A COVID-free spiritual sanctuary: Outdoor Masses with flatbed truck altar draw hundreds

LAWRENCE, Mass. — In the warmer weather, the Rev. Paul O'Brien emerged for Mass wearing waterproof athletic sandals. Of late, he's been donning a dark knit hat. 

Wearing a long white robe and a colored vestment, O'Brien steps up to his makeshift altar — a 28,000-pound flatbed truck owned by Sheehan's Towing. 

Before him in the paved parking lot, on nearby sidewalks and even backed up onto a side street are O'Brien's parishioners.

Wearing masks and other face coverings, sitting in metal folding chairs and beach chairs, and wrapped in warm jackets and blankets, they come by the hundreds to listen to the word of God outside in the COVID-safe fresh air.

Thirty-two weeks after the outdoor Masses at St. Patrick's Parish began, they are still running strong. 

In a city struggling with a high rate of COVID-19 transmission, a mix of caution, volunteerism and devotion have kept the outdoor Masses going, O'Brien said.

He described it as a feeling of "liberation and joy" to see hundreds of people gather each Sunday at 118 So. Broadway for the socially distanced outdoor Masses. People living in the same home can sit together, but others must observe the six-foot distance rule advised by health experts. 

"We can do what we want to do, and we can do it safely," O'Brien said.

As people are urged to stay apart to prevent spread of the virus during the pandemic, O'Brien said seeing people of all ages and ethnic groups be able to worship together "brings a different depth to the experience of Mass." 

"All you have to do is wear your mask and stay six feet apart from someone who is not in your household," he explained. When it comes to COVID-19, he noted, "There is nothing in comparison to the safety of being outdoors."  

People who are fearful of joining the gathering can hear the Mass from a block and a half away thanks to the parish's new sound system. 

"There is just no stress for anybody at these Masses," O'Brien said. "We have done this for 32 weeks and have only had to change the schedule once." 

As many as 700 people attended the two outdoor Masses last weekend. On Sundays, an English Mass is held at 10 a.m. and another in Spanish is at 11:30 a.m.

Even with the arrival of winter, O'Brien is hoping the outdoor Masses will continue. He pointed to those who attend New England Patriots games at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough and are known to tailgate and attend the game in the worst of weather. 

O'Brien also noted some of his parishioners are refugees who literally walked hundreds of miles to reach freedom in the United States. 

St. Patrick's will always be a special place for Bobby Sheehan, the owner of Sheehan's Towing. Officially, he's a parishioner at St. Monica's Parish in Methuen, but St. Patrick's is where he grew up and made his First Communion, he said. 

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Sheehan is more than happy to provide St. Patrick's with the flatbed truck that's used as the altar for the outdoor Masses. He recalled O'Brien coming by the tow yard to check out the truck and take measurements.

Every Sunday, Sheehan's employee Wardy Castillo makes sure the truck is cleaned up and delivered by 8 a.m. to the church parking lot. Around 4 p.m., he returns to St. Patrick's to get the truck. 

Sheehan said he has attended the Masses "right out in the fresh air" and enjoys seeing "all the different families sitting together." 

"He's a unique guy, a good guy," Sheehan said of O'Brien. He noted the pastor's luck with good weather, adding he didn't want to "jinx him." 

"A lot of pastors couldn't pull it off,'' Sheehan said, "but he does it and he does it well.'' 

Local DJ Eddie Pena, who attends St. Patrick's, also provided help by bringing his equipment to amplify the Masses when they began. Eventually, for a reasonable cost, the church bought its own equipment.

"We now have a concert-level sound system our staff sets up and operates," O'Brien said. 

He thanked Lawrence police for quickly arranging approval of the outdoor Masses and providing auxiliary officers to help with traffic. 

City Councilor Dave Abdoo, who is a parishioner at the church, described the outdoor Masses as "a great experience personally and spiritually" for him and his family. The key, he said, is "determination."

"The determination to give people the opportunity to safely gather, celebrate the Eucharist and take in one of Father Paul's homilies in the midst of a historic, once-in-a-century pandemic," Abdoo said. 

All are welcome to the Masses in the "big wide-open space," O'Brien said. 

"In the midst of all of this, hundreds of people are able to worship God without having to worry about COVID,'' he said. "We invite anybody who is interested to be a part of it.''

"It is clear on a whole new level,'' O'Brien said, "that there are hundreds of people that are really trying to get to know God — a great sign of hope.''

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