The past two years have posed a threat to parts of society one takes for granted.
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Religion was not immune from this, as the pandemic spread and gatherings were restricted and then locked down, communities were barred from Sunday worship.
As the community emerges from two years of isolation, separation and difficulties too numerous to name, many parts of society have been irrevocably changed, hewn anew by the hardships of COVID-19.
Questions remain, what is the future of religion in the region? Is the local church still relevant in an increasingly modernised world?
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The answer, for Horsham Parish priest Monsignor Glynn Murphy, is a simple one.
"The last two years aren't going to wash (faith) out of society at all," Mons Murphy said.
Indeed, Mons Murphy said he believed the pandemic would lead to a resurgence of interest, particularly from younger generations.
"I think a lot of people are searching for a deeper truth in life," he said.
"I think COVID-19 and the last year or two has shaken what they took for granted... what's important to (a person) has been shredded in the last year or two.
"Some of the harsh realities have actually awakened a questioning about what's really important in life... and that inevitably leads them to a spiritual dimension."
However, it hasn't been an easy time for many.
Horsham Church of Christ senior pastor Simon Risson said the isolating effect of lockdowns significantly affected communities.
"The burden of just not being able to visit people or not being able to visit family has been tiring and taxing," Mr Risson said.
"We're not immune from what every other organisation has felt or experienced.... One of the challenges for us has been to declare hope.
"It's one of the things we want to be able to tell the community; that there is hope, there is a kingdom that operates beyond what we can see or experience and goes beyond this moment in time as well.
"It's a pretty tough thing to say, because it's hard to see and hard to prove.
"There's a lot of energy that goes into (worship) for some people and you want to be cautious about that.
"Not everyone's ready to do that, people are worn out... it's pretty tough."
However, Mr Risson said that faith had also helped many people through the past few years.
"(Hope) is something people need to hold onto and ground themselves in," he said.
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"You hear small stories of people looking after their neighbours, family members looking after each other; people providing meals for each other or dropping off small gifts like coffee vouchers."
Mr Risson said that restrictions had also meant the faithful have found more creative ways to worship.
"People are getting together in small homes and in small groups in public areas," he said.
"We're not living in isolation, we try to honour the wider community and the impact the decisions we make will have on that community."
Technology has also been a factor, with services across denominations being broadcast online.
Some of the harsh realities have actually awakened a questioning about what's really important in life... and that inevitably leads them to a spiritual dimension
Mons Murphy said it had allowed churches to adapt and reach people during the pandemic.
"One of the good things that has come out of the social necessities of the last two years is the technology," he said.
"It's fairly simple now to set up a high definition television with digital sound for streaming.
"We can even have take that system to places like a cemetery or somewhere else for funerals."
The use of technology has in some ways, expanded the capabilities of church services, according to Mons Murphy.
"People have understood the benefits of it. When you're getting into the winter months, people who might not have been travelling for a meeting or mass, don't want to drive or who might be getting older or looking after youngsters at home... now they can stay home and participate," he said.
"Ten years ago that probably wasn't possible."
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Questions about how religions will define their role in communities in the 21st century is not a new one.
Although the COVID-19 pandemic has brought some questions into starker lighting, it has been an issue that many churches have grappled with.
In 2018, before COVID-19 erupted across the globe, the Catholic Church in Australia elected to convene a Plenary Council - the "highest formal gathering of all local churches in a country".
It was the first time such a gathering has been called since the Second Vatican Council (or Vatican II) was held between 1962 and 1965.
"That council was called by the leadership of the church to address some fundamental questions," Mons Murphy said.
"It's a very serious and national look at the future of the church, spiritually and faith... Asking what are the stresses and strains in people's lives and how the church can assist with 21st century issues and problems in wider society."
The first meeting of the council took place virtually in October 2021, with a second meeting scheduled for Sydney in July 2022.
More information on the Plenary Council can be found here.
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