Catholic Guide to the Coronavirus Pandemic with Prayers and Devotional Items

As the world grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic, people of faith are turning to prayer. We’re still shipping orders daily while taking great care to ensure the safety of our team, and our customers.

As Pope St. John Paul II famously said: BE NOT AFRAID. Let your faith guide you, and have peace knowing that this earth is passing and our true life begins in Heaven. We join you in asking God to ease the suffering brought on by the coronavirus and help our struggling world.

In our Catholic Guide to the Coronavirus Pandemic, we’ll be sharing some of our favorite devotions, patron saints, prayers, links, and news related to the unfolding global health situation. Our mission in doing so is to help you and your loved ones persevere and trust in God’s will.

We’ve also gathered some of our favorite devotional items here that apply to the Coronavirus. While these items are not necessarily meant to stave off sicknesses or protect against maladies, we present them here as reminders to pray for the intercession of the saints that they depict, or to have faith in the promises attributed to certain devotions. See the Coronavirus Protection category in our online store.

SAINTS AND PRAYERS

St. Edmund the Martyr

St. Edmund the Martyr, also known as Saint Edmund or Edmund of East Anglia, was the king of East Anglia from about 855 until his death in 869.

He is known as the patron saint of protection against pandemics, the plague, and sickness. People around the world are now calling on St. Edmund’s intercession against the coronavirus pandemic.

Like St. Roch, St. Edmund became associated with pandemics after his death, when his intercession was believed to have saved people from the plague.

Join us in reciting the prayer below, and see our St. Edmund Patron Saint Against Pandemics Holy Card.

Prayer of St Edmund the Martyr

Into Thy hands, O Lord, and into the hands of Thy holy Angels, I commit and entrust this day my soul, my relations, my benefactors, my friends and enemies, and all Thy Catholic people.

Keep us, O Lord, through the day, by the merits and intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and all Thy Saints, from all vicious and unruly desires, from all sins and temptations of the devil, and from sudden and unprovided death and the pains of hell.

Illuminate my heart with the grace of Thy Holy Spirit; grant that I may ever be obedient to Thy commandments; suffer me not to be separated from Thee, O God, who livest and reignest with God the Father and the same Holy Spirit for ever and ever. Amen.

St. Corona the Martyr

Saint Corona, who lived in 2nd century Syria, was only 15 when she professed her Christian Faith and was martyred under the rule of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius.

Corona was reportedly tied by her feet to the tops of two palm trees, which were then bent to the ground and released, killing her instantly.

Saint Corona has reportedly been venerated as a patron saint against epidemics and pandemics in Austria and Bavaria, and she is known in the Church as the patron saint of difficulties, superstitions, and treasure hunters.

Corona’s feast day is May 14. Her remains are housed in a church in northern Italy, the same part of Europe that became an epicenter of the Coronavirus outbreak. We invite you to join us in prayer for Corona’s intercession.

The following prayer, said by Pope Francis as he prayed in Italy, is featured on the back of our St. Corona Prayer Card:

Pope Francis’ Coronavirus Prayer

O Mary, you shine continuously on our journey as a sign of salvation and hope. We entrust ourselves to you, Health of the Sick. At the foot of the Cross you participated in Jesus’ pain, with steadfast faith.

You, Salvation of the Roman People, know what we need. We are certain that you will provide, so that, as you did at Cana of Galilee, joy and feasting might return after this moment of trial.

Help us, Mother of Divine Love, to conform ourselves to the Father’s will and to do what Jesus tells us: He who took our sufferings upon Himself, and bore our sorrows to bring us, through the Cross, to the joy of the Resurrection. Amen.

We seek refuge under your protection, O Holy Mother of God. Do not despise our pleas – we who are put to the test – and deliver us from every danger, O glorious and blessed Virgin.

St. Roch

According to Catholic tradition, St. Roch was miraculously born with a red cross on his breast. He grew up to be a man of great faith. After his parents died, Saint Roch gave away his inheritence to the poor.

In the year 1315, he miraculously cured plague victims in Italy with the sign of the cross, but his ministry led to him contracting the disease himself. He later recovered but spent the remainder of his life in prison after being mistaken for a spy.

After St. Roch died in prison, an angel appeared in his cell and said that those who invoked Roch’s intercession would be cured. Today, St. Roch is called upon to intercede against illness, including the coronavirus pandemic.

The following prayer to St. Roch is featured on the back of our St. Roch Holy Card:

Prayer to St. Roch

O Blessed Saint Roch, Patron of the Sick, have pity on those who lie upon a bed of suffering.

Your power was so great when you were in this world, that by the sign of the Cross, many were healed of their diseases.

Now that you are in heaven, your power is not less.

