Dear St. Pius X Community,
March 12, the State of Maryland announced a series of steps and closures that they are ordering for the health and safety of our community in response to COVID-19. We recognize that these are extraordinary times that require exceptional measures to deal with a health risk that affects us all. There is no need to panic and we ask for all members of the St. Pius X community to remain calm.
In his announcement, Governor Hogan ordered that no public gatherings in excess of 250 people may be held until further notice. As a result of this order, Archbishop Gregory has indicated that all public Masses are cancelled until further notice. Archbishop Gregory has also issued a dispensation from the obligation to attend Mass during this time to all parishioners of the Archdiocese of Washington.
For the Archbishop’s statement as well as information on how to watch Mass on your TV or online, please see https://adw.org/coronavirus/.
The health and safety of our members, guests and staff remains our primary concern. Out of an abundance of precaution, today we are announcing that in addition to no public Masses, we are closing our SPX church facilities to all other activities until further notice, including the Stations of the Cross scheduled for this evening. Groups meeting in homes also should not gather in-person during this period. We do not take this decision lightly, as our faith should play a vital role in how we respond to this crisis. However, we believe that the safety of our community dictates that we take all measures possible to prevent unnecessary risk of transmission, particularly to the most vulnerable members of our community.
In the coming days, please keep an eye out for further communications. We are currently pursuing ways to allow groups to meet virtually as well as providing resources for you to use at home to continue to grow in faith and trust during this time.
Today’s pandemic is uncharted territory for us. It can seem scary and there is much uncertainty regarding how long these restrictions will be in place and indeed what is still to come. But as people of faith, we know that God is with us, He is for us, and He has a plan. And regardless of our inability to physically be together as a community, we know that we have each other and that we have to take care of each other now.
During this time please pray for all those affected by COVID-19, for our healthcare workers’ safety as they care for the sick, and for God’s intervention to end this pandemic. As a sign of our unity even when not able to be physically together, we invite all members of our community to pray the following prayer, written by Kerry Weber, each day:
Jesus Christ, you traveled through towns and villages
“curing every disease and illness.
At your command, the sick were made well.
Come to our aid now,
in the midst of the global spread of the coronavirus,
that we may experience your healing love.
Heal those who are sick with the virus.
May they regain their strength and health
through quality medical care.
Heal us from our fear,
which prevents nations from working together
and neighbors from helping one another.
Heal us from our pride,
which can make us claim invulnerability
to a disease that knows no borders.
Jesus Christ, healer of all,
stay by our side in this time of uncertainty and sorrow.
Be with those who have died from the virus.
May they be at rest with you in your eternal peace.
Be with the families of those who are sick or have died.
As they worry and grieve, defend them from illness and despair.
May they know your peace.
Amen.
You can download a hardcopy of this prayer below as well.
We realize this is a significant disruption to our carrying out the mission of the Church. We hope these changes are for a very limited period of time. We will emerge from this stronger than ever, ready to make disciples who joyfully live out the mission of Jesus Christ in Bowie, MD.
Sincerely,
Fr. Mike Jones
