Drive-Up Blessings, Virtual Seder: Easter, Passover At A Distance

HARTFORD/TOLLAND COUNTIES, CT — Churches and temples across Hartford and Tolland counties this week are turning, not necessarily to miracles, but creativity, in the midst of Holy Week for Christians and Passover for Jewish people.

Take St. Joseph Catholic church in Vernon, for example. A sign at the church, located on a busy corner of routes 74 and 83, announced that drive-through blessings would be available on Easter Day from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

About 30 minutes up the road, at Holy Family Church in Enfield, a sign reminded folks that prayer time inside the building is offered at limited times.

Enfield Catholics will still be able to attend the annual Easter blessing of the food services on Saturday with a few catches in the parking lot at St. Adalbert Church from 9 to 10 a.m. Food needs to stay in the trunks, beds or hatches of each vehicle and the blessings will be rendered on the fly.

And most churches have made arrangements to drop off the Easter offerings.

(Tim Jensen/Patch)

Area Congregational churches were also getting creative.

The first Congregational Church of Southington kicked off Holy Week with drive-up Palm Sunday distributions. Palms were placed on a table on the sidewalk in front of the meetinghouse to pick up at a safe distance.

The Congregational Church of Tolland began an inspirational campaign this week with a message on social media:

"As we continue to navigate through these difficult times, please consider putting a YOU MATTER sign on your lawn. We are especially looking for people that live on highly traveled roads."

Signs are available from the church for those who cannot make one.

(Chris Dehnel/Patch)

The Enfield Congregational Church had a devilish message on its front lawn that told Satan to practice social distancing.

(Tim Jensen/Patch)

Some ideas are tricky to carry out.

Eric Osterday, the pastor at the Crossroads Community Church of Vernon, said the congregation was planning to host a "drive-in" Easter service utilizing the large parking lot next to the church in downtown Rockville. Windows would stay up and a radio signal would be used to broadcast a live service.

The landlord OK'd the idea, as did town officials and law enforcement but the health department "passed the authority to the state" on Monday, Osterday said.

"I contacted the state this morning and await approval," Osterday said. "It's a remote shot at this point."

Passover begins Wednesday and Rabbi Jeffrey Glickman at Temple Beth Hillel in South Windsor is planning virtual seders via the temple's Facebook page. He is also offering five minutes of "jewish insight" every night at 5 p.m. on social media.

Here is one of them:

Lets us know in the comments of what other houses of worship are doing.

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Patch editor Tim Jensen contributed to this story.