From the Vestry

As you know, back in September, the Vestry made a determination that, due to the pandemic, we would not expect to re-gather for in-person worship, or for other meetings and activities, until at least Epiphany, on January 6, 2021.

Since then, our team has focused on ensuring we can worship and engage in meaningful connection online, keep people up to date through Bell and Tower, and connect with parishioners via phone calls. In addition, we have continued to monitor the COVID-19 situation, review the data for Pima County, and listen to the advice coming from both the CDC and our Health Cabinet experts.

As we start the New Year, unfortunately, the situation is still very grave. We are seeing a significant spike in cases in Pima County and our hospitals and healthcare facilities are under a great deal of pressure. While there is progress on the vaccine front, it will be some time before they are widely available.

It is clear that the data does not support re-opening in person at this time. We are now turning our attention to the upcoming Lenten and Easter seasons of our church calendar. In particular, we are working to identify ways in which we might approach the distribution of ashes on Ash Wednesday, February 17. Also in mid-February, we will re-evaluate the situation and determine whether some outdoor or small in-person services might be realistic for Holy Week and Easter.

What we do know is that even if some in-person gathering seems possible in a few months’ time, and/or vaccines become more widely available in the spring, some members of our community will still feel they need to quarantine for longer, due to underlying health concerns within their household – so we are committed to continuing to provide online access to worship and other meetings for as long as necessary.

We know that this is disappointing and not the news that any of us wanted to hear. We all long to be back in our beautiful building and in each other’s company. Our primary concern, however, must continue to be the health and well-being of all members of our parish, their families, and the wider community.

 The Vestry