Phone: 216-696-6525

Toll Free: 1-800-869-6525

Address: 1404 East 9th Street, Cleveland, OH 44114

Why Catholic? Meet Bishop Edward C. Malesic
News

  Share this Page

Back to news list

Bishop Malesic invites faithful to join Pope Francis in praying for an end to the pandemic

News of the Diocese

April 28, 2021

Text of Pope Francis’ Prayer for Protection during the Coronavirus Pandemic

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, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, 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.

Acknowledging that the coronavirus pandemic has impacted all aspects of life since early 2020, Bishop Edward Malesic is inviting the faithful to join Pope Francis during May to pray for an end to the health crisis.

“We want this to end soon,” the bishop said. In a just-released special video, he shares a prayer the faithful can recite asking Mary to intercede, pray for us “and take us to her son to make us whole again.”

He notes that the Holy Father called for a monthlong global prayer marathon throughout May seeking an end to the pandemic.

The pope’s prayer initiative also involves 30 Marian shrines around the world. The Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization announced the news on April 28. It takes place under the theme “The whole Church was fervently praying to God,” which recalls a verse in the Book of Acts (12:5).

The theme refers to the miraculous event recounted in the Acts of the Apostles (12:1-12) when all the church prayed for Peter, who was imprisoned until God sent an angel to free him, illustrating how the Christian community comes together to pray in the face of danger and how the Lord listens and performs an unexpected miracle.

“The initiative will involve all the shrines of the world in a special way, so that they might encourage the faithful, families, and communities to recite the Rosary to pray for an end to the pandemic,” according to a statement from the pontifical council.

The pope will open the Marian month of prayer on May 1 with a rosary broadcast across Vatican Media’s platforms. Each day, Vatican News will broadcast the recitation of the rosary at 6 p.m. Rome time – noon Eastern Daylight Time – from the various shines taking part in the initiative.

There is a different prayer intention related to the pandemic each day during the month. On May 17, the intention is "for all world leaders and for all heads of international organizations." That prayer will be celebrated at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.
The following day, at the Basilica of Our Lady of Lourdes in France, prayers will be for all doctors and nurses. The May 23 prayer intention at the Quebec shrine, Notre Dame du Cap, is for law enforcement, military personnel and firefighters.
Click here for the list of shrines and prayer intentions.

The pope will close the initiative on May 31 with another specially broadcast rosary.

A similar prayer initiative took place during the early days of the pandemic in 2020 when the pope led the world in prayer, celebrating a livestreamed, daily Mass in the Casa Santa Marta.

Subscribe! Sign up to receive news & updates.

Share This

Close

Photo Gallery

1 of 22