The Philippines’ Catholic Churches are welcoming younger volunteers as its older lay servers have been confined to their homes during the COVID 19 pandemic.
Manila Bishop Broderick Pabillo made the call for volunteers as churches anticipate reopening to more participants. Churches have slowly reopened with limited public participation following health protocols of the community quarantine to stop the spread of coronavirus disease.
“We need more volunteers now since there are new ministries to be created or strengthened because of our situation,” Bishop Pabillo said in a statement on June 11, 2020.
“We will have to bring communion to the sick and to the elderly near their homes. We will need people to help keep the proper physical distancing and to regularly disinfect our churches,” the church leader added.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines has also earlier instructed parishes to train younger lay ministers of communion.
“So we sorely need younger volunteers. I would appeal to our elderly parish volunteers that if you truly love your parish, you will recruit one or two young volunteers to take your place in the church,” the Manila church official said.
The elderly are instead asked to stay at home and offer prayers “which is not only important but indispensable in the Church”.
“Please accompany the church activities with your prayers and spiritual, and even material, offerings. You may be our prayer intercessors at this time of crisis,” Pabillo said.
Metro Manila remains under general community quarantine (GCQ) status, where authorities impose stricter restrictions on religious services.
The Quiapo Church of the Black Nazarene reopened to devotees during the first Friday of June while Baclaran Church reopened earlier, both with new health safety protocols in place.
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