Resources for Covid 19 and Stay at Home Orders

Engaging and Supporting Families During These Stay at Home orders

All of us at Strong Catholic Family Faith have always strived to support parish and school leaders in their efforts to build up the Domestic Church. Today more than ever it is necessary to reach beyond our parish and school walls. For that purpose we have gathered resources on this page that are specific to the coronavirus stay at home orders: how to encourage families to keep the Sabbath holy at home, Holy Week and Easter at home, taking to your children about the coronavirus, using digital resources, and more. Some of these resources can be found on their respective pages on this site: Mass/Sunday Worship/Lectionary Resources, Having Difficult Conversations, Easter and so on. For now we are also gathering specific resources for you under this page to assist you in making the transition to support families today.

Included below:

Keeping the Sabbath Holy at Home
Faith Formation at Home
Parent Support
Minister/Parish Support
Prayer during the Pandemic
Using Digital Media
Webinars
From our Catholic Publishers, Daily Prayer resources and more

Keeping the Sabbath Holy at home

With churches across our country closed due to the coronavirus, these resources are specifically designed to walk with families as they celebrate Sunday, Holy Week, and Easter at home.

Worship@Home (Growing Up Catholic from the Pastoral Center)
Worship Services created for families to use at home. These worship services include instructions, prayer, video, readings, everything you need to celebrate Sunday and the season at home.

Creating Sacred Space in Your Home (Diocese of Lansing)

How to Hold a Prayer Service at Home (Archdiocese of Washington)

How to Pray the TV Mass From Home (Diocese of Sioux Falls)

An Act of Spiritual Communion (Archdiocese of New York)

The Why and How of Making a Spiritual Communion (Our Sunday Visitor)
We may not be able to receive the Eucharist at this moment, but we are still united with the Body of Christ. This article gives great background on spiritual communion, and instructs families in how they might do this at home.

"It’s important to recall that, although our obligation to attend Mass might be dispensed, we are never dispensed from honoring the Third Commandment to 'keeping holy the Sabbath.' Sunday remains to be set apart as another opportunity to grow in communion with the Lord. When we are unable physically to attend Mass, we may consider the practice of 'spiritual communion' — an act to which the saints have given a consistent witness."
"St. Teresa of Avila (1515-1582) said: 'When you do not receive communion and you do not attend Mass, you can make a spiritual communion, which is a most beneficial practice; by it the love of God will be greatly impressed on you.'”
Other Forms of Communion: " Although we might long for fuller unity and communion with the Lord, we must be consoled by his own words: 'For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them' (Mt 18: 20)."

Guided Prayer for Children- Act of Spiritual Communion (Catholic Kids Media)

Praying at Home This Sunday (Diocese of Madison)

Keeping Sunday Holy When We Cannot Gather For Mass (Liturgy.Life)

Liturgy in the Time of Coronavirus (Liturgy.Life)
It's not just about livestreaming a mass, how do we engage people in the liturgy, in the Word? How do we create community?

Sunday Experience (Diocese of Kalamazoo)

CHILD-FOCUSED

Children Celebrate! Children's Liturgy of the Word (Pflaum)

Children's Missalette Videos (MyCatholicKids.com)

Holy Heroes Sunday Mass (Holy Heroes)

Unemployment/work

Unemployed Together during the Covid-19 Shutdown: Six Small Group Sessions (The Pastoral Center)
This is a FREE downloadable, reproducible product sold with a lifetime parish or school license.

Using Digital Media

Faith on Facebook Toolkit - USCCB
Keep your faith community connected with these resource tips.

Livestreaming the Mass - USCCB
Practical tips on how to livestream the Mass.

ResponseS from our Catholic Publishers, National Catholic Organizations, Etc.

Resources during the Corona Virus (Association of Catholic Publishers)
Many of our publishers have made prayer and formation resources free during this crisis.

Click HERE for prayer and formation resources from Ascension Press, Augustine Institute, LaSalle Company, Liturgical Press, Loyola Press, Magnificat, Renew International, Sophia Institute Press, Twenty Third Publications, The Pastoral Center, The Word Among Us, WorshipNOW, and the USCCB.

