Parish Support Team who helped to organize the day of reflection.

« As an archdiocese, we are committed to responding to the cry of the Earth and the poor, » Dejka told the Catholic Voice, Omaha’s archdiocesan news outlet. « It aligns with our vision and priorities, especially our commitment to living mercy. »

The World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation will be celebrated Sept. 1. It marks the start of the ecumenical Season of Creation, which concludes Oct. 4, the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of ecology.

The theme for 2024 is « Hope and Act with Creation, » based on St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans (8:19-25), in which the apostle considers the destiny of the created world as it shares in the penalty of corruption brought about by sin, concluding that creation will share in the benefits of redemption and future glory that comprise the ultimate liberation of God’s people.

As pundits continue to discuss what was said or unsaid at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, one thing that was probably not on anyone’s bingo card was how Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich wore his pectoral cross when he gave the invocation Aug. 19 at the convention’s start.

The cardinal prayed that « our nation become more fully a builder of peace in our wounded world, » and called for Americans to find a spiritually guided sense of national responsibility. His prayer was quickly criticized by some church leaders and pro-life groups for not condemning the Democratic Party’s abortion platform and was also faulted for not saying Jesus’ name but instead referring to the « God of all creation. »

But how the Chicago prelate wore his cross while on the stage, tucked into his black suit jacket, also garnered criticism.

Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker, the football player who gained national attention three months ago for his controversial graduation speech at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, had something to say on X, formerly Twitter, about the cardinal’s cross position.

The Catholic three-time Super Bowl champion, retweeted video of Cardinal Cupich giving the DNC’s invocation where the chain of the pectoral cross, worn only by bishops, is visible but not the actual cross.

« America needs more Jesus not less. We need our shepherds to fearlessly lead and not be afraid to proclaim that Christ is King. It starts with bishops boldly wearing their pectoral cross outside their jackets, » Butker said.

The post stirred up a very specific discussion about the canonical rights and wrongs of pectoral cross placements.

America needs more Jesus not less. We need our shepherds to fearlessly lead and not be afraid to proclaim that Christ is King 👑 It starts with bishops boldly wearing their pectoral cross outside their jackets ✝️ https://t.co/pwY0OTql8L

— Harrison Butker (@buttkicker7) August 20, 2024

David Dault, assistant professor of Christian spirituality at the Institute of Pastoral Studies at Loyola University Chicago, said in an Aug. 25 post on X: « There’s a good reason why Cardinal Cupich is dressed the way he is (including the pectoral cross in his pocket): he is following the stipulations in canon law that direct how a bishop is to appear when speaking to those outside his diocese. »

In a thread, he noted that since the DNC prayer was being televised to dioceses around the country where he is not the local bishop, he is « canonically forbidden to appear as one. »

He also pointed out that there are circumstances that a « traveling bishop might appear wearing the visible symbols of the episcopacy, but that is the exception, not the norm, » referring to canon law.

Dault also hosts the weekly radio show, « Things Not Seen: Conversations About Culture and Faith » and co-hosts « The Francis Effect » podcast along with Heidi Schlumpf, senior correspondent for National Catholic Reporter and Franciscan Fr. Daniel Horan, director of the Center for Spirituality at Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana.

J.D. Flynn, editor and co-founder of The Pillar, a Catholic media outlet, joined the fray, saying he was a canon lawyer and he disagreed with Dault’s assessment which he said seemed to have been fabricated.

Michael Lewis, editor of the online Catholic site, Where Peter Is, posted on X a quote from the book The Church Visible: The Ceremonial Life and Protocol of the Roman Catholic Church which said pectoral crosses « should never be worn hanging freely about the neck » when a bishop is wearing a black suit coat, adding that the cross should « rest in the left-suit coat or vest pocket. »

And in the-picture-is-worth-a-thousand-words-category, he also posted a photo of Cardinal Raymond Burke – a former top Vatican official who has taken an increasingly critical tone against Pope Francis over the last decade – coincidently standing alongside Butker at an empty football stadium. The cardinal is wearing a black suit coat with only the chain of the pectoral showing while the cross appears to be placed in a pocket.

Lewis points out that the cardinal is wearing the cross « correctly here. »

About 10 miles from Johnson Space Center, a Houston-area church takes a moment during Wednesday Bible studies and Sunday evening services to pray for two members who cannot be there.

