“This is not, surely, a time for indifference, selfishness, divisions, because the whole world is suffering and must unite itself in facing the pandemic.” (cfr. Pope Francis, Urbi et Orbi Easter message, April 12, 2020)

Religious believers and all people of good will are invited to observe a world day of prayer, fasting and works of charity on Thursday, May 14, to implore the divine to aid humanity in overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read Bishop Walkowiak's letter announcing the suspension of public Masses and all other liturgical and devotional services through May 28, 2020. Bishop Walkowiak also shares some of the guidance which will be in place when public worship is restored.

Dear Friends in Christ,

The Office of Catholic Schools invites families to take advantage of a new program to save money on cleaning materials, bathroom supplies, office and technology equipment, and more, from Office Depot and Xperience Inc. With the shift to learning at home, and in many cases working from home, we hope this program helps the household budget go further.

This guest post is from Mrs. Tara Lafferty, a teacher at Divine Providence Academy.

I teach 6th-8th grade at Divine Providence Academy. Most of my students live on farms, or on land with a lot of space. Their homes are also spread out from each other, dotting a radius of 30 miles or more.

Read Bishop Walkowiak's letter announcing that the Diocese of Grand Rapids has extended the cancellation of all public Masses and other liturgical and devotional services, effective immediately, through May 17, 2020.

Dear Friends in Christ,

The Kent County and City of Grand Rapids emergency management divisions have partnered with the Diocese of Grand Rapids, Mel Trotter Ministries, and the Salvation Army to establish a temporary and safe shelter for women experiencing homelessness and who are presumed negative for COVID-19. The facility, located at Catholic Central High School, will allow permanent shelters in the area to reduce their daily populations so individuals experiencing homelessness are better able to socially/physically distance.

This material is from the Catholic News Service article “During plague, Catholic Church called on saints for help, healing” by Carol Zimmerman and is used with permission.

The Catholic Church has had a long tradition of calling on saints and praying for their intercession in sickness and difficult times.

This plea for saintly help for protection from disease and healing was particularly evident when the bubonic plague, or Black Death, spread throughout Europe in the 14th century killing one-third of the population.

Catholic school families with students entering kindergarten, 6th grade, or 9th grade next year now have more time to enter a tuition giveaway. The deadline extension is because of COVID-19.

The Easter season has begun much differently this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Efforts to slow the spread of the virus mean public Masses and other liturgical and devotional services in the Diocese of Grand Rapids have been canceled through April 30.

Read Bishop Walkowiak's letter announcing that the Diocese of Grand Rapids has extended the cancellation of all public Masses and other liturgical and devotional services, effective immediately, through April 30, 2020.

Dear Friends in Christ,