Bless and Protect

Posted

Auxiliary Bishop Gerardo Colacicco, episcopal vicar for the Northern counties of the archdiocese, holds a monstrance containing the Blessed Sacrament outside the front door of St. Mary’s Church in Wappingers Falls March 19, the feast of St. Joseph. At right is Father Justin Cinnante, O. Carm., making the sign of the cross. Bishop Colacicco, who is a priest in residence at St. Mary’s, had requested pastors of Dutchess, Orange, Ulster and Sullivan counties also offer a simple Benediction with the Blessed Sacrament outside the front door of their churches at noon that day, invoking the blessing and protection of all their people against the spread of the coronavirus. “Let our intention be the same: to seek God’s mercy and forgiveness, to ask for Holy protection from the spread of the coronavirus and an end to this pandemic,” he said in an email to them. “How powerful a sign it will be if we all do this on the same day and at the same time. Even though our people cannot gather to be present, it is our hope that it will bring them comfort knowing that this was done by their priests.”