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Rev. Granitsas: THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2020 COUNT | FROM PAGE 7 unwavering hope in the face of a pandemic By Dnee Sirichantaropas R ev. Nicholas Granitsas sat in his office, praying, while across town his longtime friend and parishioner, Roland Morse, was buried alone. Granitsas looked up at the crucifix, his hands shaking underneath the fluorescent lights. He wished he could be with his friend during his final moments. But the dangers of COVID-19 made it impossible. This has become Granitsas’ new reality. He was no longer able to perform rituals or fulfill his usual duties. When Morse died in the ICU at Massachusetts General Hospital, he was one in a long line of Granitsas’ parishioners who will meet the same fate. “I should’ve been there,” Granitsas said. The two men were friends for over 40 years. Granitsas officiated at Morse’s wedding ceremony in 1985 and was saddened that he couldn’t perform his funeral services. “He was on the verge of death,” Granitsas said. “And I wasn’t able to be there with him.” Congregational churches and worship services, long known for their adherence to tradition, have been significantly transformed due to the pandemic. More than 90 percent of regular churchgoers in the United States reported that their churches closed to prevent the virus’s spread, according to a survey by the Pew Research Center. Prior to the pandemic, about 175 people regularly attended Sunday services, Granitsas said. Now, about 30 people attend Mass. “Before the pandemic, we had three hardcore regulars in their 90s that never missed a single service,” Granitsas fondly recalled. The Church has been offering livestream resources for those unable to attend in-person, he said. “Our attendance for live services has greatly reduced,” he said. “But actually, I think we have more altogether because we have people watching on the stream.” Dr. John H. Ewart, director of Pastoral Leadership at the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, said counseling classes and crisis intervention classes are part of the pastoral care training. However, no amount of training could have prepared church leaders on how to shepherd their congregants during the pandemic. “It’s been a huge shock to try to walk through the minefield of a church during a pandemic,” Ewart said. According to Ewart, there has been an increase in ministers’ resources on how to handle the pandemic. Centers for preaching and pastoral leadership, faith, culture and missions have released special resources that range from podcasts to panel discussions and blog posts. “There was not a class that was designed for COVID,” Ewart said. “But it will certainly be a part of the curriculum from now on.” One of the most difficult challenges Granitsas has had to face is losing close friends and people he considers family. When Granitsas and his family first moved to Revere in 1970, the friendly couple next door would always come over to help out and babysit Granitsas’ young child. “They both died of COVID a month ago,” he said. Although Granitsas feels disheartened by all the losses, his faith remains unbroken. “I still have this joy that no one can take away from me,” Granitsas said. “It’s a gift from God.” Granitsas came to Revere and helped make the Church flourish by establishing specialized ministries, which range from annual Gospel music festivals to ESL classes to the Food Pantry, according to Loralei Lauranzano, the Church’s administrative assistant. Lauranzano, who has known Granitsas for more than half of her life, said he always lifts everyone’s spirits. His joy is constant and contagious. “Every year, we have church picnic and play softball,” Lauranzano said. “And Pastor Nick is our pitcher every year, all day long. Every age plays. He pitches and he calls and just laughs and enjoys the whole time.” Local parishioner Lisa Sturgis said that finding her way to the Church and to Granitsas changed the trajectory of her whole life. She still looks back to 1979, the year REV. GRANITSAS | FROM PAGE 13 nose with a cloth face cover when around others “Please stay healthy and please call us with any needs. We are [here] for you. For more information, contact the Saugus Health Department at (781) 2314117 and/or the Town Manager’s office at 781231-4111.” Where you can get tested Saugus Town Manager Scott C. Crabtree, the Saugus Board of Health and the Saugus Health Department announced the extending of free COVID-19 testing sites until October 31, 2020, throughout the community as part of a partnership with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’s “Stop the Spread” initiative, which aims to help mitigate the spread of the virus in high-risk communities and COLLEGES | FROM PAGE 4 ting