Longboat churches face the present with fewer masks

On May 23, the refrain at churches up and down Longboat Key was simple and similar: “It’s nice to see faces again.” 

The fourth Sunday in May marked a significant back-to-normal stride as masks became optional and in some cases, fellowship hours returned. At All Angels by the Sea Episcopal Church and St. Armands Key Lutheran Church, the choirs sang loud as vaccinated singers shed masks, and at Christ Church of Longboat Key, members lingered after service for the first time since before the pandemic. 

“We’ve been waiting almost a year and a half,” CCLBK pianist Jeremy Silverman said. “Such an important part of the church experience is fellowship, and I think that’s what people have been missing. That and the food.” 

The CDC put forth new guidance on May 13 that fully vaccinated Americans could freely move around without masks and much worry, and Longboat-area churches are moving forward with gusto as a result. SAKLC sent a survey out to members on May 16 to see how they felt going forward, and 82.6% of respondents said they supported going forward without restrictions. 

“There’s so much more joy, so much more singing, so much more participation,” SAKLC member Sandi Love said. “It’s not fun to sing with a mask. Everyone was so much more friendly and there was a lightness of spirit.” 

At St. Mary, Star of the Sea Catholic Church and SAKLC, there is still a section of the pews reserved for those who feel more comfortable social distancing or continuing to wear masks, but these churches, along with All Angels, CCLBK and Longboat Island Chapel have done away with requirements to wear masks, though the latter is still requiring social distancing. Father Robert Dziedziak from St. Mary’s is particularly excited to reach this milestone, as he came to lead his church right when the pandemic began. 

“I had never seen the majority of my parishioners without masks,” Dziedziak said. “For me it’s a joyful time. I can see their faces and register how they smile. “I would not say it’s not stressful because I am kind of a careful person, so I would not forgive myself if somebody got sick at church, but I am excited that we can talk and smile.” 

At All Angels, Father Dave Marshall was happy to start communion again as normal. Throughout the pandemic, communion had been outdoors and given carefully with tiny tongs. Now, it’s back indoors. 

“The most impactful thing for me is that having communion indoors during the service like we normally do, there were quite a few welled-up tears,” Marshall said. “That was one of the signposts that we have moved through a particular phase of this pandemic. It's not done yet, but we successfully got through that.”

The next thing that will pick back up is fellowship hour at SAKLC and in-person discussion groups at several of the other churches. SAKLC is bringing fellowship back in early June and All Angels is bringing back in-person discussion groups in mid-June. Longboat Island Chapel is taking a more reserved approach and will spend the summer slowly relaxing requirements. 

“Over the next several weeks we’ll go step by step and ease back into it,” Longboat Island Chapel’s Rev. Brock Patterson said. “Everybody’s been able to stay healthy, so we’re hoping to just continue that. We want to protect the health and safety of everybody including those who have not gotten the vaccine and we don’t want those folks to shy away from church if we’re able to provide a safe place.”

Church leaders agree that summer is a fortuitous time to start relaxing COVID-era mandates, because pews are less full in the offseason, meaning churches won’t be going from half-full to packed like sardines in a week. 

“We are out of season, so a lot of our parishioners went up north,” Dziedziak said. “I think it’s a good time, because it’s not overly crowded. We’re trying to restructure and reorganize ourselves.”