As we move into month six of the coronavirus pandemic, some parishes are wondering, “Should we just direct people to the daily Mass on EWTN and shut down our livestream?” Other parishes have made the decision to livestream Mass themselves. The truth is, you need to be livestreaming Mass right now, and don’t stop. Here’s why:
- It comforts parishioners who want to pray with their own community
- It lets the pastor preach to his community
- It gives a sense of continuity to all who participate
- It allows the parish to “pass the plate” and take prayer intentions easily, within the context of the Mass
If you’ve never done this before, have no fear! The CSM team received word from St. Thomas More in Centennial, Colorado that their employees were able to get this up and running in just two days. More than 600 households participated in the livestreamed Mass in their first livestreamed Mass. Likewise with St. Patrick in Pasco, Washington. Their staff borrowed some equipment and had 2,300 households watch their Spanish Mass, and another 1,600 watch their English Mass at the start of the 2020 lockdown.
If you’d like a cheat sheet about how to livestream Mass, check out this handout from our team and our spring 2020 webinar, “How to Run a Parish During the Coronavirus Outbreak.”
By livestreaming Mass right now, you are keeping your community connected, even as we head into month seven of the pandemic.
