Stronger sense of community could well be COVID legacy

A greater sense of community could well be one of the consolations when we emerge from the coronavirus shutdown, the Dean of Chichester, the Very Rev Stephen Waine, has said.
The Dean of Chichester, the Very Rev Stephen WaineThe Dean of Chichester, the Very Rev Stephen Waine
The Dean of Chichester, the Very Rev Stephen Waine

“I do think things will be different. I do think in many places people have discovered more of a sense of community and learnt to value one another more and all the things that we took for granted and all the people that we took for granted.

“The appreciation for the NHS has been fantastic, plus all those other people who service our daily needs that are perhaps mentioned less. We appreciate them all.

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“On balance, I do suspect that we will come out of this changed and that we will come out of this changed for the better… but that is not to negate the enormous suffering of people that have found the whole thing terribly difficult because of bereavement or caring for loved ones that are sick. It has been a hugely challenging time for a lot of people.

“Once the churches reopen, I think there will be a huge surge of interest in coming back. That first Sunday afterwards will be huge.

People will come back to church for all sorts of different reasons, whether they have lost someone or whether they have been petrified during this time because of the extraordinary life we have been having to live. I think it will be a great sense of relief.”

Stephen suspects one of the legacies of lockdown will be a continuation of online worship: “With the success of our live-streaming, we have had a huge number of hits for what we have been doing, and I think that will change us a bit.

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“Services in the cathedral will continue, but I suspect we will want to give people access to what we are doing at a time which will suit them as well. I think streaming will be here to stay, live-streaming but also making things available to watch after they have finished as well.”

It isn’t the first time that Chichester Cathedral has had to shut its doors since its foundation in 1075. A papal spat in the 13th century kept people out – and in the 19th century the spire collapsed.

But the fact remains: the cathedral, along with the rest of the world, finds itself in uncharted territory, with most of its staff on furlough and with not even the clergy permitted within its walls.

However, in important respects, it remains business as usual, Stephen says: “I still lead a very talented team of people that are committed to delivering the cathedral’s ministry and purposes.

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“What has changed is just that the cathedral is closed as a building. We don’t have access to it to take our services. It has been shut by order of the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, and we are not allowed to go in. But the regular pattern of prayer is still taking place – just in other places. That hasn’t changed.

“I understand the reasons for the decision. Churches are gathering places, and the Archbishops felt that it had to stop for reasons of what was going on, and I would support the Archbishops in what they have done, even though for a lot of people it has been a very painful decision. In times of national emergency and great personal anxiety, people get great comfort from visiting the cathedral and knowing that there are prayers going on in the cathedral.

“It was a contentious decision. Certainly in some of the national newspapers it has been questioned why can’t you have an isolated service where a priest goes into a church on their own and offers worship which is broadcast or streamed. And the first Sunday before the lockdown, that was the Sunday when we did a live stream. Subsequently we were prevented from doing that. But it is a question of solidarity. This whole emergency is affecting a lot of people and the Archbishops felt that it would be an unfortunate signal if the church in some way was separated from that.

“Certainly the feedback we are getting is that people understand the need to be very cautious. They understand what we are doing, and we have been getting some very appreciative messages about the streaming that we have been able to do, particularly during Holy Week. The viewing figures have been very high. During Holy Week we were streaming a service every day. We are now streaming (not from the cathedral) a communion service every Sunday, and we are putting out a meditation every Wednesday.”

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