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In the eyes of his family, North Park resident Homero Zapata was a success in every way a loving husband, father and grandfather and a hard-working, self-reliant businessman who never let anyone else pick up the check. But after he died from COVID-19 on Feb. 6, the Zapata family created a GoFundMe page in his memory.
The family’s humble fundraising goal was just $1,000 because daughters Brenda and Lizette Zapata say raising donations was never the primary reason for launching the page. Like many grieving local families, the Zapatas are using their page, titled “In great honor of our father Homero Zapata,” to share photos, stories, memories and eulogies of their loved one during a time when the pandemic has prohibited large funeral gatherings.
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It’s a pandemic shift no one saw coming at the start of 2020.
Faith communities began the year expecting members to attend worship in person at least somewhat regularly. Perhaps they’d come to a potluck lunch now and then toting a covered dish.
Now, as churches have moved online, people can belong, officially or informally, without ever darkening a church door.
Some congregants enjoy the flexibility to watch services in their bathrobes. Others welcome the opportunity to find a church that feels like a good fit, regardless of geography.
For Hanne Peterson, virtual worship meant the opportunity to return to a beloved church after moving halfway around the world. She had been missing All Saints Episcopal Church in Bellevue, Washington, ever since she returned to her native country in 2016. Having felt disoriented and not warmly welcomed at churches in Denmark, she seized the chance to be active again at All Saints.