周日，伊利诺伊州的一所教堂无视州长普里茨克的延期在家祈祷令，举行了祈祷仪式。几天前，该教堂向联邦法院提起诉讼，质疑州长限制冠状病毒传播的行政措施。
斯蒂芬森县的爱莲娜教堂有大约80人的会众，从早上开始举行礼拜当地媒体。自从普利兹克的“留在家里”令于3月21日生效以来，牧师斯蒂芬·卡塞尔(Stephen Cassell)无视其禁止公众集会的禁令，继续举行礼拜、读经和祈祷的会议。在COVID-19大流行期间，该州向心爱的莱娜教堂发出了“停止和停止”的命令，以阻止它将人们置于危险之中。
总部设在芝加哥的保守律师事务所托马斯·莫尔协会周四代表教会向位于罗克福德的美国伊利诺伊州北区地方法院提起联邦诉讼，对家庭保留令提出质疑。
在诉讼中，卡塞尔和该公司声称，普里策的命令是对那些信奉宗教的人的歧视，“故意诋毁伊利诺伊州的教堂、牧师和信仰者，将他们贬为二等公民。”
斯蒂芬森县治安官普利茨克、该地区公共卫生部门的行政官员以及莉娜村的警察局长被列为诉讼的被告。
州长已经命令教堂要么取消他们的服务，要么在网上进行服务，因为该州正努力通过家庭措施和其他各种缓解方法来控制冠状病毒的爆发。
提起诉讼后，心爱的教堂于周四在脸书上宣布了周日服务邮政。“这将是另一部史诗！”教堂写道。“我们正在克服恐惧和其他任何试图把我们拖垮的因素，胜利的势头一如既往地强烈！亲爱的，我等不及为你服务了！”
托马斯·莫尔协会的发言人托马斯·西耶尔卡说，周日有60到80人参加了这项服务，并称之为“平安无事”芝加哥论坛报。他说，周日的服务“平均出席人数大致相同”，并指出活动中保持了社交距离，与会者得到了洗手液。警方没有中断这项服务，也没有对教堂采取任何行动，因为他们在出版的时候违反了呆在家里的命令。
在提起诉讼的同一天，普利茨克修改了他的家庭指令，将宗教活动列为允许离家的一项基本活动。然而，在周五生效并持续到5月30日的新规定中，所有宗教集会只有在人数不超过10人的情况下才被允许，参加集会的人可以遵守社交距离。
“宗教组织和礼拜场所被鼓励使用在线或免下车服务来保护他们的信徒的健康和安全，”该命令说。
新闻周刊联系普利兹克的办公室和斯蒂芬森郡治安官征求意见，但没有收到及时的回复以便发表。
一张模糊的照片，照片中的教堂避难所里坐满了人，牧师站在祭坛的一个大十字架下。
ILLINOIS CHURCH DEFIES STAY-AT-HOME ORDER AGAIN, HOLDS SERVICE DAYS AFTER FILING LAWSUIT AGAINST GOVERNOR PRITZKER
An Illinois church on Sunday defied Governor J.B. Pritzker's extended stay-at-home order by holding services, days after it filed a federal lawsuit contesting the governor's executive actions to limit the coronavirus' spread.
The Beloved Church of Lena in Stephenson County, which has a roughly 80-person congregation, held services beginning in the morning, according to local media outlets. Since Pritzker's stay-at-home order went into effect on March 21, Pastor Stephen Cassell has flouted its ban on public gatherings and continued to hold meetings for worship, Bible study and prayer. The state has issued the Beloved Church of Lena with "cease-and-desist" orders amid the COVID-19 pandemic to stop it from putting people in harm's way.
The Thomas More Society, a Chicago-based conservative law firm, filed a federal lawsuit with the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in Rockford on behalf of the church on Thursday contesting the stay-at-home order.
In the suit, Cassell and the firm alleged that Pritzer's orders were discriminatory against those practicing religion and "intentionally denigrated Illinois churches and pastors and people of faith by relegating them to second-class citizenship."
Pritzker, the Stephenson County Sheriff, the region's Department of Public Health administrator, and the Village of Lena's Chief of Police were named as defendants in the suit.
The governor has ordered churches to either cancel their services or conduct them online, as the state battles with containing the coronavirus outbreak through the stay-at-home measure and various other mitigation methods.
After filing the suit, the Beloved Church on Thursday announced the Sunday service in a Facebook post. It "is going to be another epic one!" the church wrote. "The momentum of the victory we are getting over fear and anything else that has tried pulling us down is as fervent as ever! Can't wait for service with you, Beloved!"
Thomas Ciesielka, a spokesperson for the Thomas More Society, said 60 to 80 people attended the service Sunday and described it as "uneventful," according to the Chicago Tribune. Sunday's service had "about the same number for average attendance," he said, noting that social distancing was maintained at the event and attendees were provided hand sanitizer. Police did not break up the service and no action has been taken against the church for their defiance of the stay-at-home order at the time of publication.
On the same day the lawsuit was filed, Pritzker modified his stay-at-home order to list the exercise of religion as an essential activity for which leaving the house is permitted. However in the new order, which went into effect on Friday and continues through May 30, all religious gatherings are still only allowed if they are of 10 people or less, and those in attendance can comply with social distancing.
"Religious organizations and houses of worship are encouraged to use online or drive-in services to protect the health and safety of their congregants," the order said.
Newsweek reached out to Pritzker's office and the Stephenson County Sheriff for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.
A blurred photo of the inside of a church sanctuary that is filled with people in the pews, and the pastor stands under a large cross at the altar.