In fact, there’s no way on Earth for NASA astronauts Barry « Butch » Wilmore and Tracy Dyson to show up at Providence Baptist Church. They’re in space, orbiting the planet. More specifically, these two members are working on the International Space Station together.

Like many astronauts before them, they brought along their faith when they launched into space.

« God uses all of us in pretty neat ways, and I think I get the most joy from what I do thinking about it in those terms, » said Dyson, discussing her job on the « Bible Project » podcast ahead of her March launch on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft.

Dyson’s six-month mission isn’t scheduled to end until September, but Wilmore and his fellow NASA test pilot, Suni Williams, should have been back weeks ago. They are staying longer than expected following thruster failures and helium leaks on Boeing’s inaugural crew flight for its Starliner capsule. Wilmore and Williams have said they are confident the capsule will return them home safely; engineers are still poring over Starliner test data.

There’s no return date yet, which means the congregation’s worries have subsided for now since they are safe aboard the space station, said Tommy Dahn. He is a pastor for the Pasadena, Texas, church where Dyson worships as a newer member and Wilmore is a longtime elder.

It’s the launch and return days that ratchet up their anxieties — and prayers.

« We will definitely be on vigil as we find out when that’s going to happen, » said Dahn, who is in close contact with Wilmore and his wife during the latest mission.

Wilmore paused before boarding the Starliner on each launch attempt, huddling in prayer with technicians and Williams. He acknowledged the risks of spaceflight — especially on a test flight like his.

« Our families have been a part of this from the beginning. … As far as preparing them, they’re prepared. We trust in sovereign God. Whatever the plan is, we’re ready for it, whatever that might be, » he told reporters ahead of the flight.

Wilmore’s faith that God is in control gives his family great peace, his wife, Deanna Wilmore, said via text message. He is content on the space station, neither worrying nor fretting, she said.

« We’re not saying this means that nothing bad will happen or the Starliner will bring Barry home safely, but whatever the Lord does, will be for our good and for His glory, » even if they don’t fully understand it, she said.

The U.S. space program has had stunning achievements and devastating tragedies.

Former NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins knew space exploration was high-risk, but didn’t feel its full weight until his first assignment. A life insurance company drove that home ahead of his Soyuz rocket launch in September 2013, Hopkins said, recalling being told they didn’t insure astronauts.

Hopkins realized he was not spiritually ready. Between trainings, he began converting to Catholicism, a faith he’d been immersed in since he began dating his Catholic wife but insisted he would never join.

« It’s the idea of being an astronaut and recognizing the risks that we take, » he said. « It felt like something was missing for me. »

When he received Communion for the first time, he was overcome with a clarity and peace that he wanted to take into space. With his priests’ help, Hopkins secured permission to take a pyx of consecrated hosts. He administered weekly Communion to himself and on long, intense spacewalk days.

« It just set the tone for the day, » he said. « Then, you just go through the step-by-step process of executing the spacewalk but doing it knowing that Christ is with me. »

Others have taken Communion in space, including Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin after landing on the moon with Neil Armstrong in 1969.

The Rev. Wencil Pavlovsky, pastor of St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church in the Houston area, helped former astronaut Mark Vande Hei bring Communion into orbit. Vande Hei was aboard the space station in 2017 when Pope Francis called it.

Pavlovsky says ministering to astronauts isn’t much different than supporting others: « What I do find unique and what I truly, truly appreciate is that they have a very different perspective because they get to look back at us the way God does. »

Relatedly, there is a phenomenon that philosopher Frank White calls the Overview Effect, when someone’s worldview shifts after looking at Earth from space.

Thirty-six St. Paul the Apostle parishioners have been astronauts, Pavlovsky said. Established in the 1960s to serve the growing space community, the church embraces its history, including with stained-glass windows designed from Hubble Telescope images and its curated collection of space travel memorabilia.

It is unknown how many have practiced their faith in orbit, according to NASA, because some keep it private. But flight-certified religious items are permitted. In 2023, astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli celebrated Hannukah on the space station, sharing a video featuring a menorah, a spinning dreidel and her view of Earth.

Houston Rabbi Shaul Osadchey encouraged a member of his congregation and then astronaut Jeffrey Hoffman to bring the first Torah into space on his final shuttle mission in 1996. Osadchey tracked down a miniature scroll, and he and about 40 synagogue members attended the launch in Florida.

