Parish, school looking forward to 'normal'

By Bill Doyle | CPF Correspondent

Parishioners aren’t attending Masses at St. Mary Church in Shrewsbury nearly as often as they did prior to the pandemic, but they’re still giving what they can.
Attendance at weekend Masses at St. Mary is only a third of what it used to be, but donations slipped by only 4 percent from last September through December compared to the same period the year before, according to Msgr. Michael F. Rose, St. Mary pastor.
“Very grateful,” Msgr. Rose said. “I think people on their own realized that, ‘My parish is completely depending on voluntary giving in order to survive. I have to step up and do my share.’ Many people have been more generous than they would have been in normal times, knowing the situation that the parish would be in.”
Msgr. Rose credited a boost in contributions sent electronically and through the mail with enabling St. Mary to keep its entire staff and to continue to serve the needs of its parishioners and school.
Msgr. Rose said attendance at weekday Masses remains at least 90 percent of what it was before the pandemic, but attendance for the Saturday Vigil Mass and each of the four Sunday Masses has fallen by two thirds. St. Mary seats more than 600 people, but only about 100 people attend the Saturday Vigil Mass and each of the four Sunday Masses at the church.
“The liturgy at Sunday Mass has been so simplified that we miss worshiping in the way that we did,” Msgr. Rose said, “especially in terms of music and in terms of the ministries. We haven’t had altar servers. We haven’t had choirs, a children’s choir or an adult choir. We haven’t had eucharist ministers in the way that we would. So the full celebration of Sunday Mass has been simplified and limited.”
Nevertheless, the Sunday Mass is appreciated by those who attend and others who watch the livestream of the 8:30 a.m. daily Mass on Facebook and the recording of the 4:30 p.m. Saturday Mass, which is posted on the parish Facebook page and website, and televised on Shrewsbury’s local access cable channel.        
“What started as a real crisis and remains a crisis,” Msgr. Rose said, “has transitioned into a temporary way of life for the parish community and for people in the parish. People who have not been comfortable coming to Mass are truly missing being here. They are very anxious for the time when they can safely gather here, especially families still waiting to celebrate a memorial Mass for someone who has died. I think that the community is very happy that the church is open, pleased that we’re doing all that we’re able to do at this time, but still missing the special events that kind of build community. We especially experienced that around Christmas time.”
St. Mary parishioners couldn’t gather for the Christmas pageant or Christmas carol sing-along. Seniors missed out on their Thanksgiving dinner that the parish school runs every year and the three-day family festival in September was also canceled.
Nevertheless, St. Mary does its best to stay in touch with parishioners through email, text messages and Flocknote, and also prints a weekly bulletin that is also posted on the church’s website.
Msgr. Rose visits the homebound and calls those who aren’t ready for visitors. The parish council holds Zoom meetings, but church committees with fewer than 10 members, such as the finance committee, meet in person at the church while socially distancing and wearing masks. 
“I think people have been responsible,” Msgr. Rose said, “in wearing masks and keeping distance and following protocols, especially in the school.”
St. Mary School’s students from preschool through eighth grade attend class in person except for 10 students whose families prefer they learn remotely.
The school has had only two positive tests for the coronavirus, both in the preschool program, but those individuals have since returned. Some have had to quarantine because a family member had tested positive.
“That’s been one of the great blessings,” Msgr. Rose said, “since the last week of August the kids have been basically healthier than ever.”
Wearing masks, social distancing, frequent washing of hands and sanitizing have not only combatted COVID-19, they’ve helped fight off “24-hour bugs” and the flu.
“There have been days when we’ve had 100 percent attendance,” Msgr. Rose said, “and we don’t ever remember that happening before.”
Enrollment at St. Mary’s has decreased slightly this year because desks had to be spread apart and each classroom was limited to 18 students. Interest in the school remains strong, however. Msgr. Rose said most grades had waiting lists at the beginning of the school year.
The number of students is slightly down for religious education, which is held for grades 1-10 both in person and via Zoom.
The diocese issued guidelines to parishes on how to safely conduct Mass and offer the sacraments during the pandemic.
Because churches weren’t permitted to hold public Masses in May, St. Mary held its five First Communion celebrations in July and September, separate from regular Masses.
St. Mary usually conducts one confirmation celebration at St. Paul Cathedral in Worcester because it has more space than the parish church. But this year, with 102 confirmation candidates, two celebrations were held at the cathedral.
Attendance at baptisms is limited so some people are waiting to hold them until more family members can attend.
Five couples postponed their weddings at St. Mary from last spring until the summer with smaller ceremonies, but most delayed them until 2021 with the hope that the pandemic will have ended and more people would be able to attend.
Msgr. Rose said the number of funerals increased in April, but services were held at gravesites because public Masses weren’t allowed then. Since the churches reopened in late May, attendance at funerals has remained lower than usual.
Over the last several weeks, St. Mary has hosted wakes that would have been too large for funeral homes.
“Pastorally, for me, it’s been very difficult not to be able to really visit many people in the hospital or in the nursing homes,” Msgr. Rose said. He’s been able to visit some people at hospitals at times, but nursing homes are more restrictive.
St. Mary partners with St. Anne Church in Shrewsbury for the latter’s food pantry. With more people in need during the pandemic, St. Anne distributes food weekly instead of monthly and Msgr. Rose said St. Mary has collected more gift cards than usual for grocery stores. 
“We’re longing for the day when we’re back to a more normal life in the community,” Msgr. Rose said, “and grateful that the vaccine is now becoming more and more available.”