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Photos: Drive-through confessions during a pandemic

caption: Father Jose Alvarez, right, during walk and drive through confessions on Friday, April 24, 2020, in the parking lot at Holy Family Roman Catholic Church in White Center.
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Father Jose Alvarez, right, during walk and drive through confessions on Friday, April 24, 2020, in the parking lot at Holy Family Roman Catholic Church in White Center.
KUOW Photo/Megan Farmer

"We've been adapting ways," said Father Jose Alvarez. "How can we bring the sacraments close to the people?"

In the parking lot of Holy Family Roman Catholic Church, parishioners lined up for walk- and drive-through confessions on Friday in White Center.

"In this moment of the quarantine, reconciliation is very important because people are struggling with a lot of things, you know," Father Jose Alvarez said.

"The reconciliation helps them with spiritual guidance; to get some consolation, some comfort and some ideas for how they carry on."

Weather depending, the outdoor confessions will continue every Friday.

Father Jose Alvarez eventually had to lock the doors of the church because community members kept showing up, he said. He knew there wouldn't be another priest hired right away if he got sick.

"If we want to get out of this pandemic soon, we have to do our part and be responsible," Alvarez said.

caption: Father Jose Alvarez waits for people to arrive for walk and drive through confessions on Friday, April 24, 2020, in the parking lot at Holy Family Roman Catholic Church in White Center.
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Father Jose Alvarez waits for people to arrive for walk and drive through confessions on Friday, April 24, 2020, in the parking lot at Holy Family Roman Catholic Church in White Center.
KUOW Photo/Megan Farmer
caption: From left, sisters Mia Hurtado, 14, Miliani Hurtado, 12, and Marleni Hurtado, 10, wait in line for walk and drive through confessions with Father Jose Alvarez on Friday, April 24, 2020, in the parking lot at Holy Family Roman Catholic Church in White Center.
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From left, sisters Mia Hurtado, 14, Miliani Hurtado, 12, and Marleni Hurtado, 10, wait in line for walk and drive through confessions with Father Jose Alvarez on Friday, April 24, 2020, in the parking lot at Holy Family Roman Catholic Church in White Center.
KUOW Photo/Megan Farmer
caption: Soledad Colmenares speaks to Father Jose Alvarez during walk and drive through confessions on Friday, April 24, 2020, in the parking lot at Holy Family Roman Catholic Church in White Center.
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Soledad Colmenares speaks to Father Jose Alvarez during walk and drive through confessions on Friday, April 24, 2020, in the parking lot at Holy Family Roman Catholic Church in White Center.
KUOW Photo/Megan Farmer
caption: Father Jose Alvarez puts on a mask before walk and drive through confessions on Friday, April 24, 2020, at Holy Family Roman Catholic Church in White Center.
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Father Jose Alvarez puts on a mask before walk and drive through confessions on Friday, April 24, 2020, at Holy Family Roman Catholic Church in White Center.
KUOW Photo/Megan Farmer
caption: A daily mass in Spanish with Father Jose Alvarez is live-streamed on Friday, April 24, 2020, at Holy Family Roman Catholic Church in White Center.
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A daily mass in Spanish with Father Jose Alvarez is live-streamed on Friday, April 24, 2020, at Holy Family Roman Catholic Church in White Center.
KUOW Photo/Megan Farmer
caption: Father Jose Alvarez waits for people to arrive for walk and drive through confessions on Friday, April 24, 2020, in the parking lot at Holy Family Roman Catholic Church in White Center.
Enlarge Icon
Father Jose Alvarez waits for people to arrive for walk and drive through confessions on Friday, April 24, 2020, in the parking lot at Holy Family Roman Catholic Church in White Center.
KUOW Photo/Megan Farmer
caption: Soledad Colmenares speaks with Father Jose Alvarez during walk and drive through confessions on Friday, April 24, 2020, in the parking lot at Holy Family Roman Catholic Church in White Center.
Enlarge Icon
Soledad Colmenares speaks with Father Jose Alvarez during walk and drive through confessions on Friday, April 24, 2020, in the parking lot at Holy Family Roman Catholic Church in White Center.
KUOW Photo/Megan Farmer
caption: Father Jose Alvarez gets ready for a live-streamed daily mass in Spanish on Friday, April 24, 2020, at Holy Family Roman Catholic Church in White Center.
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Father Jose Alvarez gets ready for a live-streamed daily mass in Spanish on Friday, April 24, 2020, at Holy Family Roman Catholic Church in White Center.
KUOW Photo/Megan Farmer
caption: Father Jose Alvarez waits for people to arrive for walk and drive through confessions on Friday, April 24, 2020, in the parking lot at Holy Family Roman Catholic Church in White Center.
Enlarge Icon
Father Jose Alvarez waits for people to arrive for walk and drive through confessions on Friday, April 24, 2020, in the parking lot at Holy Family Roman Catholic Church in White Center.
KUOW Photo/Megan Farmer
caption: Father Jose Alvarez, right, during walk and drive through confessions on Friday, April 24, 2020, in the parking lot at Holy Family Roman Catholic Church in White Center.
Enlarge Icon
Father Jose Alvarez, right, during walk and drive through confessions on Friday, April 24, 2020, in the parking lot at Holy Family Roman Catholic Church in White Center.
KUOW Photo/Megan Farmer
caption: Father Jose Alvarez sets up an iPad ahead of a live-streamed daily mass in Spanish on Friday, April 24, 2020,  at Holy Family Roman Catholic Church in White Center.
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Father Jose Alvarez sets up an iPad ahead of a live-streamed daily mass in Spanish on Friday, April 24, 2020, at Holy Family Roman Catholic Church in White Center.
KUOW Photo/Megan Farmer
caption: Father Jose Alvarez has help setting up an iPad ahead of a live-streamed daily mass on Friday, April 24, 2020, at Holy Family Roman Catholic Church in White Center.
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Father Jose Alvarez has help setting up an iPad ahead of a live-streamed daily mass on Friday, April 24, 2020, at Holy Family Roman Catholic Church in White Center.
KUOW Photo/Megan Farmer
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