Please click on a selection below to read the letters from Fr. Ron:
Prayerful ways to ease anxiety over coronavirus - March 19, 2020
For Encouragement and Hope - April 22, 2020
A Prayer Card for Handwashing - April 29, 2020
Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary - May 7, 2020
Pastoral Letter from Bishop McManus "Coming Home to Mass" - May 28, 2021
God Our Father,
We come to You in our need to ask Your protection against the COVID-19 that has disturbed and even claimed lives.
We pray that You guide the people tasked to find cures for this disease and stem its transmission. Protect the medical experts that they may minister to the sick with competence and compassion.
We pray for those afflicted. May they be restored to health soon. Protect those who care for them. Grant eternal rest to those who have died.
Give us the grace in this trying time to work for the good of all to help those in need. We implore You to stop the spread of this virus and to save us from our fears.
Grant all these through our Lord, Jesus Christ, Your Son who lives and reigns with You, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever.
Amen.
A printable version of this prayer can be downloaded here.
O God, whose Only Begotten Son bore the weight of human suffering for our salvation, hear the prayers of your Church for our sick brothers and sisters and deliver us from this time of trial. Open our ears and our hearts to the voice of your Son: Be not afraid, for I am with you always. Bless all doctors and nurses, researchers and public servants; give us the wisdom to do what is right and the faith to endure this hour, that we might gather once again to praise your name in the heart of your Church, delivered from all distress and confident in your mercy. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Almighty God, whose beloved Son Jesus Christ, went about doing good, and healing all manner of illness and disease: continue, we beseech you, his gracious work among us especially in our hospitals, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, and by first responders. Grant to physicians, nurses, and all health care professionals wisdom and skill, sympathy and patience; keep them safe and preserve them from all contagion. Cheer, heal and sanctify the sick, and send down your blessing on all who care for them healer, Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen.
Archbishop J. Augustine DiNoia, Adjunct Secretary
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Vatican
Our Lady, Health of the Sick,
I look to you for the comfort of a mother’s love,
I pray to you on behalf of those who are suffering and for my own healing needs.
Mary, your love strengthens me and brings me peace.
Our Lady, Health of the Sick,
embrace all who are emotionally and physically ill that they may return to good health under your tender care.
And please intercede for my very special needs. (Pray your needs here).
Mary, your love strengthens me and brings me peace.
Our Lady, Health of the Sick, pray for us. Amen
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
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
beside restful waters he leads me; he refreshes my soul.
He guides me in right paths for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil;
for you are at my side with your rod and your staff that give me courage.
You spread the table before me in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil; my cup over flows.
Only goodness and kindness follow me all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for years to come.
The Bishops of the United States invite all the faithful to pray to the intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe for those who are ill and for an end to the pandemic:
Holy Virgin of Guadalupe, Queen of the Angels and Mother of the Americas.
We fly to you today as your beloved children.
We ask you to intercede for us with your Son, as you did at the wedding in Cana.
Pray for us, loving Mother,
and gain for our nation and world,
and for all our families and loved ones,
the protection of your holy angels,
that we may be spared the worst of this illness.
For those already afflicted,
we ask you to obtain the grace of healing and deliverance.
Hear the cries of those who are vulnerable and fearful,
wipe away their tears and help them to trust.
In this time of trial and testing,
teach all of us in the Church to love one another and to be patient and kind.
Help us to bring the peace of Jesus to our land and to our hearts.
We come to you with confidence,
knowing that you truly are our compassionate mother,
health of the sick and cause of our joy.
Shelter us under the mantle of your protection,
keep us in the embrace of your arms,
help us always to know the love of your Son, Jesus. Amen.
Lord Jesus, shepherd of souls, who called the apostles to be fishers of men and women, raise up
new apostles in your holy church. Teach them that to serve you is to reign: to possess you is to
possess all things. Kindle in the hearts of our young people the fire of Zeal for souls. Make
them eager to spread your kingdom upon earth. Grant them the courage to follow you, who
are the Way, the Truth, and the Life; who live and reign for ever and ever. Amen.
Prayer taken from the Roman Missal
The Five Joyful Mysteries are traditionally prayed on Mondays, Saturdays, and, during the season of Advent, on Sundays:
The Five Sorrowful Mysteries are traditionally prayed on Tuesdays, Fridays, and, during the season of Lent, on Sundays:
The Five Glorious Mysteries are traditionally prayed on Wednesdays and, outside the seasons of Advent and Lent, on Sundays:
The Five Luminous Mysteries are traditionally prayed on Thursdays:
The Stations of the Cross began as the practice of pious pilgrims to Jerusalem who would retrace the final journeyof Jesus Christ to Calvary. Later, for the many who wanted to pass along the same route, but could not make the trip to Jerusalem, a practice developed that eventually took the form of the fourteen stations currently found in almost every church.
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you,
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
First Station ~ Jesus is Condemned to Death
Second Station ~ Jesus Bears His Cross
Third Station ~ Jesus Falls for the First Time
Fourth Station ~ Jesus Meets His Mother
Fifth Station ~ Jesus is Helped by Simon
Sixth Station ~ Jesus and Veronica
Seventh Station ~ Jesus Falls for the Second Time
Eighth Station ~ Jesus Speaks to the Women
Ninth Station ~ Jesus Falls for the Third Time
Tenth Station ~ Jesus is Stripped of His Garments
Eleventh Station ~ Jesus is Nailed to the Cross
Twelfth Station ~ Jesus Dies on The Cross
Thirteenth Station ~ Jesus is Taken Down from the Cross
Fourteenth Station ~ Jesus is Laid in the Tomb
The Diocese of Worcester Sunday Mass at 6 PM and daily Mass at 9 AM can be viewed on worcesterdiocese.org and on the parish website.