I wish the parish ran on prayer alone — we’ve got lots of that.”

The Rev. Henry Zinno

With some 500 families in his parish, the Rev. Marinaldo Batista is used to saying Mass before a crowd. In fact, he says Mass four times every Sunday to accommodate the people who want to come to St. Elizabeth Church to worship. That job just got more complicated.

He’s relying on volunteers to clean between services, but that means he won’t be able to hold as many, and they will need to be a bit shorter. With tape blocking every other row and family groups seated in the middle of the pews, away from other congregants, much of the church’s capacity has been lost. Each service will be limited to about 70 participants. He doesn’t want to have to tell people to go home, but he is encouraging parishioners to attend Mass on weekdays, which he will be saying every day.

St Elizabeth’s is also encouraging parishioners over age 65 to stay home, for their safety.

Father Batista will be asking parishioners to sanitize their hands before receiving Communion, which will only be administered by him. Doors will be left open, congregants will enter through the front and leave through the rear side doors. Missals have been removed, as has the holy water.

People have still been coming to church in recent weeks, on their own, to pray; St. Elizabeth has not closed its doors just because they have not been able to hold crowded masses.

“Now is the time that church must be open,” said Father Batista. “The church is where people go to look for comfort. They have the hospitals when your body is sick, but where do you go when you are spiritually sick? The church.”

“We can’t close the church.”

Mt. Carmel ready and waiting

Over at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church, the Rev. Henry Zinno expressed frustration that they had to stop holding Mass in the first place; the resumption cannot happen soon enough.

“I’m hoping to hear we can have 40 percent capacity, like they are doing in Massachusetts. That would allow 120 people,” he said.

He is waiting on the guidelines from the state, and when they come through he plans to be ready to throw open the church doors. “Our church has been open every day since 1917. That hasn’t stopped,” he said. “We have allowed five people at a time to come in and pray. But unfortunately we had to lock the church when we celebrate Mass livestream.

“Locking the doors of the church when we celebrate Mass — that runs contrary to everything.”

Father Zinno’s position is clear — he’s a rule follower and a good citizen. But he firmly believes that the restrictions infringed on people’s constitutional rights to assemble and practice their religion.

“Churches should have been declared essential,” he said.

Father Zinno now has to face an annual budget without the help of their biggest fundraiser — the annual feast, normally held in July.

“We’ve been holding the feast since 1899,” he said. “It’s important spiritually, but it’s also 22 percent of our income. It’s huge. We’re trying to do things differently, but it’s been hard. I wish the parish ran on prayer alone — we’ve got lots of that.”