People across the world will be celebrating this holy week with their loved ones in the confines of their homes, but they can still stay connected to their communities like this.
People across the country will be having a different kind of Passover, Good Friday, and Easter in 2020. As governments have asked people to stay indoors and continue social distancing, the celebrations of the year won't be the same. Instead of going to the church or synagogue, communities will remain at home. But that doesn't mean that they will have to pass up on praying together or put a hold on celebrations. We may not gather together in person, but in spirit, we can still celebrate as a community. Thanks to technology, people can now livestream their local faith institution's services online.
This year, the services of the three holy days of this month—Passover, Good Friday, and Easter—will be available for everyone to participate in the comfort of our homes.
This year, Passover began sundown on Wednesday, April 8th and ends at sundown on Thursday, April 16th. This holy week is observed as a ritual by the Jewish community across the world. It is believed that the Angel of Death "passed over" the doorsteps of Jews in Egypt during the 10th plague, when the killing of the firstborn, happened. It is observed to celebrate redemption of people by God from slavery in Egypt, according to WHAS11.
This is where you can watch some of the services:
Reform
Adat Chaverim
Beth-El Congregation Fort Worth
Congregation Beth El Binah
Conservative
Anshai Torah
Congregation Shearith Israel
Congregation Beth Torah
Orthodox
Congregation Ohev Shalom
Congregation Ohr HaTorah
Congregation Shaare Tefilla
The Central Synagogue in New York City is providing a livestream for its congregation. It is one of the biggest Jewish congregations in North America, according to Patch.com.
Central Synagogue's Livestream: Schedule below:
Friday Night Shabbat Service: 5:45 p.m.
Saturday Morning Shabbat Service: 9:15 a.m.
Passover Seventh Day (Yizkor) April 15: 9:30 a.m.
Good Friday, observed two days before Easter Sunday, commemorates Jesus Christ's crucifixion. He was resurrected on the third day of his crucifixion, which is celebrated as Easter with a special Sunday Mass.
"Please pray for the doctors and nurses and all those at the first line of defense," Cardinal Daniel Dinardo of Houston told Click2Houston. "That is really crucial and significant. Then, pray for those who the families suffering or have lost family members. It's a great difficult time."
This year, Easter falls on Sunday, April 12, and Good Friday is the Friday preceding it.
The head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis's celebrations during the Holy Week, including his services for Good Friday and Easter Sunday, will be livestreamed. The Easter Morning Mass at 11 o'clock in Rome, which is 5 a.m. E.T., will be livestreamed through the Vatican Media Youtube Channel.
Here are some more links to US livestreams:
Baptist
Antioch Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church
Birchman Baptist Church
CenterPointe Baptist Church for the Communities
Church of Christ
Waterview Church of Christ- Richardson
Disciples of Christ
Galileo Church
Episcopal
Church of the Incarnation
St. Andrew's Episcopal Church- Fort Worth
St. Paul Episcopal Church- Waxahachie
Evangelical Free Church of America (EFCA)
Lakeview Community Church- Cedar Hill
Lutheran
Calvary Lutheran Church
Faith Lutheran Church of Plano
King of Glory- Dallas
Methodist
Arlington Heights United Methodist Church- Fort Worth
Christ United Methodist Church
First United Methodist Church of Hurst
References:
https://patch.com/us/across-america/tv-livestreams-good-friday-easter-passover-u-s
