Washington National Cathedral Will Light up in Blue All Week to Thank Health Care Workers Amid Pandemic

It has been announced that the Washington National Cathedral will light up in blue all week. This [...]

By Stephen Andrew

It has been announced that the Washington National Cathedral will light up in blue all week. This is being done as a way to thank health care workers for all their hard work amid the coronavirus pandemic. The church announced the plan on Tuesday, taking to Twitter to share the news.

"[Washington National Cathedral] will be lit blue each night thru (sic) Saturday to honor the doctors, nurses and medical heroes on the front lines of the #coronavirus fight," read the tweet. "Special thanks to our partners at Atmosphere Lighting! The church then added a hashtag for #bluecathedral. Additionally, CBS Sunday Morning news also reported on the kind gesture. The move comes after the church issued a prayer of support for healthcare workers on March 30. "Hear our prayers for those in emergency medicine. By your healing power, grant them quick minds and skillful hands. Strengthen them in times of trauma. In quiet times, give them rest and assurance of the value of their work," the WNC said.

ON Match 11, the WNC Bishop The Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, issued a statement on behalf of the church, announcing that it would be postponing services due to the pandemic. "In uncertain times, each of us has the responsibility to make choices for the public good. Now that the COVID-19 coronavirus has arrived in our communities, those choices become even more important," Budde wrote. "As your bishop, my highest priority is the health, safety and well-being of our people, with particular concern for the most vulnerable. It is also our collective responsibility as Christians to be good neighbors, and to do our part to protect the social fabric upon which many lives depend."

Budde continued: "As a diocese, we have been closely monitoring the spread of COVID-19 in Washington and Maryland, and the most recent recommendations from civic and public health leaders. Two things are now clear: social distance is needed to stop the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, and the populations most at risk are highly represented among our congregations and clergy. As a result, and in consultation with Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, I am directing that all public worship services and normal parish operations be cancelled within the Episcopal Diocese of Washington and parish buildings be closed for two weeks, effective Thursday March 12. On March 25, we will assess the situation, and our hope is to reopen for Sunday worship services on March 29." An update was later issued, stating that it had been decided they would extend "the closure order for all churches in the Episcopal Diocese of Washington through May 16, 2020."

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