Gulf Pine Catholic

P ine C atholic Gulf MARCH 20, 2020 > VOLUME 37, NO. 15 > WWW.BILOXIDIOCESE.ORG THE NEWSPAPER OF THE CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF BILOXI Pope’s prayer to Mary during coronavirus pandemic Pope Francis recites the rosary at the Shrine of Our Lady of Divine Love in Rome in this 2018 file photo. On March 11, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, he entrusted the world to Mary. CNS photo/Paul Haring BY CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Here is a CNS translation of the prayer Pope Francis recited by video March 11 for a special Mass and act of prayer asking Mary to protect Italy and the world during of the coronavirus pandemic. O 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. Preventing the spread of illness in the context of our worship The Diocese of Biloxi has been monitoring the present situation. Given the susceptibility of the elderly and those with weakened immune systems to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the following “Illness Prevention Policy (Revised)” is to take effect immediately and continue until further notice. Other common-sense solutions are encouraged at the parish level. • Parishioners who are ill or suspect they may be conta- gious are not bound by the Sunday Mass obligation. They should be advised to remain at home and return to church when they are well. • Hand cleaner may be provided at church entrances for the faithful. • Holy Water fonts are to be drained, cleaned, and re-filled with holy water on a regular basis. The faithful can be told it is not absolutely necessary to make use of this sacramental. Other methods of providing holy water (e.g., small individual/ family bottles) can be devised. Please note that old holy water should be disposed of in the sacrarium or, where one is not available, on the ground. • Exchanging the Sign of Peace by means of physical con- tact should be suspended. The sign of peace may be, e.g., verbal or with a bow to those nearby. • Good hygiene, to include an inconspicuous use of hand cleaner prior to distribution of Holy Communion, should be practiced by Clergy and other Ministers. • Reception of the Precious Blood from a common chalice is suspended for the time being. As the whole Christ is con- tained in the consecrated Host, a Priest Celebrant should ordi- narily consecrate only enough wine necessary for him alone to receive the Precious Blood. If members of the congregation have celiac disease and are entirely unable to receive even the Body of Christ from consecrated ultra-low gluten altar breads, the Priest may consecrate wine in separate chalices to provide the Precious Blood for those individuals. • While communicants retain the right to receive Holy Communion on the tongue, Pastors may encourage the faith- ful to receive on the hand. Ministers of Holy Communion are advised to distribute the consecrated Hosts with special care, being cautious not to touch the communicant’s hand or tongue. • Door handles/knobs, collection baskets, tops of pews, hymnals, etc. should be regularly cleaned using an appropriate cleaner.