COVID-19 means Easter in new frontier for Anglican, Catholic churches

But that has been the solution his church and the Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle have turned to recently - and they will continue in such a way for the most significant weekend on the Christian calendar.

The Catholic diocese will broadcast a Good Friday service at 3pm today, an Easter Vigil at 7pm on Saturday and Easter mass at 9.30am on Sunday on YouTube - a link to the stream is available on the Maitland-Newcastle Diocese's website.

The Anglican diocese will stream church services on Christ Church Cathedral's YouTube channel at 8.30am and 5.30pm each day.

"I don't think anyone has ever imagined we would be in this situation," Bishop Stuart said.

"History tells us they occur, like the Spanish Flu almost a century ago, but here it's so confronting, it's requiring us to do things in innovative ways.

"I never dreamed I would be leading and participating in church worship in this way and that comes with a bit of grief, actually, because there are things that I like about being in church."

But he said live-streaming has also provided opportunities - people who would not necessarily always attend services are tuning in online on a more regular basis.

And despite government allowances, Bishop Stuart said the diocese had decided not to use church buildings until the whole community was able to do so together.

So just as his ministers have been doing, he will be filming the services from his home using a laptop.

"We are finding we are touching people's spiritual lives in a way that perhaps we hadn't imagined," Bishop Stuart said.

"We're working from the idea our home is your home - from our home to your home, with love."

Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle Bishop Bill Wright will continue to conduct Holy Week masses from Sacred Heart Cathedral in Newcastle West - a Holy Thursday service was due to stream from 7pm on Thursday.

The diocese has been streaming Sunday mass since late March and plans to continue doing so while the COVID-19 restrictions remain in place.

Diocese figures show last weekend's Palm Sunday mass received almost 12,000 live views.

In a video message to parishioners, Bishop Wright said not being able to go to mass provided "a chance to reach deeper into what Easter means to us".

"I've heard it said, and you may have as well, that it's very sad that we can't have Easter this year," he said.

"But, of course, that's not true. We won't be able to have ceremonies in our churches, for sure, but it will still very much be Easter.

"It just may be a life-changing Easter for many people."

NSW Police issued a reminder on Thursday for people to mark the upcoming religious occasions safely.

"The hardest thing for many of us will be that at this time we cannot as a family, visit loved ones and friends and we are unable to celebrate in each other's homes," Assistant Commissioner Peter Thurtell said.

"It is a time where changing our behaviour is not about breaking tradition but rather ensuring that we have a future for traditions that have transformed through this experience."

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