MOSCOW, Pa. — The pews at Saint Eulalia's Parish in Roaring Brook Township were empty during normal service hours on Sunday, but hundreds of parishioners were still tuned in to Father Jeffrey Tudgay's message on a Facebook live stream.
The Diocese of Scranton suspended all public masses because of the coronavirus.
"Facebook came out when I was in college, and never in a million years did I think it would be such a crucial part of my ministry as a priest in these unprecedented times," Father Tudgay said.
The 10 a.m. service usually draws in 250 people, and that's exactly how many viewers tuned in for the live stream.
"I'm amazed at the number of our families who were able to watch mass being live-streamed. It shows something very important that the church isn't just the building, but it's where people live their lives in love in their homes," Father Tudgay said.
Church services across northeastern and central Pennsylvania chose to continue services online on Sunday.
"Over the past week, I've probably fielded more than a dozen calls from pastors and parish representatives saying, 'how do we live stream on apps? How do we do this,'" said Eric Deabill, spokesperson for the Diocese of Scranton. "It's all about that connectivity and making sure the people who can't come through the doors here can still maintain a sense of community."
As people practice social distancing, faith groups are making sure to keep their communities together.
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