By Garrison Keillor (author of Lake Wobegon Days) After a week in Corona Prison with my loved ones, I must say — if I were to croak tomorrow, I’d look back on the week as a beautiful blessing. Feeling closer than ever to friends, the complete loss of a sense of time, the intense gratitude…
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A pregnant pause: Mary and the Annunciation
by Vanessa R. Corcoran in 'America', The Jesuit Review,' 30 November 2018 One of the most memorable passages from the Gospel of Luke is Mary’s fiat: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord: be it done to me according to thy word” (Lk 1:38). Her assent to God’s will represented her unflagging devotion and became a model…
Two popes and a plague, just like the 14th century
by Phyllis Zagano in The National Catholic Reporter (USA), 24 March 2020 It's a new-old world: two popes and a plague, just like the 14th century. As most of the church sits in isolation, hoping and praying for an "all clear" message and the chance to resume life as it was, new ways of being church…
Isolation is hard but it can make us stronger
By Libby Purves in THE TIMES, 23 March 2020 We all have doubts and fears about home confinement in the long, dull, anxious months ahead. What will it do to us? A distinguished colleague writes online: “It will be a very long time in quarantine before I do a goddamn jigsaw.” To be fair, he…
Coronavirus: Patrick Kidd’s reasons to be cheerful, Parts 1-13
By Patrick Kidd in THE TIMES, 21 March 2020 Winnie the Pooh could be relied on to offer comforting words to Piglet For those who are neither suffering from coronavirus nor treating it, merely inconvenienced or afraid, the best approach might be to act more like Winnie. Not Churchill but Pooh. The bear of…
A message from CAFOD Director, Christine Allen
I’m sure that like me, you must be worried about the situation with COVID-19 at the moment. CAFOD is very much part of the Catholic family and as with any family, when one of us is unsettled or anxious it affects us all. We pray for all those affected by the virus both here…
God’s love in the time of Covid-19
By Christopher Lamb in THE TABLET, 20 March 2020 Pope Francis says confessions can take place without seeing a priest while the Vatican has issued new guidelines on forgiveness of sins during the coronavirus pandemic. At his early morning Mass, the Pope urged people to “return to the father” and ask forgiveness of their sins…
Church goes on through prayer and charity, says Cardinal
By Liz Dodd in THE TABLET, 18 March 2020 The life of the Church goes on despite the suspension of public Masses, Cardinal Vincent Nichols said on the day that the Church took the unprecedented decision to stop all public liturgies to halt the spread of the coronavirus. Speaking to The Tablet after the Bishops’…
Masses suspended in Catholic churches across Britain
From THE TABLET, 18 March 2020 The Catholic Church in England and Wales will suspend public Masses and other liturgies from this Friday, 20 March. The decision, which was made in consultation with the bishops of all the dioceses and archdioceses of England and Wales, was announced today. “In response to the Coronavirus pandemic, so…
Prayers in a time of ‘flu and illness
Prayers during a time of ‘flu and illness When Jesus entered Peter’s house, he saw his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever. He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and began to serve him. That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out…