« We bring our culture and our backgrounds with us where we go, » said Osadchey, noting Hoffman read from the Torah, the start of Genesis specifically, on Shabbat. « Jeff brought the Jewish tradition into a new domain — new world that is being conquered by humans. »

The three astronauts aboard Apollo 8 broadcasted their reading from Genesis on Christmas Eve as they flew around the moon, starting with « In the beginning, God created the heaven and the Earth. »

NASA says it helps observant astronauts stay connected to their faith community. Because of Dyson and Wilmore, their Southern Baptist congregation, which numbers around 250 people on any given Sunday, has had unique opportunities.

Despite the distance, women in the church arranged a care package of sorts — notes of encouragement — for Dyson, said Dahn.

« Barry, he ministers to us almost, » he said, noting how Wilmore makes encouraging calls to congregants while in space.

After Wilmore arrived on the space station in early June, he and Dyson appeared live via video at a Providence Baptist Sunday service and gave the congregation a tour of the station, Dahn said. Wilmore taught a lesson before he and others aboard the space station led the congregation in singing « Amazing Grace. »

« It’s kind of thrilling, » said Dahn, adding that thoughts of God come easily when the astronauts show Earth through the space station’s window. Like other theologically conservative Christians, he believes God is the creator of the universe as depicted in the Bible, not the Big Bang or other theories.

« It’s confirming. I don’t want to be crass, but it kind of makes us laugh at the ‘Flat Earthers,' » he said.

Wilmore uses his experience in space to enhance people’s understanding of their Christian beliefs, said Dahn, noting his speaking engagements with the Answers in Genesis ministry, which runs the Creation Museum and Ark Encounter, evangelical attractions in Kentucky.

« Barry, he ministers to us almost, » he said, noting how Wilmore makes encouraging calls to congregants while in space.

After Wilmore arrived on the space station in early June, he and Dyson appeared live via video at a Providence Baptist Sunday service and gave the congregation a tour of the station, Dahn said. Wilmore taught a lesson before he and others aboard the space station led the congregation in singing « Amazing Grace. »

« It’s kind of thrilling, » said Dahn, adding that thoughts of God come easily when the astronauts show Earth through the space station’s window. Like other theologically conservative Christians, he believes God is the creator of the universe as depicted in the Bible, not the Big Bang or other theories.

« It’s confirming. I don’t want to be crass, but it kind of makes us laugh at the ‘Flat Earthers,' » he said.

Wilmore uses his experience in space to enhance people’s understanding of their Christian beliefs, said Dahn, noting his speaking engagements with the Answers in Genesis ministry, which runs the Creation Museum and Ark Encounter, evangelical attractions in Kentucky.

« These are uniquely gifted individuals, » he said, but « there’s more to them than what they do for their day job. »

Most American churches navigated the patchwork of COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings by periodically closing their doors and broadcasting services online instead.

But for almost half of U.S. Orthodox Christians, whose liturgy involves processions, incense, kissing icons and crosses and receiving Communion from a shared spoon and chalice, liturgical services continued for anyone wanting to attend in person, according to a new study of how the denomination weathered the pandemic.

The new study finds that Orthodox churches overall were reluctant to embrace virtual worship compared to all religious congregations. By spring 2023, 75% of all U.S. congregations provided remote options compared to only 53% of Orthodox churches.

Fewer online options likely contributed to the significant drop in Orthodox church participation in the middle of the pandemic in 2021, but compared to other U.S. congregations that are on average 8% below pre-COVID-19 attendance, Orthodox churches had recovered in-person attendance on average by spring 2023.

At the same time, Orthodox churches overall have seen a drop in volunteer participation, from 40% in 2020 to 25% in 2023, compared to 40% and 35% in all U.S. congregations.

The Orthodox tendency to « ignore » the pandemic has produced a « mixed bag, » said research released Thursday (Aug. 22) by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research and Alexei Krindatch, national coordinator of the U.S. Census of Orthodox Christian Churches. Orthodox churches in the U.S. are more likely than other religious congregations to have gained members during the COVID-19 pandemic, even while struggling with declines in participation and volunteering.