Click HERE for daily prayer resources:

Resources for Covid-19 Crisis in English and Spanish (V Encuentro)
A list of resources provided by partners and Catholic organizations that are meant to assist Hispanic/Latino pastoral ministers, parents, and all Catholics. Included are resources, prayers, webinars, lists of online masses and live streams.

Matters of Choice (Renew International Spirituality blog)
"The best thing we can do when we have any choice to make is to pray in Jesus’ name for help in making the most selfless and loving decision."

Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy during Covid-19 Pandemic
(USCCB)

Faith Formation at Home

Catalyst - Join Vibrant Faith's Catalyst community where leaders and members share their resources. (free)

On Catalyst you will find strategies, tools, and guidelines for moving Faith Formation online.
Moving Faith Formation Online

Learning at Home (Diocese of Madison) a short curated list of resources.

Saints Stories for Kids PODCAST (Shining Light Dolls)

Sending Faith Home, Free Faith@Home Resources and more (Pastoral Center)

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at Home with the Family (The Unites States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd)

Virtual Family of Believers: Family/intergenerational Faith Formation (Ss. John & Paul Parish, Altoona, IA in collaboration with St. Joseph Educational Center, West Des Moines, IA)

Parent SUpport

These resources specifically offer encouragement and support to parents. Let's lift them up in prayer and love!

Parent's Ultimate Guide to Zoom (Common Sense Media)

8 ways to handle staying at home: Life Under Lockdown - Coronavirus has canceled so much already, but it has not stopped love, trust, faith, or hope. (U.S. Catholic)

10 Family Activities for When You Can't Leave Your Home (For Every Mom)

Building Family Bonds during Covid 19 (USCCB For Your Marriage)

Coronavirus, Anxiety, Children and the Church (Building Faith)

Faithfully Navigating the Coronavirus with Your Kids - English (Pastoral Center)
Faithfully Navigating the Coronavirus with Your Kids - Spanish (Pastoral Center)

Resources for Families during the Coronavirus Pandemic (Common Sense Media)

The Church at Home: Celebrating the Liturgy of the Domestic Church (Patheos)

3 Ways to Reduce Stress and Build Connections During Distance Learning (Edutopia)

Return to School During Covid 19 (Healthy Children)

Helping the Bereaved During a Pandemic (Loyola Press)

Minister/Church Support

Office Hours, Webinars, and Free Resources (Vibrant Faith)

What we're Offering - Connecting during the Coronavirus
Join CATALYST for connection, webinars, and other free resources

How to Lead VBS - Even in a Year with COVID-19 (The Pastoral Center)

Livestreaming the Mass (USCCB)
Practical tips on livestreaming the Mass

10 Tips for Teaching Religion Lessons to Your Children (The Catechist's Journey, Loyola Press) Share this with parents!

A Faith Response to the Coronavirus (The Pastoral Center)

Engaging Parents when Engaging Parents is Hard (The Pastoral Center)

Resources for Prayer and Engagement during the Coronavirus (USCCB)
The severity of the situation has forced our leaders to make significant changes in our daily lives 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 their resources available to support prayer during these difficult days. Please use freely and share with others. A sense of community is of the upmost importance. We must encourage each other, take care of each other, pray for each other and stay connected to our faith during this time of social distancing.

Online Adoration and Mass
USCCB Statements and Resources
Practical and Spiritual Tips for church leaders, parents, and families

Spiritual First Aid: Resources for Responding to Covid-19 Mental Health Challenges (Christianity Today)

Prayer duRing the Corona Virus

Pope Francis' Urbi et Orbi Address on Coronavirus and Jesus Calming the Storm (America Magazine) Read full address here. Watch the video to the right,

Be Not Afraid by Catholic Artists from Home (YouTube)

Pope Francis' Prayer to Mary during the Pandemic (Catholic News Service)

Pope Francis' Prayer to Mary during the Pandemic in Spanish
Coronavirus, oración del papa Francisco a María (Aleteia en Espanol)

Covid-19 Prayer of Solidarity (USCCB)

A Coronavirus Prayer in English, Spanish, French, and Chinese - (America)

Prayer to Combat the Coronavirus (Ascension Press)

Archbishop Gomez' Call to Prayer during Coronavirus Pandemic (USCCB)

Prayer for a Pandemic (Krug the Thinker)

Helping the Bereaved During a Pandemic (Loyola Press)