MANCHESTER â Every year, Manchester Christian Church rents the SNHU Arena for a special Christmas service attended by thousands of people.
For many believers, the COVID-19 crisis has proven to be what St. John of the Cross, a 16th-century Catholic mystic, called a âdark night of the soul.â
Last spring, houses of worship suspended services during a state-ordered shutdown to prevent contagion, denying members their solace and community. Some have since reopened with limited capacity, but others remain closed for in-person worship and meetings.
âI think probably the biggest challenge has been around peopleâs mental health and spiritual well-being,â said the Rev. Jason Wells, executive director of New Hampshire Council of Churches.