AURORA—Parishioners at St. Joseph in Aurora recently answered the question “What are you doing spiritually while in self quarantine?” Several responses were printed in the March 29 parish bulletin. 

 

They shared websites, books, media, and apps offering guidance to uplift one’s faith during this shelter-in-place period.  

 

Father Matthew McMorrow,  pastor, kicked off the suggestions, writing, “Offering Mass on my own in the church is both heartbreaking and exquisite. 

 

“I am sorry that everyone can’t be there and can’t receive our Lord in the Eucharist, especially in this time of great need,” he added.  

 

He said he missed shaking hands and giving hugs, too, but said “my job now is to pray for the people entrusted to me.”

 

One way he’s doing that is offering Mass through the parish Facebook page, as are other priests in the Rockford Diocese.

 

He has also added the Angelus three times a day to pray for an end to the pandemic. 

 

His reading includes “The Prayer Primer” by Father Thomas Dubay.

 

Val Bohr said, “I pray the Rosary daily at 6:30 a.m. with EWTN followed by the Mass and throughout the day I am praying like crazy.”  

 

Betty Chandler  said “while writing the bulletin, I have looked at hundreds of websites and one of my favorites is franciscanmedia.org. It is a great resource for info on saints, prayers, meditations, and all sorts of info about 

our faith.”

 

“I begin each day with my Breviary (Christian Prayer),” said Deacon Bruce Watermann, SFA. “This is also done five more times during the day.  

 

“Spiritual reading is a great way to center myself with Christ,” he said. “I just finished reading the biography of Blessed Miguel Pro from Mexico.” 

 

He also said he does “any homework that Father Matthew gives me!”  

 

His wife, Jody, said “each morning Deacon Bruce and I study the saints of the day.”