Archbishop Pérez, has suspended the celebration of all public Masses in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. During this period, Father McLaughlin will celebrate private Masses (without anyone in attendance) to honor all requested Mass intentions.

The 7:30 to 8:30 P.M. Friday Evening Holy Hour, which during Lent includes Stations of the Cross, is canceled.

All scheduled baptisms, marriages, funerals, etc. will be celebrated as scheduled, but with due regard for the limitation of participants and reasonable social distancing.

All visits to the sick with Holy Communion by priests, deacons, and extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion are suspended. Only Father McLaughlin will be available to minister the Sacraments to those in immediate danger of death.

In the Church's view, the family is the domestic Church, so Father McLaughlin has suggested that during this crisis when attendance at Sunday Mass is not an option, the head of the family leads the entire family in prayer each Sunday.

A resource has been developed to provide a ritual by which families, "the domestic church," can keep the Lord's day holy by joining together to celebrate part of the Church's liturgy at home. Ideally, the head of the family will lead the service; other members of the family should take on roles as readers. This ritual for home is for Sunday, March 29\*(th, the Fifth Sunday of Lent; it includes the Readings used at Mass and thus unites the family with the Masses that are being celebrated throughout the world. It could also be used in following the Liturgy of the Word in a televised or live stream Mass.

Father McLaughlin will continue to hear confessions in Chapel from 4:00 to 4:45 P.M. and 7:00 to 7:30 P.M. on Saturdays.

The Parish Penitential Service scheduled for Monday, April 6^th, has been cancelled.

The Atrium has a supply of Newsletters. Communications can be left in the Atrium mailboxes. Collection envelopes can be placed in Father McLaughlin's mailbox. Holy water and the individual bottles which have been provided by a parishioner, are available in the Atrium.

All schools in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania have been closed. Students willl complete learning assignments and sacramental preparation from home.

Click here to access assignments.

Together with all other schools in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the St. Vincent de Paul Pre-School is closed.

The following web sites are suggested as a source of activities the children can do at home, building on what they have learned so far.

• abcmouse.com/ — you may sign-up for this site, or try it free for one month.

• education.com/worksheets/ — you will be able to choose grade levels (from Pre-K and up), as well as different subjects.

Our Lenten Mission, scheduled for Sunday, Monday and Tuesday March 29^th, 30^th, and 31^st has been postponed. Bill Monaghan's presentation would have taken us on a "Journey from Lent to Easter thru Psalms and Sacred Songs." The Mission will be rescheduled, possibly for next year, so that we will have the opportunity to enjoy this interactive experience with some group singing and trivia questions, as well as time for listening and reflection.

Our CRS Helping Hands volunteer event scheduled for Sunday, March 29^th, has been canceled in the light of the coronavirus threat. The next Helping Hands event will be in the fall.

Click here for more information about Helping Hands.

The Ethnic Dinner scheduled for Sunday, April 26^th, has been canceled in the light of the coronavirus threat. It will not be rescheduled.

Click here for more information on People to People Sunday.

The Meals for the Homeless program will continue. Frozen casseroles are collected monthly to be used by St. John's Hospice ministry to the homeless in central Philadelphia. The next collection is Sunday and Monday, April 19^th and 20^th. They are dropped off at 20 Worthington Mill Road

The staff at St. John's Hospice have told us they are preparing trays for take-out.

Click here for more information on Meals for Homeless.