Rockville Centre's houses of worship adapt after the Covid-19 pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic impacted how houses of worship in Rockville Centre engaged with their community.

To ensure proper health precautions and social distancing measures, many places of worship shifted to online services while others had to close their physical buildings, relying on social media and email lists to inform members about worship matters.

Since then, many houses of worship continue to provide hybrid services as they embraced the “new normal.”

Reverend Scott Ressman, pastor of United Church, explained that while virtual services were necessary during the pandemic, they led to a sense of “missing community.”

“The pandemic helped us to realize the importance of community, and particularly, the importance of faith community, where people can gather to share their joys and concerns about life and just things that are going on in their life in general,” Ressman said.

The pandemic also affected groups that regularly used the United Church’s building, like Alcoholics Anonymous and Gamblers Anonymous.

Due to restrictions and health concerns, in-person gatherings faced disruptions, even though clergy members wanted to keep in-person worship at congregations to keep their faith and religion alive.

Reverend Kevin Morris of the Church of Ascension said he encourages congregants to attend in-person services, but understands having options in times when people are sick or tired or they can’t attend in person.

“We've been trying to remind people that online worship is not a replacement for conversion of worship,” Morris said. “It's a good resource to have when it's your only option … but it can't be a replacement. It's not the same thing.”

As houses of worship shifted to virtual services, former Governor Andrew Cuomo’s executive order in 2020 allowed congregations to resume in-person services.

Ray Longwood, lead pastor at The Experience Vineyard Church on Merrick Road, shared how the pandemic led to people becoming more intentional with their faith.

“What it enabled me to see is how people who actually do show up on Sunday aren't just checking off a box, Longwood said. “They are intentionally seeking an experience with God.”

St. Agnes Cathedral has been available for weekday and Sunday in-person Mass since the summer of 2020. Father Michael Duffy of St. Agnes Cathedral mentioned that lifting many Covid-19 restrictions allowed them to fill the cathedral with more congregants than before the pandemic.

Rabbi David Lerner of Congregation B’nai Sholom-Beth David said that their synagogue continues offering hybrid services, giving congregants flexibility to participate in all services, including Saturday mornings, Friday nights, and daily services.

“To potential new members and Rockville Centre, Lynbrook, East Rockaway, Oceanside, and anyone who wants to go on this journey with us, we will welcome them with open arms and open hearts,” Lerner said. “We look forward to expanding our community and expressing our values together as a unit.”

Lerner emphasized how the pandemic allowed returning congregants with opportunities to reunite, reassess their values, and evaluate where they are as a community.

Still, while some instutions — including the Vineyard church and St. Agnes — will conduct their primary services in person, they also provide options for online viewing.

Due to the financial impact of the pandemic, some members of Central Synagogue-Beth Emeth were faced with challenges, due to a limited number of resources available.

Rabbi Michael Cohen said that in order to help the community, the synagogue partnered with Sharon’s Pantry, a Rockville Centre food bank, to support low-income and low-resource families.

“We're very proud of that and I think the level of giving has drastically increased since the pandemic,” Cohen said. “There's an empathetic value that came out of the pandemic that I'm not sure it's being discussed. Maybe it's not realized by many, but I have seen the level of helping others really increase in the past few years.”