McHenry County religious groups see worshippers return, some still with masks and caution

For the past two weeks, pews in McHenry County churches have been filling up on Sundays more than they had in months amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Part of the reason is at the start of July, the Catholic Diocese of Rockford ended a temporary suspension of the obligation to attend Sunday Mass, which had been in effect since March last year.

“We have been very successful with the return,” said Jennifer Marsh, a communications and liturgy staffer for the Church of Holy Apostles, a Catholic parish in McHenry.

That church has kept one section of pews designated as an area where social distance must be maintained, for those who are unvaccinated against COVID-19 or wish to keep the extra space between themselves and other parishioners.

Because the church already had been livestreaming its celebrations of Mass before the pandemic started last year, it had a smooth transition into offering remote services and actually gained members during the crisis, Marsh said. That included some who previously attended other churches that offered less video streaming options amid the outbreak and others who hadn’t been regular parishioners in a while.

“They discovered during the pandemic they needed something spiritual in their lives. We might be coming back stronger than ever,” Marsh said.

The Church of Holy Apostles is encouraging, but not requiring, face masks at this time.

“We understand that they’ve lifted the mandate across the Illinois, ... but we’re still encouraging it because there are still people who are immunocompromised who are not vaccinated,” Marsh said. “We do want to protect those people.”

It has been exciting to see people starting to come back to mass again, parishioner Shannon Landwehr said.

“Everybody just lights up when we’re back together,” said Landwehr, of Woodstock.

Even though parishioners said the livestreams were a “godsend” during the tumultuous period when COVID-19 restrictions were at their peak, being back in person means a lot.

“I did the livestream thing, and it wasn’t the same,” parishioner Cathy Kelter of McHenry said. “I missed getting Communion, so when I did finally come back, I really enjoyed being here with everyone. Even though I was wearing a mask, it didn’t matter to me as long as I came back, and I was fine with that.”

Being physically in the church has a different feeling to it, Landwehr said.

“To have everybody starting to come back and that community ... [to] be able to catch up and reconnect has been wonderful,” she said. “You get the music surrounding you, I don’t get distracted as much. ... When I’m here, I’m in the moment. I’m very much more faith-centered when I’m physically here.”

Parishioner Sandi Yunker said she understands that during COVID-19, “you have to do what you have to do.” But still, the McHenry resident said, “it’s great to be back.”

Initially, the dispensation from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass was expected to be a short-term measure, according to a news release from the Diocese of Rockford.

“Little did we know of the course and toll the virus would take on the health and well-being of our society, thus requiring a longer time of dispensation for our most vulnerable brothers and sisters in Christ,” Bishop David Malloy said in the release.

He said the return to cathedrals should be “a joyful moment and one to thank God for his blessings in seeing us through the pandemic and in lessening its impact among us.”

“It will also be a time during the Mass to pray for those who have suffered so much and even lost loved ones,” Malloy said.

Although the diocese is urging the expression of joy, the smiles of many Spanish-speaking parishioners of St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church in Crystal Lake still are being obscured by masks at Mass at higher rates than English-speaking worshippers, said the Rev. Bob Jones, the parish’s pastor.

Hispanics in McHenry County were much more likely to get COVID-19 than any other race or ethnicity, nearly 1,100 per 10,000 residents compared with about 500 per 10,000 for white, non-Hispanic residents, McHenry County Department of Health data shows.

Nationally, Hispanic or Latino people are two times more likely to contract COVID-19 and 2.3 times more likely to die from it, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“They, by and large, are masked,” Jones said of the attendees of the parish’s Spanish-language Mass. “They’re very cautious.”

Masks still are required to attend daily prayers for people practicing Islam at the American Muslim Community Organization in Lake in the Hills, which began offering in-person options to those who preregister. Social distancing still is mandated by the group, as well, and worshippers are asked to bring their own prayer rugs and to leave children 14 and younger at home.

“They’re coming back, but very slowly,” said Farzana Nasaruddin, the secretary for the American Muslim Community Organization. “People are still scared. They are returning, but it’s not like usual.”

Debbi Viger, president of the Temple at Congregation Tikkun Olam, which has been livestreaming services, said the synagogue is letting people RSVP for in-person services on Fridays.

But in August, no RSVP will be needed. Along with in-person services, Viger said Congregation Tikkun Olam also is looking forward to doing more education programs, get-togethers and volunteer work.

“We’re going to follow all of the CDC guidelines,” Viger said. “It’s so exciting, though, just to be back together again. I mean, we’ve all been able to keep in touch, but just [being] face-to-face is going to be exquisite.”

Livestreaming for religious organizations had some perks. More people from out of town and who may have moved away from McHenry County now can participate in services, even from other states.

At Holy Apostles, people were watching Mass from North Carolina, Arizona and Michigan, Marsh said, while Congregation Tikkun Olam started averaging about 60 more people per service, Viger said.

“That’s a lot for a small, local congregation,” Viger said, adding that Congregation Tikkun Olam plans on continuing to livestream services.

Still, nothing beats being together again, especially after such a long period where many were isolated, Viger said.

“For us, it’s the camaraderie, being able to give someone a hug again,” she said.