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Easter Blessings
Pray...
“Mary’s greatness consists in the fact that she wants to magnify GOD, not herself.”
~Pope Benedict XVI
This past Sunday, April 25th, Pope Francis released a letter asking all Catholics to make a special effort to pray the Rosary every day during the month of May. May has traditionally been the month when Catholics honor Mary, and it seems more than ever we need to implore the help of our Blessed Mother.

On Friday, May 1, at 12:00 pm PDT, Archbishop José Gomez, Archbishop of Los Angeles and President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, will lead the nation in a prayer consecrating the United States to Mary, Mother of the Church, in response to the present pandemic and its continuing effects. “This will give the Church in the United States the occasion to pray for Our Lady’s continued protection of the vulnerable, healing of the unwell, and wisdom for those who work to cure this terrible virus,” said Archbishop Gomez in a letter to the U.S. bishops.

Archbishop Joseph Naumann would like to make a similar consecration, here in our Archdiocese, and so will be the celebrant of a Service of Consecration at the Cathedral of St. Peter this Friday, May 1, at 2 pm CDT. The service, which will be offered before the Blessed Sacrament solemnly exposed, will include the offering of the Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a Reflection given by Archbishop Naumann, and a Prayer of Consecration drawing upon prayers offered by Venerable Pope Pius XII, Pope St. John Paul II, and Pope Francis.

We hope you will join Archbishop Naumann this Friday at 2:00 pm via livestream in praying for an end to this pandemic.

Ways to honor Mary in your home...
A very simple way to honor Mary during the month of May is to give her a prominent spot on your prayer table/altar or in your prayer corner. It can be a statue, a picture or any image of her.
Don't have a family prayer table/altar/corner? Now is the perfect time to create one. Get ideas here
It doesn't have to be elaborate. It just needs to be a space that will draw you in and encourage you to spend time talking to God in prayer.

Another way to honor Mary in the month of May is a long-standing tradition of May Crowning - where you place a crown on a statue of Mary. While you would typically think of a May Crowning being done during school or Religious Education, there's no reason you can't do your own May Crowning this year...and every year after! It could be a spiritual crown or a physical crown and as simple or fancy of a ceremony as you want. There are TONS of resources out there to get you started:

We want to see your prayer spaces and May Crowning - send us your pictures.
Our kids and teens are dealing with increased risks of exposure to pornography and online predators during COVID-19. Lee McMahon and Sam & Beth Meier hope to help you help them. This event is FREE but does require a registration in order to get the Zoom link.
Join us for TONIGHT'S Digital Prayer Night, 7:00pm on both
Our Sunday Supplication
During these unprecedented times when Mass is unavailable to the public, we have been dispensed from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass. However we have not been dispensed from the obligation to keep Sunday, the Lord's Day, holy.
Our Sunday Supplication offers families a way to participate in the celebration of the word of God.
Free meals available for children ages 1-18 at locations all across KS.
The KS Department of Education’s Child Nutrition and Wellness team and school districts across the state are teaming up to keep Kansas children fed while schools are closed. If you or someone you know could use help with food, please click here. Type in your zip code and it will locate the food site closest to you. Menus and serving times vary by location.
Message about summer youth programs

The Archdiocese is closely monitoring the unfolding COVID-19 situation. At this time no decisions have been made about summer programs of Camp Tekakwitha, Totus Tuus or Prayer/Action.
We expect to have more information to share with you by May 1st.