In the past I recounted how, outside the hideous Paul VI Audience Hall, during a meeting of the Italian Bishops Conference, an old bishop who had escaped the nonsense within growled something I’ve shared here many times: “Meno chiacchiere… più processioni!… Less chattering … more processions!” He got it right. These popular devotions do us a world of good.
They always have done a world of good, especially in time of disaster, war, famine or disease.
While the Chinese Virus is on, “Kung Flu”, lets get busy with the spiritual weapons at our disposal!
I saw this tweet from Bp. Strickland of Tyler.
I call on every Catholic priest to lead a simple Eucharistic Procession around your Church sometime before the Feast of St Joseph, March 19, for repentance, Christ’s healing hand on the Coronavirus & that all men may be Godly, manly sons & disciples of His Son Jesus Christ.
— Bishop J. Strickland (@Bishopoftyler) March 11, 2020
Then a friend of mine posted, also on Twitter, a video of a priest near Palermo.
un grande sacerdote che non cessa di essere presente con la sua comunità parrocchiale. Grazie Padre Ricotta pic.twitter.com/6UUaUHEgb4
— Attilio Sacco ?? ?? ???? (@AttilioSacco) March 11, 2020
And…
Another video of Fr Ricotta, the priest from Villabate, Italy.
Throughout history, plagues have been met by Christendom with similar Eucharistic Processions. #CatholicTwitter #coronavirus #Italia #COVID19 #PandemicPreparedness pic.twitter.com/JxqLgW1GgW
— Bree A Dail (@breeadail) March 11, 2020
PRACTICAL PART OF THE POST
What to do?
In the Roman Ritual – not the dopey Book of Blessings Happy Thoughts – there are procedures for processions for various needs, such as the averting of storms, to beg for rain, in time of famine, and, which interests us right now,
In time of epidemic and plague.
You use the order of the procession for the Feast of St. Mark.
The procession should begin at the church. The bishop or priest is in violet cope, or at least a surplice and stole, and deacons can be in dalmatics, priests in chasubles, or otherwise surplice. After the initial prayers, the Cross precedes, then the faithful (if any) and the clergy (if any), and the celebrant. The procession can stay inside or go outside. The procession should wind up back in church for the final prayers.
At the last part of the Litany of Saints, the invocation, “From plague, famine, and war. R. Lord, deliver us.” is sung twice. And after “That you grant eternal rest to all the faithful departed,” etc. the following invocation is said twice, “That you deliver us from the scourge of pestilence. R. We beg you to hear us.” And some other prayers follow.
AND…
When the Kung Flu abates, there should be a procession in thanksgiving!
How about it?
I’d like to get notes that priests and bishops are having Eucharist processions.
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In addition to the Johns Hopkins map, BNO News puts out a good breakdown of cases.
https://bnonews.com/index.php/2020/02/the-latest-coronavirus-cases/
Johns Hopkins map has quit showing the individual towns with cases inside of states, and now just shows a total number per state. Less helpful, but still useful.
Perhaps more reparation for the Pachamama events in Italy are in order. Perhaps more reparation for the scandalous deal between the Vatican and the CCP is in order. Perhaps the CCP should rethink kicking bishops out into the street and barring children from attending Mass.
Perhaps we all need to up our sacrifices this Lent. Lord, have mercy!
By the way: Isn’t the word corona also Italian for chaplet, rosary? More masses, fewer people per mass, about six feet apart in “Acies Ordinata formation”, saying the Rosary.
Have you noticed that St. Joseph seems to be taking center stage of late? I notice him coming up more and more. As the husband of Mary, the foster-father of Jesus and the patron of the Universal Church, he should!
Fr. Donald Calloway has a new book out laying out a 33-day consecration to St. Joseph. It is available on Kindle. Because of my personal experience with the intercession of St. Joseph, I was ready to begin immediately as soon as I heard about it. I highly recommend it.
I’m not on Twitter, but someone named “Kevin” on Twitter recommended this prayer, which supposedly came out of Coimbra, Portugal by the nuns of St. Clare. Reportedly this was a monastery prayer, and based on something ancient, I have no idea what.
It “should be recited daily with confidence in God and the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It has arrested scourges.”
If I already offered this, I apologize. Life is a blur right now. We are praying this daily.
Stella Coeli
The Star of heaven that nourished the Lord, and drove away the plague of death which the first parents of man brought into the world. May the bright star vouchsafe to extinguish that foul constellation whose battles have slain the people with the wound of death.
O Most pious Star of the Sea, preserve us from pestilence, hear us, O Lady, for thy Son honors thee by denying thee nothing. Save us, O Jesus, for whom Thy Virgin Mother supplicates Thee.
V: Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God
R: That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray:
O God of Mercy, God of pity, God of benign clemency, Thou Who has had compassion on the affliction of Thy people, and hast said to the angel striking them, “Stop thy hand”, for the love of the glorious Star, grant the assistance of Thy grace, that we may be safely freed from all pestilence, and from unprovided death, and mercifully save us from the gulf of eternal perdition, through Thee, Lord Jesus Christ, King of Glory, Who livest and reignest, worth without end. Amen.
