Father Matthew Hawkins, who was ordained to the priesthood on June 27, offered powerful words of encouragement in the face of fear.  

“It is in the midst of the desert of fear, of anxiety, of hopelessness, of futility, that God comes forth and offers us His Body and Blood, and offers us a way forward and a way out of the trap and the bondage and captivity of despair,” he said.

• We Are One Body (WAOB) Catholic Radio (broadcasts daily Masses)
  • WAOB-AM 860
  • WAOB-FM 106.7
  • WPGR-AM 1510.
• Catholic Education Plus, hosted by Father Tom Burke on Sundays at 6:30 am on KDKA-AM 1020 
• WJPA-1450 in Washington County carries Mass from Immaculate Conception Parish at 10:35 am every Sunday.
• “Amplify,” hosted by Msgr. Ron Lengwin on Sundays at 9:00 pm on ​​ KDKA-AM 1020. 

• Read daily Mass readings and additional prayers through Magnificat for free here.
• The free Laudate app hosts Catholic prayer, devotions, daily Scripture readings, and prayers amid the coronavirus. Multiple languages are available.
  • Download for iOS here.
  • Download for Android here.
• Pray the Divine Mercy Chapet, available here.
• Prayers for the sick, the elderly, and the dying
• Catholic prayers for death and dying
• Prayers for Protection against the Pandemic
• Prayer to the Holy Cross for an End to the Plague

God of justice, In your wisdom you create all people in your image, without exception.
Through your goodness, open our eyes to see the dignity, beauty, and worth of every human being.
Open our minds to understand that all your children are brothers and sisters in the same human family.
Open our hearts to repent of racist attitudes, behaviors, and speech which demean others.
Open our ears to hear the cries of those wounded by racial discrimination, and their passionate appeals for change.
Strengthen our resolve to make amends for past injustices and to right the wrongs of history.
And fill us with courage that we might seek to heal wounds, build bridges, forgive and be forgiven, and establish peace and equality for all in our communities.
In Jesus’ name we pray.
Amen.

O Mary, you shine continuously on our journey as a sign of salvation and hope.
We entrust ourselves to you, Health of the Sick.
At the foot of the Cross you participated in Jesus’ pain, with steadfast faith.
You, Salvation of the Roman People, know what we need.
We are certain that you will provide, so that, as you did at Cana of Galilee, joy and feasting might return after this moment of trial.
Help us, Mother of Divine Love, to conform ourselves to the Father’s will and to do what Jesus tells us:
He who took our sufferings upon Himself, and bore our sorrows to bring us, through the Cross, to the joy of the Resurrection. Amen.
We seek refuge under your protection, O Holy Mother of God.
Do not despise our pleas – we who are put to the test – and deliver us from every danger, O glorious and blessed Virgin.

O God,
May we who are merely inconvenienced
Remember those whose lives are at stake.
May we who have no risk factors
Remember those most vulnerable.
May we who have the luxury of working from home
Remember those who must choose between preserving their health or making their rent.
May we who have the flexibility to care for our children when their schools close
Remember those who have no options.
May we who have to cancel our trips
Remember those that have no safe place to go.
May we who are losing our margin money in the tumult of the economic market
Remember those who have no margin at all.
May we who settle in for a quarantine at home
Remember those who have no home.
As fear grips our country,
let us choose love.
During this time when we cannot physically wrap our arms around each other,
Let us yet find ways to be the loving embrace of God to our neighbors.
Amen.
- Cameron Bellm