Retired history teacher shares experience as

This parish had a priest who was exceptionally engaging, warm, enthusiastic, and down-to-earth. (Photo by Libby Penner from Unsplash)

Betty Anne Asaro, a retired history teacher, shared her experience as a remote parishioner at St. Cecilia Catholic Church in Boston in light of America Media's recently released documentary.

St. Cecilia was included in the ground-breaking documentary titled "People of God: How Catholic Parish Life is Changing in the United States."

The documentary was made to ignite a national dialogue about the many ways the Catholic faith is practiced across the nation.

Asaro's story is just one of the many narratives included.

Faith and Livestream

According to Asaro, she has been watching the mass at St. Cecilia live on YouTube for nearly a year and a half.

But since she's actively involved in the church, this isn't simply casual viewing.

In actuality, Asaro is now a recognized remote parishioner.

But it wasn't always like this.

In January 2020, when word of Covid-19 started to spread, Asaro shared that she was in Florida.

She stated that she used to attend Mass every week at the time, but the church she went to was closed overnight.

She valued participating in the liturgy, so with a recommendation from her friends, she was happy to know that she could watch Mass live on television or the internet.

According to Asaro, she sat through the Mass during the start of the Covid-19 outbreak and made an effort to pay attention.

Asaro tried her best to keep focused during prayer while lamenting the fact that she could not accept the Eucharist.

However, a month or so into the lockdown, her perception of Mass shifted once again.

According to Asaro, a friend of hers told her about a church where the liturgy was broadcast live every Sunday on YouTube.

This parish had a priest who was exceptionally engaging, warm, enthusiastic, and down-to-earth.

The priest was the Rev. John Unni, and the church was St. Cecilia in Boston.

Parish That's Alive

According to Asaro, her entire world opened up when she attended Mass at St. Cecilia for the first time through live broadcast.

Rev. Unni's homilies and his warmth, enthusiasm, love, sense of community, and acceptance nature kindled a new spark within her.

That said, she started attending St. Cecilia on an unofficial basis.

She said she moved back to her New York apartment as the epidemic spread over the months.

But Asaro kept spending her Sunday mornings watching Mass at St. Cecilia on her television.

By the summer of 2021, she decided to enroll formally in St. Cecilia as a parishioner, something she had never done.

She stated that there are various ways she stayed in touch with her parish, despite some people wondering how she managed to feel so close to everyone despite the distance.

Despite being far away, Asaro stated that the experience made it possible for her to feel truly at home.

For her, it was a blessing to discover a parish that is alive, friendly, and dedicated to promoting the equality of all people, regardless of color, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, or creed.

That said, being a remote parishioner filled a void in Asaro's life.

Since she's not actually at church, she doesn't need to worry about being judged.

She stated that she feels fortunate and at ease.

And, knowing that the Good Shepherd is keeping an eye on everyone as each assembles to witness the liturgy makes her feel blessed to be a member of the remote flock.