Bishop Alan joins Europe-wide prayer for Covid victims

Bishop Alan joined bishops celebrating a chain of Masses across Europe during Lent to pray for the victims of the Covid pandemic.

The bishops of England and Wales united to pray on Tuesday March 2. In East Anglia, Bishop Alan celebrated the 10am live stream mass from St John the Baptist Cathedral. You can connect via this link.

“Today we offer this Mass for all those who have died from the Covid pandemic,” said Bishop Alan. “We also pray for those who grieve the loss of loved ones. We pray for an end to the pandemic.

“And we pray for our doctors and nurses and carers, who work in hospitals, hospices and care homes, and all our priests who work among them.”

The continent has suffered over 770,000 deaths from the virus.

The initiative, promoted by the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences (CCEE), aims to offer a sign of communion and hope for the entire continent.

Each nation, or nations in our case, is coming together to celebrate Mass on a designated day to be part of this continental prayer network and to create a Eucharistic chain.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Vice President of the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences, will celebrate a special live-streamed Mass on Tuesday March 2, at 17:30 in Westminster Cathedral.

Bishops across England and Wales are also celebrating Masses in their own dioceses.

Since the start of the pandemic, bishops from across Europe have added their voices to that of Pope Francis to reiterate the Church’s closeness to all those struggling with coronavirus – the victims and their families, the sick, health and social care workers, the volunteers and all those on the front line at this challenging time.

“Together, we have assessed the opportunity, or rather the need to remember in the Holy Mass in a particular way during this season of Lent, the victims – the numerous victims – of the pandemic,” said CCEE President Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco in his message to launch the initiative.

“Each European Bishops’ Conference has engaged in the organisation of at least one Mass. It will be like creating a prayer chain, a Eucharistic chain in memory and in suffrage of so many people. In this prayer we also want to remember the bereaved families and all those who are still suffering from the virus and whose lives remain in uncertainty.

“We, the Bishops of Europe, are all united alongside our Christian communities and our priests. We are grateful to all those who continue to devote themselves to those most in need. We support them with our words, and above all, with our prayers so that their commitment and their hope that we must all have, maintain and increase can help us to look forward together to a better future.”

Pictured above is Bishop Alan Hopes

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