25/03/2020

#PrayForTheWorld

Dear Parishioners

Wednesday 25th March, on the Feast of the Annunciation, at 11am UK time (midday Rome), Pope Francis has asked us to join him in praying the Lord’s Prayer as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This will be followed on Friday at 5pm UK time (6pm Rome) with Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament with the Urbi et Orbi blessing. As Pope Francis explains, 'To the pandemic of the virus we want to respond with the universality of prayer, of compassion, of tenderness.' Please join in and please spread the word if you can through your social media, using #PrayForTheWorld.

Some of the below might be useful as well.

1.    The Cardinal continues to issue video messages which are posted on our website. These messages are posted prominently on the home page of our website and on social media. In case you have not seen it, today's message is available to view here: https://youtu.be/W5s_4EwRm4s

2.   We have been made aware of a number of scams linked to the coronavirus pandemic, ranging from fraudsters selling counterfeit products and phishing emails, to scammers knocking on the doors of vulnerable people offering to run errands for them or claiming they are there to test them for coronavirus. There is further information at this link https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-51964507 Please be vigilant and please share this information with parishioners and neighbours.

3.   As a reminder, the list of parishes streaming or live-streaming Mass in our diocese can be found on our website:https://rcdow.org.uk/news/how-to-participate-in-mass-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/ If you are streaming Mass and your parish is not on the list, please do let us know, so we can add it to our list. Much of the feedback indicates that the faithful are grateful for the opportunity to participate in this way in the celebration of Mass. 

4.      There is also a growing list of prayers and online resources on our website that may prove helpful to parishioners. https://rcdow.org.uk/news/resources-during-mass-suspension/ If you have any other suggestions, please do let us know. Both this list and the list of streamed Masses have been added to all the microsites.

With best wishes
Fr Peter