News - April 2020 RSS Feed

As of March 20, the bishops of all seven Florida dioceses made the difficult decision to suspend publicly attended Masses for the health and safety of priests and parishioners and to help stop the spread of COVID-19. Since then, a stay-at-home order issued by Governor Ron DeSantis went into effect for the entire state of Florida.

Pope Francis has called for parishes to be "islands of mercy in the midst of a sea of indifference." In response to this call, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops recently launched Walking With Moms in Need: A Year of Service. This nationwide effort envisions that parish communities increase outreach to pregnant and parenting moms in need. 

For decades, Florida has played a leading role in creating policies to empower parents in determining the best schools or programs to serve their children. The state offers a robust lineup of scholarships for students from low-income families or with special education needs. These options offer parents a lifeline of hope and opportunity for their schoolchildren despite facing income or job loss due to the current crisis.

As the COVID-19 pandemic ramps up, the State of Florida has been providing Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami with meals ready to eat (MREs), in order to augment food distribution programs already in place. The state's Emergency Management Operations Center has released MREs normally allocated for natural disasters to be given to families in need at the behest of the emergency management specialist of the Florida Catholic Conference.

The present COVID-19 pandemic has significantly unsettled people's lives. Many families are isolated at home in order to promote public health. Schools have closed their doors, leaving teachers, parents, and students struggling to adjust to distance learning.

Coach Larissa Maloney at Father Lopez Catholic High School in Daytona Beach has received worldwide attention through her online physical education instruction in response to the distance learning due to the coronavirus. Maloney, head volleyball coach and a PE instructor, started a YouTube Channel, Active Kids 2.0, with the goal of live streaming 30-minute workouts every day in order to keep her students and players active. Her workouts have been a tremendous hit and are reaching and impacting people around the world.

While regularly scheduled Masses and parish gatherings are suspended in response to the coronavirus, Florida parishes and dioceses will be live-streaming Holy Week services, including Easter Masses.

Florida's Catholic health ministries are at the forefront of meeting the corporal and spiritual needs of their communities. Medical personnel and staff bravely put themselves at risk simply by showing up for work every day to treat people who are ill and infirm.

In mid-March, Catholics schools across Florida followed the lead of their local public school districts in the decision to close campuses and move to online learning in order to protect their school communities and limit the spread of the coronavirus. On Tuesday, March 31, Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran called for all school districts to extend campus closures through May 1.

Following the Monroe County School District calendar, faculty at The Basilica School of Saint Mary Star of the Sea in Key West were able to mobilize during spring break before launching virtual instruction on Monday, March 23. "Fortunately, our students have not missed a single day of instruction, said Principal Robert Wright. "While teachers and parents are climbing the learning curve, our students have adapted well. I imagine that everyone will settle in and find a routine in this second week of distance learning."

A line of people wrapped around most of the Catholic Charities of Central Florida (CCCF) building on the morning of March 25. The rush to the Semoran Mission Market came after Orange County's mayor announced an executive stay-at-home order that was set to begin at 11 p.m., Thursday, March 26. 

At the start of a March 31 live-streamed Mass from the chapel of his residence, Pope Francis prayed that people become aware of all those who lack shelter and housing and help them, and that the Church would "welcome them."