Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Last night a parishioner contacted the clergy to report the sudden development of flu/cold-like symptoms.
The parishioner attended the Sunday liturgy on March 8 and Mr. Tolstoy’s funeral service on March 10. The parishioner was not able to get tested but following medical advice is under self-quarantine for the next 2 weeks and would like our community to be aware.
While there is no proof of COVID-19, out of an abundance of caution and deep love and care for our parishioners, we therefore, with the blessing of His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon, have decided, effective immediately, to suspend all services and activities this weekend and go into office telework mode.
If you are experiencing symptoms, please seek medical help immediately. Otherwise, please stay home, keep social distancing, avoid travel and public gatherings, and follow the CDC guidelines. We, at St. Nicholas, will monitor the situation and keep our community informed of the next step. We ask all parishioners to inform those who are not on this mailing list of these developments.
Suspending all services and the Sunday Liturgy is one of the most difficult decisions that we have ever had to make. We never thought that we would reach the point of not having the liturgy at our beloved St. Nicholas, but Great Lent reminds us all of the sacrifices that we need to make in order to persevere and prevail and to continue to strengthen our faith regardless of the circumstances. It is our highest duty to safeguard you and your families and protect those who are weak and the most vulnerable. It is also our responsibility as community leaders to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and avoid public gatherings. We ask for your understanding and support!
The challenging times of today and tomorrow and the suspension of all services are going to be hard on every one of us, including our St. Nicholas Cathedral which relies solely on the generosity and help of our parishioners. Financial difficulties caused by today’s situation are unavoidable and will be felt. If you would like to give online to support the cathedral, please visit our website or send a check.
We continue to pray for your good health and well-being and ask all of you to join us in our prayers and seek His guidance and protection during these difficult times. Please, stay safe and protected, continue to pray at home, use online resources for spiritual education, stream/“attend” online liturgies by the Orthodox Churches on Sunday morning, and make sure to check our cathedral's website and Facebook page for updates.
Let us prevail through these challenges!
With love in Christ,
Metropolitan Tikhon
Fr. George
Fr. Valery
Claire Nobles, President