Using survey data from 2020 through 2023, the study found 44% of Orthodox churches remained open during the pandemic, compared to just 12% of all U.S. congregations. Only 31% of Orthodox priests publicly encouraged parishioners to get vaccinated compared to 62% of all clergy.

« They were trying to avoid conflicts, » said Krindatch, the study’s lead researcher, who has published earlier reports on how the pandemic impacted Orthodox Christians.

There is no single Orthodox Church in the U.S. Instead, several jurisdictions — the largest are the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, the Orthodox Church in America and the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese — are administered independently of one another and exist side by side, sharing the same teachings and in full communion with one another. Many Orthodox parishes combine several immigrant groups and their descendants, from Russians and Ukrainians to Arabs and Greeks, as well as converts from other faiths and denominations.

Bishops provided pandemic guidance to the priests serving them, such as whether to require masking or not, often across a swath of states that clashed on masking and lockdown mandates. Priests then chose whether and how to follow or adapt that guidance to their specific circumstances, sometimes casting doubt on the bishop’s authority.

« I figured people are going to make their own medical decisions (about the vaccine), » said one Orthodox priest who participated in the survey, the Rev. Lawrence Margitich of St. Seraphim of Sarov Cathedral in Santa Rosa, California, a parish of the Orthodox Church of America. « I’m the priest. What do I know about that stuff? »

Margitich said his church has grown from about 80 people on a Sunday morning in the pre-pandemic months of 2020 to about 180 people today. To reduce the spread of the coronavirus, in 2020, the church moved services to its outdoor courtyard with an amplified sound system. Then in August 2020, smoke from a major wildfire pushed them back inside.

During that double crisis, in which hundreds of local homes burned to the ground, people began showing up to St. Seraphim.

« They started thinking more about eternal realities, I guess, and their life in this world, » said Margitich.

According to several Orthodox clergy who have spoken to RNS, the pandemic lockdowns provided more time at home to browse the Internet and self-reflect, leading many spiritual seekers to come across Orthodoxy for the first time across a proliferation of English-language resources online and then visit a local church.

This year, St. Seraphim of Sarov Cathedral has experienced more baptisms than ever before in Margitich’s 27-year career, he said, with 20 people catechized in the spring and 20 more in the process of conversion.

An earlier report by Krindatch concluded that while most Orthodox churches in the U.S. shrank an average of 15% in regular attendees from 2020 to 2022, 1 in 5 parishes instead grew their membership and in-person attendance by 20%. The growing parishes tend to be those that not only remained open for in-person worship during the pandemic, but also didn’t offer online worship, have a higher percentage of converts and have greater unity of opinions, among other factors.

By spring 2023, 15% of the members of a median Orthodox parish were newcomers who had joined since the start of the pandemic in 2020, compared to only 10% among other U.S. religious congregations, the latest study showed.

« It is a statistically significant difference, » Krindatch said. « But there are bigger differences between Orthodox jurisdictions. People were definitely looking for any place they could join. »

The Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, commonly called ROCOR and considered the most conservative jurisdiction, picked up significantly more members than the Orthodox Church of America, which in turn picked up more than the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, according to Krindatch’s data.

The Rev. Luke Veronis of Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church in Webster, Massachusetts, near the Connecticut border, called the pandemic a « positive » experience for his parish, despite describing his congregation as « extremely divided » politically, with both progressives and Donald Trump loyalists, who he refers to as « a family. » The COVID-19 restrictions pushed the church to livestream services and meet on Zoom, alternatives they have continued to offer for liturgies and Bible studies alongside the in-person gatherings.

Veronis’ church also experienced atypical growth, from 150 regular monthly attendees in 2019 to about 220 today, he said. Most joined during the pandemic and are young adults under the age of 35. Many of the Greek Orthodox churches in New England are either declining or struggling to remain open, while only a handful are growing.

« The key to our success is we’ve created a very welcoming church, » said Veronis, who also teaches a class about cultivating « missions-minded » parishes at Hellenic College and Holy Cross Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, Massachusetts. « I always preach to my people, our church welcomes everybody … but then, of course, the challenge for everybody is once you come into the church, we all are on a journey of change and transformation. So don’t come with your agendas. »

He calls the surge in membership some churches are experiencing « both a blessing and a curse. »

« One of the real challenges we in the Orthodox Church are going to have is we have a lot of people coming into our church now, especially young men, » he said. While expressing gratitude for the men who have found his parish, he added, « I would be afraid if some of these men went to some other Orthodox churches, where the priests themselves have given in to these ideological wars and these priests would just feed into what these men are already looking for, the right-wing, extreme craziness. »

The study is part of a national mixed-methods project titled Exploring the Pandemic Impact on Congregations and funded by the Lily Endowment that is investigating changes to congregational life resulting from COVID-19. Faith Communities Today provided 2020 survey data of over 15,000 congregations on the pre-pandemic congregational landscape.

