The Rt. Rev. Lawrence C. Provenzano, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island, which includes Brooklyn, has ordered all churches in the Diocese, including Grace Church (photo) and St. Ann & the Holy Trinity, to suspend services beginning today through March 26. At that time it will be decided whether to continue the suspension, which would then presumably last through Holy Week and Easter. The churches will remain staffed with offices open.
The Most Rev. Nicholas DiMarzo, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, has excused the faithful from the obligation to attend masses, but services will continue. Catholic schools in the diocese are closed.
The First Presbyterian Church has suspended “in-person worship effective immediately and for the foreseeable future” and the First Unitarian Congregational Society has suspended all programming until April 5, though worship services will be available on line, Plymouth Church is taking a measured approach. There will be a service tomorrow (Sunday, April 15), with modifications to permit social distancing, and the service will be live streamed. Updates will be given periodically on the Church’s website. Plymouth Church School is closed. The Brooklyn Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) will continue to have meetings on their usual schedule, but the First Day School and Social Hour are cancelled until further notice. Neither the Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral nor the Zion German Evangelical Lutheran Church have indicated any change to scheduled services.
The Brooklyn Heights Synagogue will continue to have Friday evening Shabbat and Saturday morning Chavurah services, but the religious school and other programs are suspended during a two week hiatus. More details are on the website linked above. Neither Congregation B’nai Avraham nor Congregation Mount Sinai have posted any information concerning suspension or modification of services.
The Islamic Society of America/Dawood Mosque has not indicated any change to availability of prayer services.
Photo: Claude Scales
