Online Sunday masses to offer prayers to health workers

MANILA, Philippines — The Catholic Church will offer today a special day of prayers for all frontline health workers battling against the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines. 

Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president and Davao Bishop Romulo Valles said that the bishops and priests will offer prayers for medical frontliners during online masses, rosaries and holy hour. 

Valles also said that health workers will also be included in the personal prayers of various Catholic churches in the Philippines. 

He said that the Catholic Church will particularly pray for the heroic services of medical workers; for their continued safety and well-being and for the grieving families and loved ones of health workers who succumbed to COVID-19. 

Valles also asked the faithful to pray for the good health of those medical workers who have become sick and are suffering from fatigue, as well as to pray that they may receive the material support and assistance to fulfill their task against the virus.  

“This may be articulated in our introduction to the masses, homilies, prayers of the faithful and intentions in our rosaries and holy hour. Of course, we continue praying our Oratio Imperata,” Valles said. 

Aside from offering prayers, Valles also asked bishops and priests if they could open their doors to health workers who have nowhere to stay after they were reportedly kicked out from their boarding houses and apartments due to discrimination.

While Valles asked priests to offer prayers for health workers, CBCP media office director Msgr. Pedro Quitorio said the faithful can now send their mass intentions online through the CBCP’s news website at cbcpnews.net/cbcpnews/mass-intentions/.

The faithful are also given an option to send donations to the Catholic Church through an online portal posted below the three options for their mass intentions.