Imagine this scenario: You’re approaching the church for Sunday morning Mass with your children when suddenly, you encounter a group of protestors. The situation feels threatening and your concern for your children’s safety grows. As you reach the church entrance, a heartbreaking sight unfolds—the Tabernacle is visibly open and desecrated. Overwhelmed with emotion, you kneel, a lump forming in your throat as worry washes over you. In that moment, you feel an urgent need to protect your place of worship.
Here’s the good news: you have the power to take action. It’s crucial to safeguard your church, ensuring it’s a safe sanctuary for everyone. This starts with understanding the specific threats and knowing the best measures to mitigate them. One effective solution is to implement a safety technology like Alert-COM. This system allows you to quickly summon help with just the press of a button. Let’s delve into the key areas of your church to focus on for protection.
Protect your church’s people
Your congregation is critical to your church. You are one of many who make up the life of the church. Children, families… each deserves full protection and to worship in peace. One way you can start making a difference is by installing security technology like cameras, and alert systems like Alert-COM. Can you put a cost on the safety of your congregation? Placing cameras strategically at every spot with holy images, especially by the altar will deter any rioter.
Your pastor is included in this as well. As he is up on a platform or near the altar, he is one of the first to be looked at and targeted. Take a Catholic church, for example. In a traditional Mass, the priest is facing away from the congregation, facing the tabernacle as he consecrates the bread and wine to become Jesus’s body and blood (the Holy Eucharist). He is extremely vulnerable in this position, as he utters prayers and holds the Holy Eucharist. That is why you must have safety and security protections in place.
Protect the altar
Besides individuals, the most important thing to protect in your church is the altar. In Catholic churches, the altar holds the tabernacle, which Jesus resides in as He is present in the Holy Eucharist. In 2022, the media reported Catholic churches that were attacked, vandalized, and persecuted by angry rioters. Some claimed they would be burning the Holy Eucharist. If rioters can get so far into a church where they can take the Holy Eucharist, there were a multitude of safety precautions you missed having in place. That could have been prevented. As a person of faith, it’s saddening to hear about such a horrible thing. If churches had a security system and team, this would not have happened and the individuals who did that would not have been able to enter.
So, what should you do?
After installing your security systems, the next step is to engage with your congregation and recruit volunteers willing to serve as security personnel. Position these volunteers strategically at entrances and throughout the gathering area. They can also be tasked with checking bags as attendees arrive. The presence of security guards, especially those equipped with professional gear like earpieces and communication devices, can act as a powerful deterrent. Often, just the visible readiness and professionalism of the security team can discourage potential disruptors. It’s not only about taking precautions and providing training—it’s also about clearly demonstrating that your church is prepared and protected.
Protect holy images
Yes, holy images matter too! As they are a source of respect and a way to honor God and the saints, it is important to protect these images. Holy images are historic religious paintings, statues, and devotionals within your church that depict the saints and the Lord. The purpose of these is to remind individuals of holiness, to be inspiring, and to be respected. Holy images inside the church are also significant to Christians because they are blessed. Because of this, one must protect them. This is where you will also want to have cameras, as holy images and the altar are the first things rioters will vandalize and destroy.
Protect your church with APS
Alert-COM is a standalone notification and communication mobile system designed to enable rapid communication of critical information to the appropriate parties, ensuring that help can be summoned quickly and efficiently. This system is crucial for swiftly addressing emergencies by streamlining the process of alerting and coordinating with the necessary responders. Whether you’re dealing with a security issue, a medical emergency, or any other urgent situation, Alert-COM provides a reliable means to get assistance fast. Contact us today about how it can help you.
