Greek Orthodox archbishop comes to Southampton church amid pandemic

Waving candles and incense, Greek Orthodox Archbishop Elpidophoros gave his blessing Saturday at the Dormition of Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church of the Hamptons while facing the COVID-19 pandemic.

The archbishop came to the Southampton church Saturday on the Greek Orthodox Church’s high holy day of the Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos, commemorating the assumption to heaven of the Virgin Mary.

The service included readings in Greek and English, liturgy worship and prayers added by the archdiocese, based in Manhattan, for those affected by the coronavirus and for front-line medical workers.

“Since the beginning of this pandemic, we’ve prayed for those who suffer the virus and offer a prayer for those who fight against the virus — the doctors, medical workers, the scientists who do research to find a cure and a vaccine. We will pray for that as we have prayed the last few months,” Elpidophoros said before the service.

The church reopened in June following new social distancing guidelines, including remote forehead temperature checks for everyone who enters the church, masks for parishioners, limiting capacity and distancing by only using every other pew.

Church officials said they have modified giving Communion for the first time in about 1,000 years. Communion is now given using individual ecclesiastical spoons. Parishioners are also given individual packaged Antidoron, handed out on high holy days instead of the Eucharist.

The Rev. Alexander Karloutsos, protopresbyter at the Southampton church, said it reopened after hosting online services for Easter and livestreaming four or five funerals that could not be held in large gathering due to the pandemic.

“Our church was closed 13 consecutive Sundays,” presbyter the Rev. Constantine Lazarakis said. “The biggest impact we saw was the social, psychological and economic impact. People are afraid of getting sick and our fear and awareness of mortality is heightened. We need to be serious, but we can’t have our lives ruled by fear and anxiety.”

With capacity inside the church capped at about 50 people, an overflow crowd watched the service from outside the church and given Communion.

The archbishop said worshippers were initially afraid to come to church and services were also broadcast online.

“Little by little we have tried to overcome this,” Elpidophoros said. “With the blessing of God, we pray very soon we will have a solution to this pandemic, which is such a challenge to fall on humanity, to overcome the financial and social implications to this country and this whole world.”

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.