Coronavirus lockdown: Good Friday prayers go online, people worship from home in Tamil Nadu

Churches in Tamil Nadu embraced technology as most of them live-streamed mass services by priests on the occasion of Good Friday as thousands of faithfuls listened to them from the confines of their homes due to the lockdown imposed to curb the spead of the coronavirus outbreak.

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Almost all churches, including the famous Vailankanni Shrine Basilica in Nagapattinam district and the 16th century-built St. Thomas Cathedral Basilica in the heart of the city, streamed live the proceedings as priests conducted special Good Friday services to empty halls.

YouTube and Facebook were the popular platforms for live streaming of prayers in churches from across the state as people remained indoors due to the 21-day lockdown to contain spread of Coronavirus. These apps were chosen by the churches as they can be easily accessed from smartphones. Madha TV, an online Catholic Christian Tamil channel, also live streamed mass services from various churches through the day on Friday.

The mass services also recited prayers to protect people from COVID-19 and priests asked people to maintain social distancing to keep coronavirus away.

Churches across the state closed their doors to public in the third week of March after temples and places of public importance closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Though members of various churches were asked to pray from their homes, a few of them planned to live stream the proceedings on a daily basis.

Since Good Friday and Easter on Sunday are considered to be important and solemn occasions for Christians, majority of the churches ensured that prayers are live streamed so that people can pray from their homes.

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“Individual priests in churches of our diocese were asked to make arrangements to live-stream the prayers on Friday. Members of the churches were also communicated about the live streaming. At the church, only the priest will conduct the mass services to ensure social distancing,” Fr Patrick Paul L, Secretary, Archdiocese of Madras Mylapore, told DH.

The Archdiocese’ Bishop Rev. George Antonysamy addressed a special mass via Madha TV at 6 pm, he said, adding that same arrangement would be followed on Easter day on Sunday too. The famous Vailankanni Shrine Basilica in Velankanni town, also live-streamed its evening special mass at 5.30 pm via YouTube.

A priest at a CSI church in Chennai, whose prayer service was live-streamed, said more than 500 members of his church tuned into the shrine’s YouTube channel to virtually participate in the mass. “While I spoke from the podium to an empty hall, most of our members tuned into the YouTube channel. This was a new experience since the church hall would be jam-packed on Good Friday,” the priest told DH.

A priest at a CSI church in Chennai, whose prayer service was live-streamed, said more than 500 members of his church tuned into the shrine’s YouTube channel to virtually participate in the mass. “While I spoke from the podium to an empty hall, most of our members tuned in to the YouTube channel. This was a new experience since the church hall would be jam-packed on Good Friday,” the priest told DH.