Spiritually Remote

Complimentary “Spirituality in Pennsylvania” Article for Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association Members

The Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications at Penn State, in conjunction with the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association (PNA), has provided an article on how the pandemic is affecting already declining church attendance.  This article is available to our members to publish in print or online at no cost.

The Rev. Jeffrey Packard, St. Andrew’s rector, said the church holds a 10 a.m. service on Sunday mornings through Facebook Live. Additionally, St. Andrew’s has a half-hour morning prayer on Zoom every day except Sundays. On Wednesdays, the church holds a 15-minute “noon day prayer,” when communion used to be held.

Now, communion takes place during the church’s only in-person worship — the 5 p.m. service. Hand sanitizer bottles click open as Packard makes his rounds to each pew to bless the parishioners. People keep on their masks until Packard goes to the next row. After he’s moved on, they drop their masks to consume the wafer.

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Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications at Penn State

The Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications at Penn State provides the opportunities and resources of a large university with the personalized feel and support of a small school. The Bellisario College, including the respected Department of Journalism, is one of the largest accredited programs of its kind in the nation.

Journalist

Jade Campos is a junior from Caroline County, Virginia, majoring in print/digital journalism.

Photographer

Lily LaRegina is a junior from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, majoring in photojournalism.

 

Additional Articles Available to PNA Members

What’s in a Name?

The Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications at Penn State, in conjunction with the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association (PNA), has provided an article on the division surrounding mascots in one Pennsylvania town.  This article is available to our members to publish in print or online at no cost.

In a year of division all over the country, high school football has been at the center of a fight that’s as bitter in these parts as the presidential election — Democrat Joe Biden won 52% of the vote in Bellefonte precincts — or attitudes toward the coronavirus pandemic. A petition started in June called on the Bellefonte school board and superintendent to change the district’s mascot from the Red Raiders to something “better.”

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Holidays during COVID-19

For many Pennsylvanians, the late fall and early winter holiday seasons hold memories of coming together with friends and loved ones; a time of happiness and unity. Unity can be defined as many things: the state of being brought together, the quality of not being divided, a condition of harmony.

In 2020, as a direct effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and related mandates, the physical aspect of unity has changed. Interestingly, unity is the word used by Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine as she calls on citizens to do their respective parts in taming the resurgence of the virus. “Clearly we’re in the middle of our fall increase, but we are not at the peak,” said Levine. “The increases that we are seeing now are directly in response to, and a part of, those that are being experienced across the country. And our response needs to be one of unity.”

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If you have any questions about this or any of the articles provided by the PNA, please email marketing@panewsmedia.org.