A few things I’ve seen regarding the coronavirus that I thought would be helpful to you all, in case you haven’t seen them already:
— Self-described “Catholic speaker, blogger, and hobo for Christ,” Meg Hunter-Kilmer (sister of Rosie!), posted on Instagram the great idea to say the Memorare while washing your hands — it takes about twenty seconds to say, which is the recommended amount of time to wash your hands for, and you can offer it for those affected by the coronavirus while doing it. Here’s the Memorare:
Remember, O Most Gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of Virgins, my mother. To thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.
— In the same vein, the Diocese of Dallas put together printable pdfs for saying the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be in both English and Spanish while washing your hands, as well as one for saying the Apostle’s Creed (English only), and a Vietnamese version as well (though I don’t know which prayers are used).
— Meg included in her post the note that “St. Rosalia was an amazing Sicilian Saint in the Middle Ages whose intercession has been known to stop plagues in their tracks.” St. Rosalia, pray for us!
— I saw somewhere else (I don’t remember where!) that St. Rocco (also known as St. Roch) is also a patron against epidemics. St. Rocco, pray for us!
— The quarantines and recommendations are affecting quite a lot of St. Patrick’s Day festivities around the world — St. Patrick, pray for us!
— Finally, Corona is actually an entry in my book of Marian names, for this reason:
“Corona means ‘crown’ in Latin, and refers to the Crowning of Our Lady, also known as the Coronation (Fifth Glorious Mystery of the Rosary).”
(I also included a warning that “As lovely and meaningful as this name is, it’s good to be aware of the fact that there’s a brand of Mexican beer called Corona, which is well known in the U.S.”; I will definitely have to include a mention of the coronavirus in any future editions!)
In fact, the family of coronaviruses was so named because of “the crown-like spikes on their surface.” In light of this, I thought it would be a good idea to pray for intercession especially from Our Lady, Crowned (she has many titles referring to this, including Queen of Peace, Queen of the Angels, Queen of the World, and Queen of Heaven) for all those affected by the coronavirus, and for the repose of the souls of those who have died from it.
I hope you and your loved ones are all safe and well! God is always with us! ❤ ❤ ❤
Sancta Nomina 