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The Holy See
LETTER OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS
TO THE FAITHFUL FOR THE MONTH OF MAY 2020
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
The month of May is approaching, a time when the People of God express with particular intensity
their love and devotion for the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is traditional in this month to pray the Rosary
at home within the family. The restrictions of the pandemic have made us come to appreciate all
the more this “family” aspect, also from a spiritual point of view.
For this reason, I want to encourage everyone to rediscover the beauty of praying the Rosary at
home in the month of May. This can be done either as a group or individually; you can decide
according to your own situations, making the most of both opportunities. The key to doing this is
always simplicity, and it is easy also on the internet to find good models of prayers to follow.
I am also providing two prayers to Our Lady that you can recite at the end of the Rosary, and that I
myself will pray in the month of May, in spiritual union with all of you. I include them with this letter
so that they are available to everyone.
Dear brothers and sisters, contemplating the face of Christ with the heart of Mary our Mother will
make us even more united as a spiritual family and will help us overcome this time of trial. I keep
all of you in my prayers, especially those suffering most greatly, and I ask you, please, to pray for
me. I thank you, and with great affection I send you my blessing.
Rome, Saint John Lateran, 25 April 2020
Feast of Saint Mark the Evangelist
Pope Francis
First Prayer
O Mary,
You shine continuously on our journey
as a sign of salvation and hope.
We entrust ourselves to you, Health of the Sick,
who, at the foot of the cross,
were united with Jesus’ suffering,
and persevered in your faith.
“Protectress of the Roman people”,
you know our needs,
and we know that you will provide,
so that, as at Cana in Galilee,
joy and celebration may return
after this time of trial.
Help us, Mother of Divine Love,
to conform ourselves to the will of the Father
and to do what Jesus tells us.
For he took upon himself our suffering,
and burdened himself with our sorrows
to bring us, through the cross,
to the joy of the Resurrection.
Amen.
We fly to your protection,
O Holy Mother of God;
Do not despise our petitions
in our necessities,
but deliver us always
from every danger,
O Glorious and Blessed Virgin.
Second Prayer
“We fly to your protection, O Holy Mother of God”.
2
In the present tragic situation, when the whole world is prey to suffering and anxiety, we fly to you,
Mother of God and our Mother, and seek refuge under your protection.
Virgin Mary, turn your merciful eyes towards us amid this coronavirus pandemic. Comfort those
who are distraught and mourn their loved ones who have died, and at times are buried in a way
that grieves them deeply. Be close to those who are concerned for their loved ones who are sick
and who, in order to prevent the spread of the disease, cannot be close to them. Fill with hope
those who are troubled by the uncertainty of the future and the consequences for the economy
and employment.
Mother of God and our Mother, pray for us to God, the Father of mercies, that this great suffering
may end and that hope and peace may dawn anew. Plead with your divine Son, as you did at
Cana, so that the families of the sick and the victims be comforted, and their hearts be opened to
confidence and trust.
Protect those doctors, nurses, health workers and volunteers who are on the frontline of this
emergency, and are risking their lives to save others. Support their heroic effort and grant them
strength, generosity and continued health.
Be close to those who assist the sick night and day, and to priests who, in their pastoral concern
and fidelity to the Gospel, are trying to help and support everyone.
Blessed Virgin, illumine the minds of men and women engaged in scientific research, that they
may find effective solutions to overcome this virus.
Support national leaders, that with wisdom, solicitude and generosity they may come to the aid of
those lacking the basic necessities of life and may devise social and economic solutions inspired
by farsightedness and solidarity.
Mary Most Holy, stir our consciences, so that the enormous funds invested in developing and
stockpiling arms will instead be spent on promoting effective research on how to prevent similar
tragedies from occurring in the future.
Beloved Mother, help us realize that we are all members of one great family and to recognize the
bond that unites us, so that, in a spirit of fraternity and solidarity, we can help to alleviate countless
situations of poverty and need. Make us strong in faith, persevering in service, constant in prayer.
Mary, Consolation of the afflicted, embrace all your children in distress and pray that God will
stretch out his all-powerful hand and free us from this terrible pandemic, so that life can serenely
resume its normal course.
To you, who shine on our journey as a sign of salvation and hope, do we entrust ourselves, O
Clement, O Loving, O Sweet Virgin Mary. Amen.
©Copyright – Libreria Editrice Vaticana
Bishop Wack’s Pronouncements Regarding Suppression of Masses
History and 14th century prayer to the Blessed Mother for protection from the Plague.
According to Tomasso Auriemma, SJ, writing in Venice in 1712, during the Coimbra (Portugal) plague of 1317, the nuns of the Monastery of St. Clare, fearing infection in their immediate vicinity, had decided to leave the monastery when they heard a knock at the door. They answered the knock to find a pilgrim whom they recognized as St. Bartholomew the Apostle. He consoled them and urged them to recite often the prayer to the Mother of God under her title of “Star of Heaven” that was written on the card that he gave them. Then he departed. The Poor Clares recited the antiphon every day in choir and privately, and remained free of infection “even as everything burned around them.”
Star of Heaven,
who nourished the Lord
and rooted up the plague of death
which our first parents planted:
May that star now deign
to hold in check the constellations
whose strife causes in people
the sores of a terrible death.
O glorious star of the sea,
save us from infection.
Hear us: for your Son,
who honors you, denies you nothing.
Jesus, save us, for whom
the Virgin Mother prays to you.
V. Pray for us O Holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray. God of mercy and forgiveness, moved to pity at the affliction of your people, you commanded the destroying Angel to stay his arm for the love of that glorious Star, at whose precious breast you sweetly drank the remedy for the poison of our sins: come to our help with your divine grace so that through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary your Mother and Blessed Bartholomew your beloved Apostle, preserve us from all contagion and untimely death, and mercifully save us from the danger of perdition. Through Jesus Christ, King of glory and Savior of the World, who live and reign forever and ever. Amen.
⸙ THIS WEEK AT THE BASILICA
*The celebration of all Sunday and Weekday
Masses has been suspended.
*All public, scheduled liturgical gatherings:
Reconciliation Services, Stations of the Cross,
and scheduled confessions have also been
suspended.
View our website, check myparish app and look
for emails for updates.
The church will be open for daily prayer:
Mon –Fri, 10:30 am– 12:30 pm &
Sunday, 10:00 am– 12:00 pm
