Please remember that you are not alone. We are all going through this difficulty together and we are going to get through it together with the help of God.
We urge you to find some way to step back from the challenges you are facing, the fears, the anxieties, and to turn even for a few moments toward the Lord.
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Please pray for COVID-19 patients, their families, priests, and medical teams attending to them, as well as for all health care workers on the front lines during this pandemic. Visit archspm.org/covid19prayers to learn about prayer opportunities.
We write to you about a spiritual response to the coronavirus (COVID-19). 1n the midst of the fear and worry that is gripping our community, we have an opportunity to turn together toward the Lord and seek the relief that only he can provide. We have a chance to remember the pilgrim nature of our Church, that our lives belong to the Lord, and that we depend on him both in life and death. Additionally, we have an opportunity to act in solidarity through our united prayers for the sick, for those who care for the sick, for those who are alone, for the dead, and for deliverance of the human family in all parts of the world from sickness and eviI.
Throughout the ages, faced with all manner of illness and calamities, believers have petitioned for God's grace and assistance through litanies. A litany is a prayer that we can offer when we are alone, at home together with family, or gathered as a virtual community. Simply joining in a litany to call upon the name of the Lord and invoke the help of our holy patrons and the Blessed Virgin Mary reminds us that no matter how afraid we might feel, we are never really alone.
We also want to use this providential oppo,tunity to put into practice our faith in the importance of prayer. Through prayer, even in difficult moments, we can remain in relationship with God and realize that we are not alone. Prayer is action of the most powerful kind because it invokes the help of the most powerful being--God, the only one who can truly help and save us. While his answer to our prayers may not always be according to our desires, it is according to his plans. The challenges that we face in the world, especially with the uncertainty of the present moment, call us to prayer.
Listen to and follow the directions of your State and Local Authorities.
If you feel sick, stay home. Do not go to work. Contact your medical provider.
If your children are sick, keep them at home. Do not send them to school. Contact your meical provider.
If someone in your houshold has tested positive for the coronavirus, keep the entire household at home. Do not go to work. Do not go to school. Contact your medical provider.
If you are an older person, stay home and away from people.
If you are a person with a serious underlying health condition that can put you at increased risk (for example, a condition that impairs your lung or heart function or weakens your immune system), stay home and away from other people.
Do your part to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Work or engage in schooling from home whenever possible
If you work in a critical infrastructure industry, as defined by the Department of Homeland Security, such as healthcase services, pharmaceutical and food supply, you have a special responsibility to maintain your normal work schedule. You and your employer should follow CDC guidance to protect your health at work.
Avoid Social Gatherings in groups of more than 10 people.
Avoid eating or drinking at bars, restaurants, and food courts— Use drive-thru, pickup,or delivery options.
Avoid Discretionary Travel, shopping trips, and social visits.
Do not visit nursing homes or retirement or long-term care facilities unless to provide critical assistance.
Practice Good Hygiene: