I am going back to Mass for the overall experience of the service in the church environment. I am grateful to receive the Eucharist, hear the liturgy, and be with people in the parish again. I am also so glad to stand in the pew and sing during the service with other parishioners. It is an awesome experience to hear the organ and professional singers once again.

For months during the pandemic, singers and musicians had to work from home to support the musical experience of an online Mass through recorded video segments that were then edited for use in the virtual Mass. Thank you to those who practiced, sang, recorded, played instruments, and oversaw all the video editing throughout the pandemic. As a member of my parish’s Parish Community Choir, I found that singing and recording a few songs at home was an important way for me to stay connected and contribute to a virtually distanced community. Now, however, being back in the parish for Mass, I am so delighted to be reunited with the music.

Rachel Sheehan

Marketing at the Archdiocese of New York