During this time of pandemic, many of us have been separated from family members and friends, even from our Church community and our weekly participation in our Catholic faith at Mass. Here below, are a number of resources of how you might experience "Church at Home" on Sundays, in Prayer, in Formation, etc. New bulletins are also posted online each Friday. We have even added the children's bulletins for the kids to enjoy at home.
Sundays at Home
- Each of the celebrations of the Sunday Vigil Mass (Sat 5:00pm CT) and Sunday Morning Mass (Sun 8:30am CT) will be live-streamed. Go to our Live Stream page and follow the link.
- The Archbishop is live-streaming a celebration of Holy Mass each Sunday at 9 am CT. Go to the Archdiocesan website and follow the link.
- If you are unable to join us at church or live online, please unite yourself prayerfully to these celebrations from home. You might turn off screens, silence the phone, light a candle, and say a few prayers reflecting on the readings of the day (found on the USCCB website).
- While we are unable to share in the Eucharist, we should make some act of 'Spiritual Communion,' expressing our desire for the Sacrament. As Pope St. John Paul II reminded us (using the words of St. Teresa of Jesus): “When you do not receive communion and you do not attend Mass, you can make a spiritual communion, which is a most beneficial practice; by it the love of God will be greatly impressed on you." The following prayer, by St. Alphonsus Liguori, may be used:
" My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the Blessed Sacrament.
I love you above all things and I desire you with all my heart.
Since I cannot now receive you sacramentally,
I ask you to come spiritually into my heart.
I embrace you as if you were already in my heart
and unite myself to you completely.
Please do not let me ever be separated from you. Amen. "
Prayer at Home
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- Also, while washing your hands, pray the ‘Our Father’ each time. (It is a better way to reach the CDC recommended scrub-time of 20 seconds, rather than singing "Happy Birthday" to yourself twice over.)
- Try setting an alarm on your phone (for noon or 6 or 8) and remind yourself to pray! Traditionally, at the hours 6, 9, noon, 3, and 6 Christians prayed--they turned to the Lord in the midst of their day and offered their intentions. (Monks and nuns still do!) So pick an hour; say a prayer!
- Below, are some recommended Prayers for Protection in a Time of Pandemic, as well as our parishes' Lenten prayer, the Anima Christi...
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- The US Catholic Bishops recommend to pray this Prayer for Solidary on the USCCB website.
- On the Feast of St. Joseph (March 19) the Church published a Plenary Indulgence* applicable during this time of pandemic and illness:
- Firstly, for people who are sick with the coronavirus, anyone caring for people who are sick with the coronavirus, and people who are quarantined because of the coronavirus, the conditions for receiving the plenary indulgence are: (1) a spirit of detachment from any sin (here, an act of contrition is good to say); (2) the desire or intention to go to Confession, receive Holy Communion, and pray for the Pope’s intentions as soon as possible; and (3) to participate (even via the media) in a celebration of Holy Mass, or to pray the Rosary, or to make the Way of the Cross, or (if those aren’t possible) to recite the Creed, the Our Father, and the Hail Mary.
- Then, for all the Catholic faithful, the conditions are: (1) having a spirit of detachment from any sin (again, an act of contrition is good for this), (2) having the desire or intention to go to Confession, receive Holy Communion, and pray for the Pope’s intentions as soon as possible; and (3) to make a visit to the Blessed Sacrament, or to read Scripture (for at least 30 minutes), or to pray the Rosary, or to make the Way of the Cross, or to recite the Divine Mercy chaplet for the following intentions: "an end to the pandemic, relief to those afflicted, and eternal salvation for those who have died."
- Finally, for those at the moment of death (when they are unable to receive Anointing and Viaticum), the only conditions are that (1) the person be properly disposed (have contrition of heart), (2) have recited a few prayers during his/her lifetime, and (3) at the moment of death, to hold or look at a cross or crucifix (if possible).
* - if you are wondering what a "plenary indulgence" is, know that this would be a great topic for a June "Theology on Tap"...
but for now: It is a gift of grace from the abundance of the Church's merits (the merits of Christ and of his Saints) given to assist a soul to be completely free from sin (sin which has already been forgiven, but of which some vestiges still remain). In other words, it is a good and generous gift to be open to and receive... (and trust me, my explanation will go down better with a beer.)
but for now: It is a gift of grace from the abundance of the Church's merits (the merits of Christ and of his Saints) given to assist a soul to be completely free from sin (sin which has already been forgiven, but of which some vestiges still remain). In other words, it is a good and generous gift to be open to and receive... (and trust me, my explanation will go down better with a beer.)
Formation at Home
- Our parish is blessed to have FORMED.org. A site to find movies, videos, formation series, audiobooks, things for the whole family! If you have yet to claim your free membership, go to saintaparish.formed.org and sign up today!
Reflections w/ Fr. Dole
Go back and join Fr. Dole reflecting on the Lives of the Satins or on the Chaplet of Divine Mercy or on the Stations of the Cross.
Or follow along with our fall Book Club. (Click on the images below.)
Or follow along with our fall Book Club. (Click on the images below.)
Other Links
- Keep up with daily Mass:
- with Fr. Tony Kruse of Blessed Sacrament in Waterloo—Masses will be live streamed daily according to their regular Mass Schedule (the full schedule is shown on their Parish Website).
- with Bishop Robert Barron—videos will be posted each day at 7:15am CT on Word on Fire.
- Watch inspirational Catholic videos from Ascension Presents and hear from Fr. Mike and other well-known Catholic speakers.
- The following publishers have generously made their resources available during this difficult time:
- Liturgical Press: Give Us This Day
- Magnificat
- Bayard: Living with Christ
- The Word Among Us
- More resources can be found on the website for the US Catholic Bishops: usccb.org.