Church Closure - A Note from Rev. Terri
A Note from the Rector, Updated 3/16/2020
Dear Members of the Holy Spirit Faith Community,
In light of the rapidly changing developments and after conversations with Bishop Marty Stebbins, the staff and the Senior Warden, I have come to the difficult conclusion that it is best that we cancel all Holy Spirit Episcopal Church services and activities as per CDC guidelines to help contain the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). The main reasons behind this decision are:
- Concern for the health of all members and visitors to Holy Spirit, including the elderly population among our congregation at Holy Spirit that is particularly vulnerable to the virus
- The increasing admonition of public health agencies to not encourage bringing groups of 50 or more people together in one place
- The significant impact that social distancing seems to make on reducing the spread of the virus
- Our ability to use technology to make it possible for us to still be in community via live streaming of a Sunday service and uploading of a recording for later viewing. This may also apply to other forms of communal prayer we might offer during the week.
This is not an easy decision for me. I believe that the significant roles that churches play in our common life include witnessing to lives without fear and living in solidarity with those most in need of care. It is my understanding of events right now that the best way to do that is to suspend public services and activities at Holy Spirit from today, Monday, March 16, for up to 8 weeks. This guidance will be re-evaluated as we near Holy Week and Easter, and in coordination with our bishop. During this period, we plan to livestream our 10:15 a.m. service on Sunday, and I hope you will join us in community online. The service will be livestreamed on our church Facebook page here (https://www.facebook.com/HolySpiritMissoula/).
While we are not aware of any confirmed cases of coronavirus among our faith community, we have made this decision out of an abundance of caution. We will continue to closely monitor the latest reports from the World Health Organization (WHO), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and local health departments, and will review our decision as new information becomes available.
Please keep in your prayers all those who have been affected in any way by this pandemic, and support one another as you are able in this difficult time.
Blessings,
Terri +
The Rev. Terri Ann Grotzinger
Rector