Wow, I was just talking with a parishioner yesterday about having a Eucharistic procession at my parish for this very reason! There is a case of two people with coronavirus in our city, so this makes even more sense.
Thanks, Father Z! I’m taking your post as a sign to go through with the procession!
In my two parishes we will do this as an extension of our Stations of the Cross this Friday.
Our Lord is already exposed in the monstrance for the Stations and we will take Him outside through the church grounds and end up back inside for Benediction
Oh my, please replace “worth” with “world”. Kathleen
Great idea given that the Archbishop of Seattle (encompassing all of the counties west of the Cascade Mountains and over half the geography of the State) just quashed all public Masses until further notice. The punchline @ 4:28 https://vimeo.com/397057838/6ddaeea5b9.
Anita Moore- Yes, absolutely, St. Joseph has always been a very helpful patron of our family, but the last couple of years he has interceded for us in some very concrete ways. I have never asked St. Joseph for help and not received it, although sometimes it takes a bit of persistence in prayer, and some direct requests.
St. Joseph also appeared during the miracle of the sun at Fatima, and I believe we should call upon his help in matters of protection, material needs, temptations against purity, requests for prudence and humility, and for protection for the Church.
Lord, please reward St. Joseph abundantly for his many gifts to the Church, and to my family in particular.
You can’t beat a Eucharistic Procession !
To Anita Moore, O.P. (lay) : I live about 24 km (14.5 miles) away from the largest sanctuary to St. Joseph in the world, and also have personal experience with St. Joseph’s intercession = Powerful.
According to the biography written by Father H.P. Bergeron C.S.C., on St. André Bessette (“Brother André”), when Brother André’ was receiving pilgrims at the Oratory (up until 1937) miracles through the intercession of St. Joseph were occurring on a daily basis. The only exception was when the curious people showed up (probably seeking either entertainment or something to mock).
This week I’ve been helping a Catholic friend of mine who is a widow by doing some extensive plastering in her home. On Monday, I asked her to join me in a prayer to St. Joseph before beginning work, and again today. Later at 3:00 pm she came to the spot where I was working and asked if I would pause to join her in praying a Divine Mercy chaplet. It got me thinking . . . St. Faustina mentions the efficacy of praying the Divine Mercy chaplet against violent storms:
[Frome Her Diary]
1731 Today I was awakened by a great storm. The wind was raging, and it was raining in torrents, thunderbolts striking again and again. I began to pray that the storm would do no harm, when I heard the words: “Say the chaplet I have taught you, and the storm will cease. ” I began immediately to say the chaplet and hadn’t even finished it when the storm suddenly ceased, and I heard the words: “Through the chaplet you will obtain everything, if what you ask for is compatible with My will.”
1791 When a great storm was approaching, I began to say the chaplet. Suddenly I heard the voice of an angel: “I cannot approach in this storm, because the light which comes from her mouth drives back both me and the storm.” Such was the angel’s complaint to God. I then recognized how much havoc he was to have made through this storm; but I also recognized that this prayer was pleasing to God, and that this chaplet was most powerful.
You can’t beat a Eucharistic procession, but the Divine Mercy chaplet is practically within everyone’s reach.
Wuhan Virus won’t last long…nothing made in China ever does!
Grumpy Beggar- The Divine Mercy chaplet also allows the laity to offer the sacrifice of Jesus (albeit in a different way than the consecration during Mass) to the Father in a time when local Masses may be closed to the public. The Lord knew the day would come when some of us wouldn’t have access to the sacraments.
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One Eucharistic Procession coming right up!
Seeing Padre Ricotta, and people’s reactions, like getting out of a van and kneeling, is really edifying to me, here in Ultima Thule, the protestant and cold North.
Fr. Joel, Father G, et al: God bless you.
JustaSinner: Nice touch of Wuhan Virus humor. Though, disinformation has a long shelf-life, such as the myth of Pius XII being “Hitler’s Pope.”
https://www.foxnews.com/us/china-smear-united-states-coronavirus-wuhan
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/11106235/iran-blames-coronavirus-outbreak-us-biological-attack-death-toll-lockdown-cities/
And…the Party of Death apparently wants in on the action:
“House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sought to include a potential way to guarantee federal funding for abortion into the coronavirus economic stimulus plan, according to multiple senior White House officials.”
https://dailycaller.com/2020/03/12/donald-trump-nancy-pelosi-coronavirus-stimulus-hyde-amendment-abortion-funding-white-house-allegations/
“Less chattering, more processions” indeed.
Meanwhile, in Utah, the lads and lasses in healthcare have broken out the negative-pressure tents:
https://healthcare.utah.edu/publicaffairs/news/2020/03/negative-pressure-tents.php