Community Corner
ORTV Brings Back Original Virtual Congregation on Thursday
Naugatuck/Bethwood Patch Mayor Nancy Sasso Janis was back in the Prospect studio virtually on Ascension Thursday.
Prospect, CT - The members of the original virtual congregation for the daily Celebration of the Eucharist were visible again during the live Thursday broadcast. Fr. John Gatzak, the director of the Office of Radio and Television, celebrated the Mass.
In celebration of the Ascension of the Lord, the very first virtual congregation was "invited back" to the Prospect studio. The eight photos were posted in the chairs that are normally used by the faithful that are in attendance for the live and taped Masses.
"We're rejoined by the original, the first, the very first virtual congregation," Father Gatzak said at the beginning of the broadcast. "We invited them back as a milestone of where we are as Connecticut begins to lift the COVID 19 lockdown."
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The priest noted that the production team began posting the photos submitted by viewers on March 26, exactly eight Thursdays ago in the middle of the Lenten season. Since then, at least 416 different photos have appeared during the daily and weekend Masses.
"While we're at a physical distance, it's a reminder to you and to me that we are certainly not alone. We pray for each other and together we petition God to end the scourge of the Coronavirus pandemic."
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You can watch the video of Thursday's Mass here for the next seven days.
Ms. Janis was honored to be a part of the first virtual congregation and was glad to be back on Thursday, this time in a front row seat. She was very grateful to see that a photo she had submitted of her parents was in the front row during the Mass that aired on Mothers' Day. Her mother Marie Sasso was an avid viewer of the television Mass until her death in January.
During the 30 minute broadcast, the original virtual congregation got considerably more onscreen time compared to the typical Mass. Thank you to Naugatuck's own Tony Purcaro for his fine camera work on the daily broadcast.
It is not too late to submit a photo of yourself or a loved one and join the seating at upcoming Masses. It is easy to send a photo to the studio via email at pictures@ortv.org.
