Dear parishioners,
I hope and pray that you and your families are doing well in this time of global crisis. We your clergy miss you very much at Mass and praying for your wellbeing. As Masses are suspended during the current COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic and you are not able to attend Mass, following are some spiritual resources available for you.

1. Taped and Live-Streamed Masses

Beginning this Sunday, March 22nd, Bishop Caggiano will be celebrating Sunday Masses, which will be taped and made available on the Diocesan website (https://www.bridgeportdiocese.org). Videos of the Masses will be posted each Sunday at 8:00 AM.

Online Daily Mass offered on the Word on Fire website:
Online for daily Mass from Bishop Barron’s chapel, celebrated either by Bishop Barron himself or by Fr. Steve Grunow, CEO of Word on Fire. The video will be posted below at 8:15 am ET each day at https://www.wordonfire.org/daily-mass/

Daily Mass on EWTN:
8:00 AM, 12:00 Noon, and 7:00PM

Daily Mass from Hartford:
10:00AM on WCCT –TV (CW20) and WCTX-TV (MyTV9)

2. Nine Days of Prayer
Bishop Caggiano is pleased to announce that, beginning on March 25th, the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, the clergy, consecrated men and women and lay faithful of the Diocese will be able to come together virtually for a Rosary and Novena. The Rosary and Novena, sponsored by the Leadership Institute, will be held live at 7:00 PM on the Diocesan website (https://www.bridgeportdiocese.org) for nine consecutive evenings. Bishop will lead the prayer on March 25th, and eight other ministry leaders have been asked to lead on the subsequent evenings. While participants will not be able to interact audibly during the Rosary and Novena, they will be able to view and hear the prayer on their devices. The Rosary will follow the proper mysteries of each day and the prayer used for the Novena will be the one recited by Pope Francis during this pandemic. It can be found at: https://www.catholicnews.com/services/englishnews/2020/text-of-popes-prayer-to-mary-during-coronavirus-pandemic.cfm.

3. Resources from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)
The USCCB has published some resources to assist the virtual prayer of the Church during the pandemic. You can find detailed information at the following links: http://www.usccb.org/coronavirus and https://catholiccurrent.org/covid19/.
Additionally, in collaboration with the USCCB, the Augustine Institute is offering a free 40-day subscription to FORMED during this time when many of our lay faithful are quarantined or spending more time at home. The resources include access to Catholic prayers, movies, meditations and Bible studies.
You and any of your parishioners can gain access by following these steps:
1. Click on this link: http://leaders.formed.org/usccb/;
2. Click on the “SIGN UP” box under Step 1;
3. In the box under “Create a New Account,” type in “Faith At Home USCCB” and click “Next”;
4. Type in your name and email address as instructed and click “Sign Up.” This will give you access to the content

Act of Spiritual Communion
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.

Pope’s Prayer for the Intercession of Mary for Healing and Protection from the Coronavirus

O Blessed Virgin Mary,
you always shine on our path
as a sign of salvation and of hope.
We entrust ourselves to you, Health of the Sick,
who at the cross took part in Jesus’ pain, keeping your faith firm.
You, Salvation of the Roman People,
know what we need,
and we are sure you will provide
so that, as in Cana of Galilee,
we may return to joy and to feasting
after this time of trial.
Help us, Mother of Divine Love,
to conform to the will of the Father
and to do as we are told by Jesus,
who has taken upon himself our sufferings
and carried our sorrows
to lead us, through the cross,
to the joy of the resurrection. Amen.
Under your protection, we seek refuge, Holy Mother of God. Do not disdain the entreaties of we who are in trial, but deliver us from every danger, O glorious and blessed Virgin.

Stay well everyone! Love you and praying for you and your loved ones! – Fr. Birendra