As a family they connect online to their parishes to listen to masses and pray the rosary during Easter
Church closures due to the coronavirus pandemic, led the parishioners of St. Patrick's Church in North Hollywood, a neighborhood in Los Angeles, to undertake a very original initiative, the placement of altars in their homes during Easter.
"We put on the altar a photo of the Lord of the Miracles, an image of Jesus Christ that is venerated in Peru," says Hugo Cherre.
Almost two or three weeks ago when the quarantine began, Hugo, his wife Liliana and their 14-year-old son Sebastián Cherre, mounted the altar on a small table between the living room and dining room of their house in Santa Clarita, in the north of Los County. Angels
From there they connect to the San Patricio parish by Facebook on their cell phone, and participate every day in the 6:30 pm mass, and pray the rosary at noon.
"By being cloistered, we have become aware that we can communicate with God from wherever we are," says Hugo.
Liliana, his wife, tells that they put the altar, following the recommendation of the pastor of the San Patricio Church, Nicolás Sánchez.
"It has brought us a little more spirituality and confidence to get out of this pandemic."
Hugo adds that they feel in the hands of God. “Whatever has to happen will happen. And if it touches us, we will leave this world calmly ”.
Her son Sebastián talks about how happy he is to hear mass and pray from his house next to his parents.
Faith is revived
Since March 16, Masses were suspended in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, which covers not only Los Angeles County, but Ventura and Santa Barbara; and it is the largest in the entire country with around five million Catholics. On March 24, the closing of all churches was called to stop the spread of the pandemic.
The parish priest of the San Patricio Church, Nicolás Sánchez, says that the idea of the altars and of putting green herbs on the doors of the homes on Palm Sunday, occurred to them to have close contact with the parishioners and that they can live the Week Santa from his faith, and in a unique way.
"We want them to experience the surrender, death and resurrection of Jesus from the altars of their homes."
And realizing that people have responded, setting up altars and connecting to the parish to pray and pray, he says they have felt a joy comparable to that of a father when he sees his son begin to decide based on his guidance.
In the end, consider that the altars are an expression of the faith of a living people, even in confinement.
He adds that believers experience feelings of fear because they know that the coronavirus can hit anyone, but also hope, because they realize that the tunnel has a light.
"We have noticed a revival of religious sentiment. This is how human beings are. In times of crisis, they look for what to lean on and embrace God. We hope that when all this is over, that faith and devotion will stay with us. ”
An altar that changes
Ramón and Brenda Zamora together with their children Jonathan, 20 years old, Steven, 9 years old and Kimberly, 17 years old, placed an altar in the living room of his house in North Hollywood, to which religious elements are changed or added according to the celebration of each day of Easter.
"We decided to bring the Church into our home now that we can't go," says Jonathan.
However, they have placed their altar since Ash Wednesday, February 26, when the coronavirus emergency had not yet been declared in California.
"We put him to land on the Jordan River to remember what dust we are and how dust we will become."
The altar has become part of their lives. "We heard mass there, and It really has brought us together as a family. It has helped us express what we feel, ”says Jonathan, who is a university student in Biology, but who also works.
But in this quarantine, unable to work or go to university, he says it has been a time of prayer and meditation.
Their mother, Brenda, recognizes that in these difficult times, faith and love for Christ has helped them avoid panicking and has brought them together as a family.
“Every day we change the altar, we explain the meaning. We talked as a family about what we would do if this worsens. And I advise my children that we should not be carried away by fear but we must be sustained in faith. "
(Courtesy Bernabé Coreas)
Direct message
Rina and Bernabé Coreas, are the parents of six children between the ages of 10 and 26, but it was their youngest daughter Arely, age 10, who has contributed the most to setting up the altar at their home in North Hollywood.
“Because we cannot enter the parish, we put the altar; and from there through Facebook we have taken the different activities that are held in the temple on the occasion of Easter, "says Bernabé.
On their altar they have placed a cross, the Bible, candlesticks and an image of the Lord of Mercy, which is much adored in El Salvador where the Korean family originates.
"There at the altar, we pray the rosary at night and listen to mass daily at 6:30 in the afternoon, and on Sundays at 12 noon," explains Bernabé.
It completes that the pandemic has helped Catholic families to have a reunion with God. "The message has reached us directly within the homes, and it has been a blessing."
And with the altar at home, they feel close to Christ and more protected against the pandemic.
