Coronavirus: faithful return to ‘God’s house’

On Sunday morning Sydney’s most senior Catholic was in the pulpit at St Mary’s Cathedral to deliver a sermon for the first time in two months.

Archbishop Anthony Fisher at Sydney’s St Marys Cathedral on Sunday. Picture: Jane Dempster

On Sunday morning Sydney’s most senior Catholic was in the pulpit at St Mary’s Cathedral to deliver a sermon to in front of physical attendees the first time in two months.

Archbishop Anthony Fisher typically officiates in the presence of hundreds, but this time the cavernous cathedral contained just 10 of Sydney’s faithful, who were there because they asked.

“I rang and booked my family in earlier in the week as soon as I found they were opening,” said parishioner Helena Boghossian, whose family of five represented half the attendance. “It is so ­important to us,” said daughter-in-law Tania. “We haven’t been to God’s house in so long.”

NSW relaxed restrictions on religious gatherings on Friday to allow up to 10 worshippers to congregate while maintaining social distancing. The same applies in Victoria, the Northern Territory, South Australia, Queensland and the ACT. From Monday up to 10 will be able to gather in Tasmania and up to 20 in Western Australia.

The Catholic Church is the only major Sydney denomination in Sydney permitting services.