Engaging and Supporting Families During The Pandemic
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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.
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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.
- Build-Your- Own Family Worship Service (Growing up Catholic Worship@Home Pastoral Center)
- Creating Sacred Space in Your Home (Diocese of Lansing)
- How to Hold a Prayer Service at Home (Archdiocese of Washington)
- 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: "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.'” And from Scripture regarding 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 live streaming 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 Missalettes Videos (MyCatholicKids.com)
- Holy Heroes Sunday Mass (Holy Heroes)
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)
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at Home with the Family (USACGS) CGSUSA Covid Response - with prayers for the family and parent resources; The Good Shepherd and the Child Podcast
- 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!
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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
- 10 Tips for Teaching Religion Lessons to Your Children (The Catechist's Journey, Loyola Press) - Share this with parents!
- 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)
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.
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.
- Live streaming the Mass (USCCB) - Practical tips on how to livestream the Mass.
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 (Es Aleteia)
- 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)
- Helping the Bereaved During a Pandemic (Loyola Press)
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Responses from 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: Give Us This Day; The Word Among Us (English); The Word Among Us (Spanish); The Magnificat (English); The Magnificat (Spanish); MagnifiKid!
- 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)
- Covid-19 Vaccine Equity (Catholic Cares) - Catholic Organizations promoting education of the Covid 19 Vaccination
Webinars
- 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)