Good and gracious God,
We thank you for all we are, and all we have.
How bountiful is your kindness.
Everything is a gift from your infinite generosity,
and we celebrate your enduring mercy.
As we explore our responsibility to be good stewards,
give us the grace to generously support the Annual Catholic Appeal
so that we may faithfully do the work of Your Church.
Fill us with the compassion of Jesus, your Son.
Give us eyes to see the needs of those around us,
in the faces of our neighbors near and far.
Give us hearts that are moved by the pleas of those who cry out.
On behalf of the children, the refugees, the sick, and the suffering,
give us hands that are eager to share what has been entrusted to us.
For the homeless and the lonely, the hungry and the weary,
give us feet to venture wherever the Spirit leads.
For the mission to bring your good news to all,
strengthen our faith and our zeal to be disciples of your
Precious Son, Jesus Christ, to the world.
As we resolve to be mindful of the needs of others, we pray that You
instill in us Your generosity, Your kindness, and Your mercy.
Free us from all attachments to the things of this world
and keep us focused in our mission of good stewardship.
In Jesus’ name we pray.
Amen

The Diocese of Tucson Protocols, under the direction of Bishop Edward Weisenburger,

is following LEVEL 3 protocols as of March 16, 2020 at 4:00 PM.

U P D A T E D

• No public Masses after today (3/16/2020)

• The Sunday Mass obligation is dispensed for all Catholic people residing in or visiting the territory of the Diocese of Tucson.  Catholics are urged to observe Sunday in accord with our teachings, which may include spending additional time on Sunday in prayer, observing a Catholic Mass via television or internet, or other pious practices.

• Confirmations scheduled during this time period are suspended and will be rescheduled

• There are to be no public Church events or gatherings, such as parish religious education programs, Stations of the Cross, Communion services, Quinceaneras, parish missions, dinners, etc.

• Mass of the Holy Oils, “Chrism Mass,” will be celebrated privately with Holy Oils to be distributed privately to priests

• Weddings should be restricted to 10 persons, and if Mass is celebrated only the bride and groom, if Catholic, are to receive Holy Communion

• Funeral Masses should be restricted to 10 persons, and the congregation should not receive Holy Communion

Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are OBLIGATORY days of fasting and abstinence for Catholics. In addition Fridays during Lent are obligatory days of abstinence – no meat.
The norms on fasting are obligatory for Catholics from age 18 until age 59. When fasting, a person is permitted to eat one full meal, as well as two smaller meals that together are not equal to a full meal. The norms concerning abstinence from meat are binding upon Catholics from age 14 onwards. If possible, the fast on Good Friday is continued until the Easter Vigil (on Holy Saturday night) as the “paschal fast”.

From – United States Conference of Catholic Bishops