Offer, then, to God our sighs and tears and obtain for us that health we seek.

hrough Christ our Lord. Amen.

Repeat the following 3 times: Saint Roch, pray for us, that we may be preserved from all diseases of body and soul.

*See an old Spanish manuscript depicting St. Roch, Patron Saint of Illnesses

Catholic Headlines about Coronavirus

Pandemic stimulus bill excludes Catholic school students, their families

Pope Francis authorizes plenary indulgences as crisis escalates

Coronavirus revives the old, ushers in the new in Catholic practice

See more headlines at our Catholic news site CatholicDaily.com

CatholicShop orders unaffected by COVID-19

With the world going through such a difficult time, we wanted to send you a special update from all of us at CatholicShop.com.

We’ve been praying for everyone around the world whose lives have been affected by COVID-19. Please join us in prayer.

For many, efforts to control the pandemic have distrupted normal daily routines as well as planned events. And, of course, we are especially remembering those who have fallen ill in our prayers.

In this time of Lent, many people are shopping for devotional items, books, and gifts for First Communions, Confirmations, Easter and Lent.

You’ll be happy to know that CatholicShop.com is shipping orders out daily, and all of our shipments come from within the USA. It’s business as usual here, and our staff is ready to assist you through our friendly customer support options.

If you’re interested in any of our products, we invite you to shop now and get Free Shipping for orders over $40.

Catholic News App

Install the CatholicDaily App on your Apple or Android mobile device and enrich your faith with a daily dose of Catholic news, prayers, Mass readings, and more! It’s full of unique features, religious art, and it’s free for a limited time.

Plus, our Catholic news app will help you stay up to date on the latest Coronavirus headlines, Mass readings, and more.

Features

Latest Headlines from top Catholic news agencies
The entire Holy Bible in multiple versions
Latest articles from top Catholic bloggers
Daily Mass readings from the USCCB
Catholic videos and films from top channels
Movie reviews from a Catholic viewpoint
Free Catholic eBooks by saints and authors
Interactive forum for Catholic discussion
Virtual Prayer Cards with religious artwork
Favorite Catholic quotes and prayers
Online shopping, coupons for CatholicShop.com
And that’s just the beginning!

Learn more about the Catholic Daily App.

DEVOTIONAL MUST-HAVES FOR DIFFICULT TIMES

Our Lady Undoer of Knots Bracelet Gift Set

Knots are the struggles in our daily lives that separate us from God. Wear this as a reminder that we should try our best to live our lives like Mary. The bracelet features a charm with an image of Our Lady of Medjugorje on one side and Divine Mercy on the other. It’s available in black, brown, and navy blue.

Each bracelet comes in a free Apostle Gear jewelry box and includes a free Mary, Undoer of Knots Holy Card with the prayer on the back. The bracelet is made by hand in Medjugorje, where the Virgin Mary is said to have been appearing since 1981.

*Learn more about the Mary, Undoer of Knots devotion at our blog.

SHOP NOW

BREAKING NEWS

Pope gives Urbi et Orbi blessing amid Coronavirus pandemic

On March 27, 2020, Pope Francis’ Urbi et Orbi blessing amid the Coronavirus pandemic was made all the more striking as Pope Francis walked alone through the empty square of St. Peter’s.

In his prayer, he said, “You are calling on us to seize this time of trial as a time of choosing. It is not the time of your judgement, but of our judgement: a time to choose what matters and what passes away, a time to separate what is necessary from what is not. It is a time to get our lives back on track with regard to you, Lord, and to others…”

Among other touching statements by Pope Francis was his allusion to the story of Jesus and the disciples in a boat during a storm. “We have realized that we are in the same boat, all of us fragile and disoriented, but at the same time important and needed, all of us called to row together, each of us in need of comforting the other.”

Read the latest Catholic news site CatholicDaily.com

Miraculous Medals

The Miraculous Medal is the most popular religious medal in the world, and for good reason: it comes from Heaven.

Why everyone should wear one: The Miraculous Medal originated in the year 1830 after St. Catherine Labouré experienced an apparition of the Virgin Mary at a convent in Paris, France. “God wishes to charge you with a mission,” Our Lady said to Catherine.

Catherine reported that Mary came framed in an oval and standing upon a globe. Rays of light shone from her hands. Around the edge of the oval, these words appeared: O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.

Our Lady asked Catherine to have the image made into medallions and distributed, saying “All who wear them will receive great graces.” Learn more in this article by the founder of Catholic Shop: 20 Things I Didn’t Know About The Miraculous Medal.

Here at Catholic Shop, you can choose from thousands of Miraculous Medals, including 14K Gold, Sterling Silver and more.