National Programme of Prayer for Protection
 
Dear Friends,
 
I want to invite you to join our Rosary on the Coast community in a great effort of prayer to the Lord to protect our world from the global threat of coronavirus.
 
In the few short months since we first heard of coronavirus as a far-off news item from China its has grown rapidly into a world pandemic which has stretched the health services of many countries and is destabilising the social and economic fabric of our society.
 
Our scientific experts and political leaders are doing all they can to contain, delay and mitigate the harm and are working to find a vaccine.  We are all grateful for their efforts and assure them of our support.
 
But there is now a growing sense that our world needs to turn to God, asking Him to spare us from this threat to our loved ones, our world, and our way of life.  Now is the time to raise our hearts and minds to God in a great Prayer for Protection. 
 
We pray that the spread of the virus is slowed and checked, that out elderly and vulnerable are kept healthy, that our leaders make wise decisions for our countries to be safe and stable, and that our scientists soon find an effective remedy.  We pray that our world, in turning to God for help, will remain with Him after the threat has passed.
 
We are approaching the Feast of Saint Joseph on the 19 ^th March and we are asking you to pray to Saint Joseph to intercede to the Lord and spare us from this threat.
 
God chose Saint Joseph to father His Son Jesus, to look after and protect Him from harm and to provide for all the needs of Jesus and Mary.  God told him just what to do to guide his family out of the dangers that beset them. Joseph was wise, prudent and obedient to the Lord and, in his sure protection, the Holy Family was kept safe.
So here is what we are asking you to do, and you will find all these resources online at Rosaryonthecoast.co.uk or on our Rosary on the Coast Facebook page. 
Firstly, please pray the Prayer for Protection every day and invoke Our Lady of Walsingham in England, Our Lady of Knock in Ireland, Our Lady of the Taper in Wales and Our Lady of Aberdeen, the Isles and Paisley in Scotland. It would be good to supplement this prayer with acts of repentance, fasting and almsgiving.
 
Secondly, please join us in a Rosary Day for God’s Protection across the British Isles on the Feast of Saint Joseph, Thursday 19 March.  On that day we want as many as possible to pray a Rosary so we can send a mighty prayer to heaven.  St. Louis Marie de Montfort said that: When people pray the Rosary together it is more formidable to the Devil than one said privately, because it is an army that is attacking. It is easy to break a single stick, but if you join it to others in a bundle, it cannot be broken.
Finally, please join us in a nine-day Novena for God’s Protection beginning on Friday 20 March.  We are recommending the EWTN Novena to Saint Joseph which we have linked on our website, but you can choose any Novena.
 
Jesus reminds us that, just as we as parents know how to give our children good things, so much more does our Father in Heaven know how to give good things to our world, so we should not be afraid to ask.
 
As we begin our great prayer campaign for God’s Divine Assistance against coronavirus let us say together for the first time our daily Prayer for God’s Protection.
Prayer for God’s Protection against Covid-19 virus
 
Lord, you promised: “If my people humble themselves, pray, seek me and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear and forgive their sins and restore them” … (2 Chronicles 7:14)
 
Most Holy Trinity, in Jesus, the Only Begotten Son, You revealed Yourself as the fount of life and unfathomable source of Divine Mercy, who listens to Your People. We the people of England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, and our Isles, ask you to heed us amid this global pandemic of the Coronavirus that we struggle to bear.
 
Father God we entrust ourselves into your Divine Mercy, through Our Lady, Mother of Mercy and Her Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart, through St. Michael and the Archangels, St. Joseph, and all our nations’ Saints and Martyrs.
 
Merciful Jesus, hold out Your Healing Hand to rescue and safeguard us from this disease, and turn our nations and our souls to You as our Saviour.  
 
We ask this for our sick, elderly and vulnerable, for families with young children, for our destitute and those suffering poor mental health.  
 
Our Nations have forgotten You and sinned against You. We confess our sins with the Prophet Daniel: “Lord, we have sinned against you, we have acted wickedly, betrayed your commandments and turned from them.  Integrity is yours; ours the look of shame because of the sins we carry.  Listen to us, open Your eyes and see our plight.  We do not rely on our own works but on Your mercy as we commend our humble plea to you.  Lord, listen, forgive and act! For your own sake do not delay, because we, Your people, bear your name.
 
God Our Father, all forgiving and gentle, we implore your mercy, intervention and healing.  Through JESUS CHRIST our Lord in the power of the Most Precious Blood. Amen.

Watch Bishop Johns video appeal here...

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