March 18, 2020

Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall stand firm forever (2 Sam 7:16).

My Sisters and Brothers in Christ:

Throughout the Dioceses within the state of Florida, effective at the end of day, regularly scheduled celebration of Masses and other liturgical events for the faithful in parish churches and other public sanctuaries are suspended until further notice in cooperation with efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). Visitation to the churches to pray is also suspended. Any parish event or ministry event – e.g. prayer groups, bible studies, etc. – are suspended or postponed.

Funerals, or other celebrations which perhaps cannot be postponed – baptisms or weddings – may be celebrated with immediate family members only who are not sick and are not advised by their doctors to self-quarantine.

Priests will celebrate daily Mass for the intentions of the faithful albeit without their presence. Also, priests and other parish staff – who are not sick or otherwise advised to self-quarantine – while exercising prudence and observing social distancing will be available to the faithful at the parish offices.

For emergency situations, parishioners are invited to communicate with a priest, deacon or available staff by phone or by email. Parish staff will work with parishioners to identify a priest for their pastoral needs such as sick calls, request for the Sacrament of Penance, etc. Priests will respond to hospital calls or calls from other health facilities and will cooperate with that hospital or facility by following proper protocols as required (wearing of masks, gloves, protective clothing, etc.).

Catholics can make an Act of Spiritual Communion It has long been a Catholic understanding that when circumstances prevent one from receiving Holy Communion, it is possible to make an Act of Spiritual Communion which is a source of grace. Spiritual Communion means uniting one’s self in prayer with Christ’s sacrifice and worshiping Him in His Body and Blood. The most common reason for making an Act of Spiritual Communion is when a person cannot attend Mass. Acts of Spiritual Communion

increase our desire to receive sacramental Communion and help us avoid the sins that would make us unable to receive Holy Communion worthily.

An Act of Spiritual Communion
My Jesus,
I believe that You
are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.
I love You above all things,
and I desire to receive You into my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment
receive You sacramentally,
come at least spiritually into my heart.
I embrace You as if You were already there
and unite myself wholly to You.
Never permit me to be separated from You.
Amen.

Resources are available to help the faithful remain in prayer and draw near to God during this holy season of Lent. These resources are posted below and this list will be updated as we learn more from our parishes.

• Faith Fit App: Tune into faith-filled podcasts by local Catholics plus special presentations featuring Catholic speakers, singers, musicians & more! Download the app at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/faith-fit-app/id1435157037

• Free Access to Give Us This Day: https://giveusthisday.org/Digital

• USCCB:
  • Prayer Resources: http://www.usccb.org/coronavirus
  • Daily Readings: http://www.usccb.org/
    
• EWTN Television: https://www.ewtn.com/tv

• CCTN – the Catholic Community Television Network – is broadcast from a TV studio operated by Holy Family Parish in Orlando. CCTN televises the Sunday Mass and other spiritually enriching programs. The Mass is broadcast every Sunday from 2:00 pm. – 3:00 p.m. on WTGL-TV 45. This station is available on various channels, depending on your service provider. Please check with your service provider for details. CCTN also utilizes online media avenues such as YouTube to showcase special productions, such as homilies from Holy Family Parish; short biographies of saints; and the reading of the Gospel, complete with images. Subscribe to the CCTN YouTube Channel by clicking here.

• Talk / Devotional English Adults – Divine Mercy Radio (WDMC 920 AM), an approved apostolate led by Bob Groppe, purchased a “fixer upper” frequency and station in 2008. The majority of their programming is provided from EWTN and they also air locally produced programs. Their studio is located in Melbourne and their broadcast is heard in Brevard County and parts of Volusia and Orange counties (as well as two other counties outside of the Diocese of Orlando). They promote their apostolate as “Catholic Radio for Florida’s Space and Treasure Coast.” A priest of the diocese sits on the board of Divine Mercy Radio.

• Talk / Devotional English Adults – Relevant Radio
  • Eustis – 90.3 FM WIGW
  • Orlando – 1080 AM WHOO
  • Orlando – 1190 AM WAMT
    • Relevant Radio provides programming that speaks to the human condition, helping to bridge the gap between faith and everyday life. The network produces a variety of popular and exciting programs to help strengthen the family, solve everyday problems, and raise the heart and mind to God.

• Tell us who you are so that we might pray for you: prayer@orlandodiocese.org

During this season of Lent, know that I pray with you and for you. Through our acts of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, God’s Kingdom will endure forever.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Most Reverend John Noonan
Bishop of Orlando