Week III of Advent 2020! Okay good people, here we go closing in fast on Christmas. Let me spell out our plans once more and invite you to look forward to a meaningful and memorable experience. We are committed to ensuring that Holy Trinity’s celebration of Christmas will not be one more 2020 experience of restriction, cancellation, and isolation. So. . . . .
Masses will be held in the church on the 24th at 1:00, 3:00, and 5:00pm, and on the 25th at 9:00am, with 100 persons inside using our online sign-up as we do for weekends. Inside seating will be prioritized for our seniors and those who are “technology impaired.” Overflow will be in the parking lot in vehicles, with all four Masses live-streamed to your personal devices: phones, iPads, tablets, notebooks or ??? We have been advised that the best way to avoid crashes or lags with the livestream will be for everyone outside to turn off their Wi-Fi and use their cellular data service. Apparently, there are 4–5 cell towers in our area, with plenty of capacity to handle 300–400 people streaming at once from our parking lot.
Still, please remember that this is a first-time experience, so bring along a double portion of patience. We’ve done test runs; we’ve checked with our technology consultant, our internet provider, and our local cell providers; we have good assurances that our plan should work; but ????? Live-streaming can create slightly different delays depending on which carrier is used, so although we will be doing some fun prompts for you to beep (not honk!) your horns, it will could well be that it won’t all be in unison. Let that be part of the fun! We will have characters from the traditional Nativity scene roaming the parking lot during Masses and anticipate Santa to even make an appearance at some point! Those of you who are creative and want to add to the fun could decorate the outside of your car.
We will have Communion stations set up outside. You will be invited to (prudently) roll down windows for some of the carol singing if you wish to get a fuller community experience, as chaotic as it might be. We will for sure be making a “joyful noise to the Lord” and for sure will honor the birth of Jesus in the fullest way we can! You will be able to look back on Christmas 2020 with fond memories guaranteed!
And for those of you who are just not comfortable with this much “community” at this time, please know that you are — of course! — most welcome to livestream from the comfort of your own home. All four live-streams will be automatically recorded and available for later viewing as well.
Blessings to Connor Bizzell, Edward Horst, and Katherine Lam, who were baptized this weekend!
Funeral services are planned for Carol Balcom on December 28th at 11:00am. Blessings to Mark and his family and may she rest in peace.