Dear brothers and sisters of Our Lady of Victory Parish,
The priests of the diocese recently received a letter from our Bishop William Wack to clarify and update the directives for our churches and ministries in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some protocols are universal–i.e., mandates for our entire diocese–and many things which will be left up to individual pastors, given the particular circumstances of each of our many parishes.
More than anything, we all must remember that our purpose as a Church is to evangelize, as well as to teach, guide, and sanctify God’s people entrusted to us and to remind ourselves we are called to charity in all things. With that in mind, the following is how we are going to proceed at Our Lady of Victory:
It was a year ago that we reopened for Mass with a Congregation. We continued the mission to evangelize. Our parish grew through the sacraments conferred. We launched a new format for Religious Education. Faith enrichment persisted. And we said goodbye to loved ones who had died during this pandemic. Our collective cooperation by bespeaks the words of Christ: No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. John 15:13 Thank you for the sacrifices you have made thus far. May all of you have season of miracles as we press forward.
God Bless…
Rev. Roy C. Marien, Pastor
We could not sustain this ministry without the generosity of our parish faithful. Your spiritual, ministerial, and financial commitment to the mission of Christ in our parish community and our Diocese has made a profound difference. Our online giving portal is available for use during the Coronavirus pandemic. Thank you for being there for the benefit of many...
When unable to attend Mass, we encourage you to make make an act of “spiritual communion,” especially on Sundays. Saint Thomas Aquinas defined spiritual communion as “an ardent desire to receive Jesus in the Holy Sacrament and a loving embrace as though we had already received Him.” You can use the following prayer from Saint Alphonsus Liguori to make a 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 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."
Due to the spread of COVID-19, many people have had to make significant changes in their daily routines, including suspending publicly celebrated Masses. Recognizing these changes likely leave us even more in need of God’s grace, The USCCB and other Catholic partners have generously made resources available to support prayer during these difficult days.
We invite you to visit these pages and share the resources provided to pray for each other and stay connected to our faith during this time of social distancing.
https://catholiccurrent.org/covid19/
http://www.usccb.org/about/communications/usccb-president-reflection-and-prayer-during-coronavirus.cfm