By Emily Drooby
Father Peter Purpura is reaching out to the faithful through daily videos during the COVID-19 quarantine.
“People are overwhelmed, it seems like every day something else is dropping and so naturally people are very concerned,” said Purpura.
He’s trying to ease concerns and to spread a message of hope and faith.
“God will prompt in us what’s needed,” he continued.
With Masses temporarily on hold here in the Diocese of Brooklyn and across the country, that message is needed now more than ever.
“I think the great challenge of this time is the sense of isolation, to not be connected one to the other so that’s why I saw this as an immediate way of keeping people connected to their parish, making sure they’re hearing from me as their pastor. We’re just going to have to find new ways to be available and to continue to serve people,” said Purpura.
To make sure they do, he’s creating short video messages – sharing stories, inspiration, the gospel and more, for parishioners to see and interact with.
It’s a unique way to remind Catholics that while COVID-19 might keep them from the pews, they can still nourish their faith.
“So certainly, we are fasting from the sacraments, the sacramental rights of the church, but everything else, all other means of sanctifications are open to us, prayer, study, sacred scripture, so there are many ways that we can continue to keep our faith during this time,” Purpura said.
Father Purpura is encouraging other faith leaders to come up with their own creative ways of reaching their people during this difficult time, because staying home means shutting out the coronavirus – not God.