Praying Through the Pandemic

The Current Concerns page on the Subscriber Resource Center (SRC)

During these challenging times, it can be hard to know where to turn for reliable resources for your bulletin or your parish community that can address the pandemic with sensitivity and grace. One place you can turn to with confidence is the J. S. Paluch Subscriber Resource Center (SRC), where we have a special page for just such events—the Current Concerns page. When you log in to the SRC bulletin resource page, you can go immediately to Current Concerns by scrolling down to that item on the home page grid:

Or you can click on the “Concerns” tab from the top of any other page on the SRC:

Once you get there, you'll find a broad selection of items, most having to do with the pandemic these days. 

Locating "Praying Through the Pandemic"

One item that I'd like to point out is part way down the page with titles visible in both English and Spanish: “Praying through” or “Orar en tiempo”:

This is a fine prayer resource in English or Spanish for people who wish to pray about—and through—the COVID-19 pandemic in a fuller or more focused way. It’s called “A New Birth to a Living Hope.” It offers a simple three-part prayer format suitable for use by individuals, families, or small groups gathered online: scripture reading, litany of intercession, concluding prayer. The resource includes multiple options for each part: four scripture readings, three litanies, and twelve concluding prayers—allowing the prayer to be prayed periodically with variations or with a different focus. Courage, perseverance, intercession, self-giving, and hope are the themes addressed by these prayers. This is a booklet that you can download and distribute to your parishioners, or share with them electronically.

Use it for your bulletin, too

You can also download it to use as a resource for your bulletin. You can take any prayer from these pages and put it in your bulletin for the benefit of all your parishioners. Just be sure to include the copyright notice from the bottom of the page. Here is just one of the numerous beautiful prayers:

Loving and faithful God,
we turn to you in our doubt, our disbelief, our fear.
So much is unknown to us. The future is uncertain.
We feel helpless, alone, worried.

Fill us with the courage to face whatever happens
and the common sense to follow public health directives
until the threat of the disease is diminished,
friends and loved ones are able to reunite,
people get back to work,
and communities of faith gather once again to sing your praise.

We pray through Christ our Lord.

© 2020 by Steven R. Janco. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

Why not download this booklet today to help your parishioners pray well through these difficult days?