the entire semester online. “There are those who will argue the best way to minimize COVID-19 spread is OPTIONS | FROM PAGE 8 has one family housing facility located at the converted Armitage School on Essex Street. “Due to the subsidized rent program for such units, the least amount of turnover exists in such housing,” the report says. If rezoned to R-4, the Ballard School lot could support up to 11 units. Glynn told committee members that converting a building, particularly an old building, could cost $300,000 per unit. “For a developer to spend $3,300,000, a long-term lease would be necessary. This would be highly unlikely without favorable terms for the developer and the investors. Some of the other issues included in the report: Veteran Housing – “It is clear that while Saugus does not have a homeless veterans problem, there may be a regional need for additional support services and housing. The two cannot be mutually exclusive.” East Saugus already doing its share – this part of town has accepted nursing homes, group homes and an assisted living facility. East Saugus also has hosted facilities that pose quality of life impacts on area residents, including the Stanley Day Pumping Station on LinPage 13 prioritize residents’ safety. “The Town of Saugus has partnered with the Commonwealth, AFC Urgent Care, Fallon Emergency Medical Services (EMS), and the Square One Mall as a collaborative effort to work to downgrade the Town’s designated ‘High Risk’ red COVID-19 status by establishing and extending the following COVID-19 testing sites in Saugus: “AFC Urgent Care, located at 371 Broadway, is currently offering free testing by appointment on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Please register online at afcurgentcaresaugus. com. Call (781) 233-1000 for more information. “Fallon EMS at the Square One Mall (Far Side Parking Lot on Essex Street), located at 1201 Broadway with entry off of Essex Street, will offer free mobile drive-up testing… for Saugus residents in not to have students on campus, but we felt that choice was and still is very harmful to our students, their mental health and their educational progress,” said Hopey. “Mercoln Avenue and the Wheelabrator trash-to-energy incinerator and adjacent ash landfill. “We wish to share these facts with a candid community that their cars Monday through Saturday from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. No appointment is needed. [Residents] driveup and register using a tablet when they arrive. Saugus Police will be assisting with traffic. The testing site will be staffed by 10-12 individuals to handle registrations. All samples go directly to the Broad [Institute] in Cambridge for immediate testing with a 24-36 hour turnaround time. Notification of results will be made for negative results via emails while phone calls will be made for positive COVID-19 results. These sites do close when it rains because of risk of test contamination. This site has recently been extended until October 31, 2020. “This information will be on the Town’s website and on the state’s website: https://www.mass.gov/ info-details/stop-thespread?rgja#saugus-” rimack is an anchor organization in the Merrimack Valley and thousands of people are dependent on us being open, being safe and being present.” should recognize, and hopefully respect, the circumstances and concerns of those who live close to or near this, and future, shuttered public buildings,” the report says. ~ LEGAL NOTICE ~ COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS THE TRIAL COURT PROBATE AND FAMILY COURT Essex Division Docket No. ES20P2085EA Estate of: Jean A. DiPrima Date of Death: 5/12/2020 INFORMAL PROBATE PUBLICATION NOTICE To all persons interested in the above captioned estate, by Petition of Petitioner Philip J. DiPrima of North Reading, MA a Will has been admitted to informal probate. Philip J. DiPrima of North Reading, MA has been informally appointed as the Personal Representative of the estate to serve without surety on the bond. The estate is being administered under informal procedure by the Personal Representative under the Massachusetts Uniform Probate Code without supervision by the Court. Inventory and interested parties are entitled to notice regarding the administration from the Personal Representative and can petition the Court in any matter relating to the estate, including distribution of assets and expenses of administration. Interested parties are entitled to petition the Court to institute formal proceedings and to obtain orders terminating or restricting the powers of Personal Representatives appointed under informal procedure. A copy of the Petition and Will, if any, can be obtained from the Petitioner. October 16, 2020

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