The next survey in November 2024 will follow up on many of the same themes to examine how the pandemic’s impacts continue to change how congregations operate and collect perspectives from not just clergy but also lay persons.

In her 1937 novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston wrote, « There are years that ask questions and years that answer. » The post-2020 world seems to be a series of question-asking years, questions so big that they have created a pace of change that feels impossible to keep up with.

I am still surprised at how much that global, external shifting has led to impactful — even destabilizing — personal change and an onslaught of uncertainty about what life might look like moving forward. Between drastic career transitions out of Catholic ministry, a handful of new addresses, a waning spiritual practice, evolving personal relationships, and an emerging desire to change my hair color with the seasons, my life is in flux like never before.

In her debut full-length album, « Alight Beyond the Sea, » Jessica Gerhardt reflects my internal state. The record readily settles into the questions and even uncovers a meaning for when the answers don’t quite show themselves. The Los Angeles native singer-songwriter recently used an Instagram post to document the difference the last five years have made in her life, especially in how she lives as an artist. The same winds of change usher us into the opening track (« Meant to Stay« ) of the album as well, with chimes gently drawing me away from the desk overlooking the hills behind my neighborhood and into a new space, maybe one where the air is salty and the waves roar. And that space is full of questions: « Am I standing in my own way? » « Am I meant to stay? » « Do I throw my dreams away? » 

On tracks like « Impatience, » « Make Me Grow, » and « Eyelash to Eyelash, » Gerhardt dives headfirst into the seas of despair. Here she navigates to some beautiful, grief-stricken and deeply longing language describing the visceral realities of the grief that pushes down on the weary soul. But even more so, she openly and honestly confronts her own shortcomings, listing them out as plainly as the week’s grocery store needs. She holds the mirror up to herself and bravely sets out to say the quiet part out loud — that it’s not easy to « beat my breast and own my sins » or confront my deepest mistrusts and fears, but this is what it takes to evolve alongside the questions.

It’s not all despair, though. There is joy when the questions lead to something resembling answers, and Gerhardt wears it well. On « Clarity » she marries moments of hope to a bright, ukulele-driven melody that feels like it should be belted out on a coastal drive with the windows down. On « Sighing Dove, » a gentle piano moment swells like a wave as she greets castaway fears and answered prayers like old friends. And even on tracks like « Psalm 139 » or « Suscipe » that aren’t as up-tempo, she lays claim to a steadfast surrender to the « grace of the gray, » choosing peace in the questions and finding God along the way. (It’s also worth mentioning that joy is evident in Gerhardt’s decision to embroider the album art and an additional piece for each track, which, subsequently, also brought me immense joy.)

But the emotional core of the record, as I experienced it, comes mid-record in the form of the song « Paper Crane. » On this track, Gerhardt’s voice sounds as clear and strong as ever, but there is a deeper sense of power here. There is an unsettling earnestness as she sings, « Oh how my heart just wants a place to fall. » In it I can almost hear myself, though it’s a desire that is easy to quiet down when I don’t care to sit in discomfort. There’s a part of me that wonders if she meant to put these out into the world, bare as they make me feel. But it is evident she made no mistake, as her voice resonates almost like a battle cry for when the questions feel too big, heavy, or exhausting:

Oh you know how my heart is free
like a living crane set out for the sea.
I’m in your hands,

a sustaining wind,
and I’m carried on,
you are guiding me

In your hands
I’m in your hands
in your hands
in your hands

The last five years have certainly raised questions for me, so it is not out of the realm of possibility to hope that the next five will be the ones that finally reveal some answers. And, if not, I can echo the mantra Gerhardt sings on the final ethereal track, where the vocals are layered in such a way that it’s as though her past, present and future selves are all chiming in to give us some assurance by praying out words attributed to the great mystic Julian of Norwich: all shall be well.