3 Things I've Learned Living in Tasmania While the Rest of the World is in Quarantine

Tasmania is that apple-shaped island state in the south-eastern corner of Australia. It’s slightly larger in area than West Virginia, and roughly one-fifth of the population identify as Catholic (which is comparable to the USA). 

Tasmania has had a total of 13 deaths from COVID-19, and the last case in the community was almost a year ago. It is one of the few places on this planet where no one has been required to wear masks (except for air travel) and Easter church services were relatively ‘normal’. Our economy is booming, and all those things we took for granted – like hugs, coffee dates, and working out in the gym – are once again part of our lives.

Behind this success story, however, is the lamentable fact that many Catholics have stopped going to Mass and forgotten what it means to be Catholic. And this should be a warning to Catholics all over the world as we struggle with the immense societal change that the COVID-19 pandemic has inflicted upon us.

What have I learnt from living in a place where the rest of the world is in quarantine:

1) COVID-19 restrictions on public assembly and freedom of movement have the potential to break our Catholic routines and destroy good habits.

Once we get out of the routine of going to Mass, praying in Church, etc., we have to start over again, but many will have replaced those spiritually vital habits with other activities and they will fail to restore their Catholic habits. It is crucial that we continue to reserve our Sundays for Mass, even when we are housebound.

2) Live-streamed Mass is no substitute for Our Lord’s Presence.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that watching Mass is as good as attending Mass, especially when our bishops dispense us from our Sunday obligation and provide livestreams of Sunday Mass. What is a justified temporary substitute can become a new dangerous habit. Secular society already inundates us with treacherous substitutes. For example, instead of the truth, we are told there is ‘my truth’ and ‘your truth’. We must remember that a livestream is just a visual memento to get us by until we can experience the real thing again. Just as we cherish a photo of a distant loved one, we can cherish our livestreams, but if they do not nourish our desire to experience Mass in the flesh it might be better to not watch so that we miss it and long for its return.

3) The bonds of community will need to be mended.

Some of us, especially the introverted or those who have lost loved ones, will find it incredibly difficult to socialise and engage in community events. It will not be a matter of going back to normal. We shall have to build our communities in new ways, with a sensitive fortitude that concentrates on the things that matter.

The upshot of all this is that if God isn’t number one in our lives it’s all too easy to allow our civic obligations to take precedence, not just temporarily but forever. So, let’s do what we have to do to stay safe, spiritually not just physically.