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Hendricks Chapel’s In-Person Easter Mass this year, with an Online Supplement Hendricks Chapel's In-Person Easter Mass this year, with Online Supplement

By Sean Manzella

BRIAN KONKEL: I’m really proud of our team. We are gifted with an extraordinary group of chaplains, an extraordinary group of student leaders, staff and religious advisors who have pivoted quite creatively and, I would eve say, courageously and compassionately in saying, how do we do this in the context of the circumstances we’ve been given.

SEAN MANZELLA: That’s the Dean of Hendricks Chapel, Brian Konkel, talking about how him and his team of chaplains have continued their practices during the pandemic.

KONKEL: THe Idea is how do we include as many people as possible and do so as safe as possible. While we of couse would prefer that covid 19 never happend. What I am grateful for is the resiliency and the creativity and the faithfullness of our students leaders and staff and our chaplains who have responded so wonderfully.

MANZELLA: The adjustment Dean Konkel is talking about include limiting the capacity of Hendricks Chapel, moving services online and boosting virtual engagement with the students. Overall, although it doesn’t look like Spring, these new practices will be put to their hardest test yet with Easter on Sunday.

KONKEL: None of us trained for this. When I was in seminary training to be a minister and many of our chaplains when they were training, none of us trained for this. Where all of a sudden there’s pre-event registration. We’re all playing out of position in some way shape or form.

SYRACUSE,  N.Y. (NCC News) –  Easter Mass is going to be different this year. With the COVID-19 Pandemic Hendricks Chapel has had to make many adjustments in order for practices of faith to continue. The Dean of Hendricks Chapel, Brien E. Konkel, pointed out how the chapel has adjusted to this new world.

Dean Konkel, pointed towards the rise in virtual engagement in the chapel’s programming. He is incredibly proud of  the quick and “creative” adjustment his chaplains, student leaders and other staff members made to fit the need of their community. Dean Konkel says he is always pleasanlty suprised with the level of faith the SU students display year after year.

With Easter this Sunday, Hendricks Chapel has been approved to host an in person mass with one eighth the normal capacity, about 130 people. There will also be a supplemental streamed mass. All this information can be found on Hendricks Chapel’s website.

While the Chapel is unable to host large in person gatherings yet, Dean Konkel said the overall “foot traffic” of the chapel has increased. Put simply, while the larger events are not being held the smaller events are seeing a larger, more consistent, turn out.

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