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April 18, 2020

Pittsfield parishioners ‘pack the pews’ with pictures for Easter Mass

REGIONAL
By Rebecca Drake

Father John Tuohey poses in St. Charles Borromeo Church, Pittsfield, where parishioners sent in their photos so they could be “present” for Easter Mass. (iObserve photos/courtesy of St. Charles Parish)

 

PITTSFIELD — One might say it was a “picture perfect” Easter Sunday Mass at St. Charles Borromeo Parish, here.

Inspired by news reports about Catholic parishes in the U.S. and Italy, Father John Tuohey, administrator of St. Charles Parish, invited parishioners to send in photos of themselves to be placed in the church pews during the Easter Mass so that they could be “present” in a special way during the pandemic for the most important feast in the Catholic Church calendar.

“Our business manager, Robbie Brassard, saw the story of a parish, I believe in Italy, that was doing this and that is where we got the idea. I have since noticed a church in New Jersey did the same. So we thought it was a good idea,” Father Tuohey told iObserve. He said he and his staff had been working to connect with parishioners during this time of social distancing.  

“We have been pushing the idea that if you cannot come in, the church will come out to you with a cross on our front steps,” he said, adding, “We are sending out a postcard of one of our stained-glass windows, and, of course, had drive-up adoration until that was stopped.

“Sending in the photos was a chance for us to let people in,” said Father Tuohey. But he was not prepared for the amount of participation from parishioners.

“The response was overwhelming,” he said. “We thought maybe 100 (photos), if lucky, and we are just shy of 200. There is quite a variety: wedding photos, family vacations, first Communion, Christmas card photos, family collages, you name it.”

As the Mass celebrant, Father Tuohey also had an unexpected response himself.  

“For me it makes a real difference seeing faces – so much so that when I said ‘The Lord be with you,’ I was a bit taken aback that there was no response!” he said.

For the parishioners who watched the Mass, he noted, “They do not see themselves but there is a short video on our homepage that gives a sense of the community to which they can appeal for a sense of community.”

And as another way to celebrate the parish family, “We are also looking at having a DVD slideshow and/or video for people,” he said.

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