Redemptorist Father John Schmidt, pastor of St. Alphonsus in Brooklyn Center, recalled one day early in the COVID-19 pandemic when an elderly parishioner who had been livestreaming Mass told him, “I miss my priest. I miss my deacon. I miss my church. I want to get back.”
Redemptorist Father John Schmidt, pastor of St. Alphonsus in Brooklyn Center, recalled one day early in the COVID-19 pandemic when an elderly parishioner who had been livestreaming Mass told him, “I miss my priest. I miss my deacon. I miss my church. I want to get back.”
While the parish made Mass available virtually through livestreaming and offering the Eucharist outside the church’s front door, it could not match celebrating the liturgy in person, from the pews.
Due to the pandemic, Catholics were first dispensed from their Sunday obligation to attend Mass in person in March 2020. That month, Archbishop Bernard Hebda suspended the public celebration of Mass in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, reinstating it two months later. While some Catholics returned to Masses in their parishes at that time, the dispensation continued for 14 more months, until July 1, 2021. But, even before that date, local parishes were planning special ways to welcome parishioners back to in-person Mass and build back a stronger sense of community. Among them were Holy Name of Jesus in Medina, St. Timothy in Blaine and St. John the Baptist in New Brighton.
Staff at St. Michael in Prior Lake started talking in June about welcoming people back to Mass. Using a campaign theme of “Together Again … Growing in Faith,” Brittany Seaburg, marketing and communications director, suggested handing out seed packets to every parishioner who came to Mass the first weekend in June.
Promotional information was posted on Facebook and mailed via postcard, Seaburg said, noting, “whether you haven’t come back to a live Mass yet or you’ve been coming for a few weeks or months, we are excited to welcome you home. Join us as we celebrate, worshiping together again,” adding that a special gift would be distributed after each Mass.
“We didn’t share what the gift was,” Seaburg said. “So that created some buzz.” A sticker on each seed packet read “Together again, growing in faith” and included the parish logo and image of a plant sprouting. Parishioners were encouraged to plant the seeds and submit photos of the flowers grown.
The weekend of the seed distribution drew one of the largest weekend attendance numbers since the start of COVID, Seaburg said. The early June weekend was picked because students were still in school and it preceded many parishioners’ summer vacation plans.
“Honestly, I think people were just excited to be back and have some sense of normalcy again,” Seaburg said. “It’s been encouraging to see.”
Staff members at Holy Name of Jesus wanted a message that would appeal to various audiences — those looking forward to coming back, those who felt uncertain, those who hadn’t thought much about their decision either way, and those who weren’t attending Mass regularly before the pandemic, said Michelle Hudlow, director of technology and communications.
The parish chose “Adventure awaits at Holy Name of Jesus.” A graphic artist created logos and other images used with the campaign. The effort included promoting an all-parish picnic in June, followed by food trucks on the premises in July.
Hundreds attended both outdoor events. About 30 volunteers greeted people as they walked in, described what to expect, answered questions and helped make connections.
“They would talk to one young family who has been in the school for a couple of years, and then another family just starting this year,” Hudlow said, and introduce the families. “So, they were introducing people to each other to help build that community,” she said. “It was just amazing.”
The second event, in July, built on that success, Hudlow said. Attendees could buy food from food trucks parked on site. She placed some Facebook advertising to reach parish neighbors. And parishioners were encouraged to take printed sticky notes to inform their neighbors about the event — leaving the note on the door if they weren’t home.
Hudlow said many people enjoyed watching the recorded Mass from Holy Name at home during the pandemic. But once they came back, “they walk in the building and (say), ‘Oh, I missed this.’ And they would feel that familiarity and that welcoming feeling, and everybody would welcome them,” she said. “And then they want to come back. So, we were trying to find ways to reach people who were hesitant to come back.”
As a result of gathering with parishioners at the outdoor event, Hudlow said she hoped attendees would feel “oh, this is home, this is what I’ve missed.”
“So just get them back on campus, get them back to seeing their friends, and maybe new people … and build relationships,” Hudlow said.
At St. Alphonsus, Father Schmidt said he had been approached recently by parish groups ready to return in person.
“I like to say, they’re leading the charge, eager to get back with some connections,” he said. Before the pandemic, a group of seniors used to meet monthly for Mass followed by dinner and recreation, such as playing cards. They approached him about starting back up this month, which was scheduled to happen Sept. 15. “They are ready to reconnect,” he said.
Funeral lunches that had been suspended during the pandemic returned a couple months ago. Many of the women who serve the lunches are in the same network of friends, Father Schmidt said, so the lunches give them a chance to get out of the house and be of service.
Father Schmidt sent a recorded, spiritual phone message to parishioners, and people have responded, he said. He believes the call is calming and a good way to connect back with the church. Learning “we’re not left alone” is a good message for his elderly parishioners who don’t get out too often, he said.
Children’s liturgy of the word has restarted at Masses, he said. And the parish is planning a multicultural Mass followed by a reception or dinner where people from different communities bring food.
Father Schmidt said he and the other three Redemptorists at the parish will be present as much as possible at all the Masses — to meet people and invite them to be part of more activities at the parish.
“I think people appreciated the livestreaming because it did keep them connected,” he said, “but they would say nothing compares to actually being with people and being in church.”
St. Timothy in Blaine is holding its annual parish carnival Sept. 11-12, promoted as a time of community building and connection after extended isolation, said Rhonda Miska, director of communications. The parish continues to livestream Mass every Saturday, and parishioners who stream Mass may also receive the Eucharist in the parking lot — “bearing in mind that different people have different circumstances and comfort levels, and we want all to feel welcome and included in worship,” Miska said.
Among activities to build community at St. John the Baptist in New Brighton, pastor Father Paul Shovelain said the parish wants to hold a larger, community-focused festival this year, but the parish is still taking COVID-19 precautions — such as designating sections of pews for social distancing — to help people feel comfortable at Mass. Asked about the importance of building the parish community as people come back in person, he said establishing ministries like greeters to make sure people feel welcome when they come to the church campus is valuable.
St. John the Baptist in Savage held two events in August: an outdoor “DJ dance event” for children pre-K through middle school that attracted 300 people, and a “Mass and mingle event,” said Sara Schneider, director of communications and marketing.
Following Mass Aug. 24, people could stay for a free BBQ and fellowship.
“It was incredible and people were hungry for it,” she said. “It turned it into a mini stewardship event by asking different ministries to take part and handle different aspects.”
The parish is also hosting a weekend “CommUNITY fest” Sept. 17-19.
“Best wishes to everyone welcoming people back,” she said. “They are ready for it.”
