For lifelong church-goers, this Good Friday was a different one for John and Uta France who were among the many people of Catholic and Anglican faith who faced an Easter weekend where they weren't allowed to attend a service.
Mr and Mrs France - Morisset residents - tuned in to the Good Friday commemoration of the 'Celebration of the Lord's Passion' at 2pm, which was live-streamed by the Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle from Sacred Heart Cathedral.
"I think, just generally speaking, it's been an opportunity for our church to enter into the age of technology," Mr France told the Newcastle Herald.
"We wouldn't have been able to do it 20 years ago. It's still an opportunity for us to come together and feel united with Bishop Bill as celebrant."
Mrs France said the experience was not the same as being in a building with other members of the church community but "that's our journey for the foreseeable future".
"It's something that's really hard to get used to," she said.
"It's something to keep us safe.
"The fact that we're sharing in this way with the leader of our community in Maitland-Newcastle is special."
The Catholic diocese will stream an Easter Vigil at 7pm on Saturday and Easter mass at 9.30am on Sunday on YouTube - a link to the live video is available on the Maitland-Newcastle Diocese's website.
The Anglican Diocese of Newcastle will stream church services on Christ Church Cathedral's YouTube channel at 8.30am and 5.30pm each day during the Easter weekend.
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