cognitive dissonance

Today's assignment: compare and contrast...

Saint Mark's Episcopal Cathedral

Location: Seattle, King County, Washington State, USA

Congregation: around 900 official members

Budget: approximately $2 million (primarily direct donations from members)

Pastoral team: 1 Cathedral Dean + 3 Canons

Current COVID-19 situation: King County, population 2.3 million, had a 7-day rolling average of 110 cases/day on August 23 (the most recent day for which complete data are available), trending down. This translates to 67 cases / 100,000 people / 14 days. King County is in Phase 2 of a four-phase reopening plan: among other targets, the state is aiming for fewer than 25 cases / 100,000 people / 14 days with sinking numbers before moving to the next reopening phase. Currently schools are online. Indoor religious services of up to 200 people (or 25% of building capacity, whichever is less) are allowed, maintaining separation and with face coverings.

Recent communication: Here is an excerpt from today's email to church members from Dean Steve Thomason (via my very dearest brother and Cathedral Communications Director, Gregory Bloch; emphasis and links from the original; note that the Cathedral introduced online streaming in 2017 to allow people who weren't able to attend services in person to participate in community worship) -

...So when are we going to reopen? We do not have a have specific date at this time. But we have determined that once King County moves into Phase 3 of the Governor’s Safe Start plan (currently we’re in Phase 2) and incidence of COVID cases have remained flat or declining for two weeks in Phase 3, the Dean and leadership of Saint Mark’s Cathedral will look to reopening to a congregation for Sunday liturgy. That could be as soon as the end of September or October, but the signs are tenuous. And please know, of course, that the livestream will continue!

But coming to church will look different as we venture into reopening. We will start with one Sunday service at 11 a.m. with a limited number of people in order to maintain social distancing and other safety protocols. Those attending will need to register in advance (online or by phone) and sign a waiver, and then answer basic health questions and have your temperature taken when you arrive. Ushers will lead you to an assigned seat, and you will be asked not to stray from it. Everyone will need to be masked for the entire time you are in the cathedral—no exceptions, because masks are for others’ safety, not primarily our own. We will share the Peace with a bow or nod, and we will be receiving the Eucharist in bread, with special precautions, but not the wine at this time. At the dismissal, you will be asked to leave in an orderly fashion guided by ushers and not linger. All of these and more details are on our website, so you will know what to expect.

What will NOT be different is that “when two are three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” We come together as a community of Jesus’ followers, blessed to worship together—as we do when we worship from our homes on the livestream—sharing our prayers, our sacred Scripture, our sacramental life, and our love for God and each other. I know we miss each other and being together in the cathedral! I surely do. And we persist in this extraordinary time as a community in so many rich ways.

Heilig Kreuz Catholic Church

Location: Zürich, Canton Zürich, Switzerland

Congregation: around 11,000 registered Catholics in the parish area; perhaps 500 of these attend church services or activities

Budget: approximately 3.5 Million Swiss Francs (primarily collected as taxes from registered Catholics and Zürich businesses)

Pastoral team: 1 Priest + 3 Pastoral Assistants

Current COVID-19 situation: Canton Zürich, population 1.5 million, had a 7-day rolling average of 70 cases/day on September 9, trending up. This translates to 63 cases / 100,000 people / 14 days. Following a national lockdown in April and May, the Swiss federal government determined that the worst of the crisis was over and passed management of the pandemic to individual cantons. To my knowledge Canton Zürich has no published plan or specific decision points at which disease prevention measures will be stepped up or down. Currently schools are open normally. Planned gatherings of up to 1,000 people (with a "safety plan" in place, generally maintaining separation *or* with face coverings) are allowed.

Communication: Here is an excerpt from an email on Tuesday from the parish administrator to parish employees (emphasis from the original; translation and note in square brackets mine; the church does not communicate with parishioners by email and streaming of services has to my knowledge never been discussed) -

Today the leadership team decided that, effective immediately, up to 99 people will be allowed to attend services (100 attendees or more would require mandatory mask-wearing). Mask-wearing is recommended, but not required.

All visitors must leave their contact details. The forms will be available from Wednesday, September 9, in the church foyer and in the community center. This way visitors can take the forms home and hand in the filled-in forms when they come to church. The form can also be downloaded from our homepage. Anyone who does not have a completed form will be asked to leave their details on a separate contact list. Their contact details will be stored for two weeks and then destroyed. This way we can remove the markings and cordons [that were on the seats in the church to ensure people maintained distance from each other].