Monday 1is June, a day like no other for Saint Bartholomew. Tucked away from the main shopping avenues of eastern Queens, a New York borough, this large early 20th century churche century reopened that day after more than two months of closure due to Covid-19. On the square, Sister Lucy Mendez welcomes the faithful with a smile (and hydroalcoholic gel). Inside the imposing building, where more than 5,000 parishioners usually follow one another during weekend masses, a handful of people, far from each other, pray to music. ” I cried like a baby, says Sandra Muñoz, one of the parishioners. I was overwhelmed by the prayer, the music, the atmosphere. I hadn’t realized how much I had missed the church. It’s like my soul suddenly felt this absence. »
« The epicenter of the epicenter Of the pandemic in New York
As churches are gradually reopening in New York and the rest of the country, the revival has a special flavor in Saint Bartholomew. Located in Elmhurst, a popular area populated by immigrants and considered “the epicenter of the epicenter”From the pandemic in New York, the church has lost nearly 70 of its members, according to Father Rick Beuther, pastor of the parish for nine years. “We think the toll is even heavier. We will know, as we find our parishioners”, He says.
His parish has many “essential workers” (delivery men, cooks, etc.) who are immigrants exposed to the virus, who do not have the means or health insurance to protect themselves. ” When the virus spread around the world, I was worried because our parish brings together the whole world. 60% of our parishioners are Hispanic, 40% are Asian. I am the only one born in the United States. We have masses in English, Spanish, Mandarin, Burmese, Bengali, Indonesian …, he lists. It was like a tsunami. »
“I am sick, I need help”
It’s not just the parishioners who got sick. Shortly after the last public mass on Sunday March 15, Father Rick Beuther started to have a fever and a cough. He lost his taste and smell, one of the symptoms of Covid. Sister Lucy Mendez, responsible for religious education in the parish, also contracted the virus. “I fell asleep one night thinking I wasn’t going to survive. Then I opened my eyes the next day feeling grateful to see another day », She confides.
→ READ. Coronavirus: all the nuances of the “lockdown”
During the closure, the Colombian continued to contact its 50 catechists, their assistants and the 1,000 students who benefit from the services of the parish. ” Even when I was sick, I had to be strong to reassure them. There was a lot of fear in the face of this disease. Father Beuther did the same. ” I made calls, wrote emails to check in, continued Mass on Facebook. 80% of our parishioners are undocumented. When they lost their job, they were unable to receive the various state aids or unemployment benefits. We got a lot of messages that started with “I’m sick, I need help. We have no more food. »
Respecting the instructions of the diocese, the church could not organize funerals for the missing parishioners either. ” Many have opted for cremation, which is less expensive than burials. In addition, the local funeral home did not have enough room for the caskets.s ”, continues Father Rick Beuther. Since its reopening, the church has only received a limited number of faithful simultaneously. After organizing two meal distributions, she continues to give her families $ 3,000 in vouchers to spend at the local supermarket. ” Seeing the parishioners coming back fills me with joy, says Sister Lucy. It’s gonna be a long process, but we finally see the rainbow after the storm. »
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