Father Nat Foshage walks to the table at the altar inside St. Daniel the Prophet Catholic Church in Ouray. Father Nat is facing the challenge of encouraging his parishioners to stay away from church as he continues to provide limited private Mass services for the most devout, while maintaining as much space between them as possible due to concerns over coronavirus spread. A table in the foreground holds palm fronds from Palm Sunday, which visitors have taken from the church since the service was held with n
Covid
Empty Chapels, Full Hearts
Inside the door of St. Daniel’s Catholic Church, a table of palm fronds sits in the middle of the aisle between pews.
The fronds have dried slightly since last Sunday, Palm Sunday, when Father Nat put them out after Mass. He wasn’t sure how many to get this year — he usually blesses 200. This year, he gathered 100 fronds, and when he looked out at the congregation, nine parishioners sat in the pews. He usually averages between 150 and 175 people for services, and has a packed church...
