Day of prayer planned for 357 religious dead from COVID-19 in Spain

CNA Staff, Sep 26, 2020 / 15:23 pm

The Spanish Conference of Religious (CONFER) has announced that September 29 will be observed as a day of prayer for the 357 religious who have died from the novel coronavirus during the pandemic in Spain.

The conference invited religious communities to participate in the day of prayer, which falls on the Feast of Holy Archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael.

These religious men and women, the conference stated, "have been faithful to the end of their days…And so, amid the pain of their loss, we are grateful for their witness until the end!"

According to statistics from CONFER 357 religious from 73 religious congregations have died from COVID-19, as of September 25. The conference noted that they continue to receive data daily.

"The best way to honor our deceased is to dedicate one day this September to their memory," CONFER said.

All religious communities are invited on September 29 "during their morning prayer, their Eucharist together, and in their afternoon prayer, to commemorate them all, naming them during a moment of prayer."

The conference proposed putting "a sheet of paper on the altar with the names of each person" and suggested that communities give "thanks to God for their witness, their fidelity, their perseverance in adversity and their decision to follow God's call until the end of their days."

CONFER also suggested the congregations share that moment of prayer on social media so it can become "a small tribute to our brothers and sisters who departed but who are still very present among us in remembering them and their experience of the faith and the charism that they enriched."