St. Joseph’s Parish in Leyton (London) organised an event to welcome parishioners back physically into the parish community, after 18 months of absence and disconnection from each other due to the pandemic. Families who lost loved ones and relatives to COVID-19 were comforted and have not been abandoned by God.
In his sermon during the Eucharist, the parish priest, Fr Gerry, called on parishioners to be aware that unconsciously repressed anxieties and fears stored in the body can be triggered at any time and impact on their presence and their lives, both in their families and in the church as a family.
Connecting with the Holy Spirit within us can help us to hold those moments with gentleness, love, compassion and empathy for ourselves and others. God is still in the symptoms of humanity in transition and spiritual emergency with the pandemic.
