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April 23, 2021 | catholicnewsherald.com

Our parishes CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI 3

St. Gabriel Parish upgrades digital, visual worship tools

KIMBERLY BENDER ONLINE REPORTER

CHARLOTTE — St. Gabriel Church has undergone a technological transformation, enabling the parish to enhance the worship experience for people in the church and at home.

The Charlotte parish – one of the largest in the Diocese of Charlotte – raised more than $250,000 to fund significant upgrades encompassing audio, lighting, security and visual tools including livestreaming equipment. The fourphase project began in January and the final equipment was installed earlier this month.

The need to modernize the parish’s technological capabilities was highlighted when the COVID-19 pandemic prevented parishioners from attending Mass in person, said parish communications director Darby McClatchy. With all churches closed for several months last year, the parish turned to its aging equipment to keep parishioners connected digitally.

“The systems in place served us well for four decades,” McClatchy said, yet “they weren’t doing the job anymore.”

Previously, the church used a camera on a tripod to record videos of select Masses, which were then edited and posted online afterwards.

Last summer, the church’s sound system stopped working, and the hearing-impaired technology became increasingly unreliable. The church turned temporarily to a portable audio system that was being used for outdoor Masses, but it was inadequate for regular indoor use.

Now because of the improvements, St. Gabriel Church has an improved sound system and upgraded lighting, including a spotlight to use for worship services and Eucharistic Adoration. The setup has four cameras controlled by a joystick, a monitor to see all of the views, and the ability to switch between the cameras. Large screens are mounted on the walls on either side of the sanctuary to project prayers, hymns and other information for the large number of worshipers gathered in the 1,000seat church. The new audio system also has enhancements for those who are hearing impaired.

The project was funded entirely by parishioner donations, including a legacy gift from an anonymous donor.

The church livestreamed its first Mass using the new equipment on Holy Thursday, McClatchy said.

The parish’s director of technology, Ben Vigil, was instrumental in the project, she noted. He oversaw installation and programming of the new technology.

Since Holy Week, the parish has received quite a lot of positive feedback about the upgrades and people are enjoying the livestreamed Masses, she said. The church is livestreaming Masses on Sundays at 9 a.m. (Watch online at www.stgabrielchurch.org/livestream.)

A typical Sunday Mass is getting about 300 to 500 live viewers and more people are tuning in after the broadcast for a total of 1,200 views on average, McClatchy noted.

“It’s important to be able connect with people online, especially now,” McClatchy said. “We’re thankful to finally be here.”

PHOTO PROVIDED BY ST. GABRIEL CHURCH St. Gabriel Church upgraded its technology to be able to livestream Masses with multiple camera angles. The parish’s first broadcast was the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday.

St. Eugene Parish among latest to sponsor vaccination clinic

RICK LOBER SPECIAL TO THE CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

ASHEVILLE — St. Eugene Parish has joined a growing number of churches in the Diocese of Charlotte hosting COVID-19 vaccination clinics – following the example of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church and St. Joseph Vietnamese Church in Charlotte to Our Lady of the Highways Church in Thomasville, among others. Through these community outreach efforts, thousands of people have received the vaccine as well as information about protecting themselves and others during the pandemic.

St. Eugene Parish partnered with the Leicester Community Health Center and the Western Carolina Medical Society to host a vaccination clinic April 8.

In western North Carolina, as in many other parts of the diocese, the Hispanic community is disproportionately impacted by the medical and financial hardships caused by the pandemic. Many in this community have minimal or no health insurance and little access to healthcare providers in the area.

Moreover, lack of information, language barriers and vaccine hesitancy have all contributed to the insufficient number of low-income Hispanics who have currently received the COVID-19 vaccine in the region. So parishioners Sue Koester and Christy Montesdeoca worked with health care providers to reach out to low-income and vulnerable populations in the Hispanic community.

The parish’s social hall was converted into a checkin location, waiting area, vaccination site and also the 15-minute observation area for the participants. Medical professionals and staff from the community health center, interpreters, medical professionals from the parish and approximately 10 other parishioners were on hand to facilitate the clinic.

Ninety-eight people, many of whom are parishioners, received their first dose of the Moderna vaccine with no complications.

St. Eugene Parish will repeat the vaccination clinic on May 8 for people to receive their second dose of the vaccine.

The interactions between the participants, interpreters and the trained medical staff provided an opportunity to explain the vaccine, satisfy any concerns and promote the COVID-19 vaccine in the local Hispanic community.

Father Pat Cahill, St. Eugene’s pastor, praised the event saying, “Easter is a season of new life and our vaccination efforts are a most appropriate way to celebrate.” St. Eugene Parish partnered with the Leicester Community Health Center and the Western Carolina Medical Society to host a vaccination clinic April 8.