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Coronavirus Easter: Despite Stay-At-Home Order, North Philadelphia Church Plans To Hold In-Person Service

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- On this Good Friday, many plans for Easter Sunday look very different this year, and that's no different for churches. Churches have made changes to their offerings as well.

Good Friday mass was led inside the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Philadelphia.

The coronavirus has also forced many synagogues -- like Congregation Beth El in Voorhees, New Jersey -- to move their Passover services online.

The pandemic is hitting The Perfecting Church in Sewell, New Jersey, hard. Its pastor says the nondenominational congregation had 11 members test positive with COVID-19.

"We've had a few of our members that have been in the hospital," Pastor Kevin Brown said. "All of them, thank God, have come out."

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Back in Philadelphia, at Greater Exodus Baptist Church on North Broad Street, despite Gov. Tom Wolf's stay-at-home order, congregants are planning to attend Easter service in person.

"I never thought I'd live to see the day when I'd be threatened if I open up the doors to my church on Easter Sunday morning," Rev. Herb Lusk II said.

Lusk II says Easter will be the fourth Sunday that he is allowing in-person service.

The senior pastor says only 50 people are allowed in the sanctuary.

He says face masks and gloves will be left on a front table in individual bags for people to pick up as they enter the church. As far as the service, he says people must sit at least six feet apart.

"They'll be two people to a pew. Two people to a pew, which means they're going to be 10, 12 and in some cases, 14 feet apart," he said.

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Congregant Marlene Downing, who lives near Newark, Delaware, plans to attend Easter service.

"I'm not really going to let fear stop me from doing what I believe that God wants me to do," Downing said.

During Philadelphia's daily press briefing about COVID-19, May Jim Kenney reiterated the need to social distance during this religious holiday weekend and to stay home.

"God can hear you from your home. Hopefully, there won't be that many people show up," Kenney said.

Kenney also mentioned that he plans to not interfere with any religious gatherings on Easter Sunday.

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