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:
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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.
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/workUnemployed 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 MediaFaith 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)
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
Minister/Church Support
Office Hours, Webinars, and Free Resources (Vibrant Faith)
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.
Spiritual First Aid: Resources for Responding to Covid-19 Mental Health Challenges (Christianity Today) |
Prayer duRing the Corona Virus
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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) |
Webinars
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Being Church during the Covid-19 Crisis (NFCYM)
A webinar for clergy Kids Liturgy Webinar (St. Mary's Press) Video walk-through of a Kid's Liturgy session Ministry Amidst a Crisis: COVID-19 and Ministering to and with the Young Church and Their Families (NFCYM) This NFCYM all access webinar will present the current state of the COVID-19 crisis as its being realized within our ministry field and will highlight some of the key issues, best practices, policies and strategies that we are hearing from colleagues at the parish, diocesan and national levels. Moving Faith Formation Online (Vibrant Faith and John Roberto) |