Reduced COVID-19 restrictions change the look of religious gatherings this holiday weekend

Reduced COVID-19 restrictions mean people of all faiths can now come together in larger groups this long weekend, after a difficult two years.

At Christ Church in Dartmouth, the pandemic has decimated the size of Sunday congregations.

“But it is still in a meeting place,” said parishioner Larry Graham who is confident the in-church experience will soon return to pre-pandemic levels. “It is going to come back.”

Reverend Dr. Kyle Wagner said a mask policy is still in place at Christ Church. He said he now heads into Easter feeling excited over how the long weekend should unfold.

“This evening we have our Thursday service,” said Wagner.

There was another service on Good Friday and a music concert is scheduled for Saturday. Multiple services will take place on Easter Sunday.

Passover also began on Friday — as Rabbi Yakov Kerzner looks back on the previous two Passovers during the pandemic, he admits it was a lonely time for some.

“We were by ourselves with one of two people,” said Kerzner. “Typically, we would have 15 or 20 in the evening of Passover.”

Rabbi Kerzner said Passover 2022 feels more normal.

“But we are still concerned,” said Kerzner. “We just reinstituted masking and social distancing in our synagogue.”

This means Passover will be observed in larger numbers but still with an abundance of caution.