On this rare occasion I want to address a word of support to all our members who in one way or another are affected by the continuing spread of Covid-19. Here in the Curia we have heard the instructions of the Italian government and we have done our best to follow all the instructions. This has meant saying to our staff that they should not come to work until further instructions. We have organized our life in such a way that none of us will have people coming to the house and no one will leave the house until the ban is lifted, except for emergencies and essential services. We recognize the sacrifice that this entails, but we feel that we have to allow ourselves to be guided by the advice of the experts.

We will keep in our thoughts and prayers, those who have died and their families who are in mourning. We will pray for the medical profession, that the researchers may succeed in identifying this virus and finding the best ways to protect the population from infection, and the doctors and nurses may be able to help all who have fallen victim to it.

We must not allow ourselves to lose confidence or to be gripped by fear. This experience may lead us to reflect on how powerless we are, despite all our progress. At moments like this we realize more clearly that without God, we can do nothing. It is a good moment for us to renew our faith in God and our commitment to the wellbeing of one another, and in a special way our care for the poor, for the ones who are least able to cope when life gets difficult. In the time that we spend confined to our homes, we may find ourselves thinking and praying more, at one with Mary the Mother of God who kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.

Míceál O'Neill, O.Carm.
Prior General