We will live-stream the Palm Sunday Masses in English at 9AM on April 5, French at 7:30PM on April 4, and Spanish at 5PM on both April 4 and 5 from St. Helena. However, the Archdiocese has asked the parishes not to distribute palms this Sunday due to concerns which include the spread of germs, the possibility of large crowds, and the potential for arguments that may erupt. We assure everyone that the palms will be distributed later in the year once the quarantine is lifted. Depending on how things progress in the coming weeks, we are considering distributing the palms on Corpus Christi Sunday for the faithful to hold during Eucharistic processions.

ARE YOU FEELING STRESSED? CATHOLIC CHARITIES PARISH COUNSELING NETWORK has the capacity to respond to COVID-19 RELATED COUNSELING NEEDS Over the past few weeks, everyone has found that their lives have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Faced with new challenges, altered routines, and fear for their loved ones’ health, some people are experiencing substantial anxiety and a sense of crisis. A short-term counseling network of clinical providers operated by two Catholic Charities federation agencies, is specifically designed to meet the needs of parishioners adjusting to such a crisis. Through the use of telephonic services, therapists will provide support to help parishioners adjust to one of the most significant and troubling challenges of our lifetimes. The network does have the capacity to provide Spanish language counseling. Referrals to PCN are made by pastors, or designated parish staff, and the referent source will be asked to provide the parishioner’s contact information. SO, if YOU are experiencing any of these symptoms and feel it might be a good idea to speak to a professional, call St. Helena's at 718-892-3232, and we will help you with the referral process.

FIVE Ways to Quell your kid's unrelenting need for more FUN 1. Educate with a STEM toy. 2. Sit down and read a book to or with them. 3. Set up a tent in the living room. 4. Pretend you're in a rock band. 5. Boogie like a break-dancing robot.

Urbi et Orbi Blessing (to the City and the World) Amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Pope Francis has announced that he will give an extraordinary blessing “urbi et orbi” (to the city and the world) at 1 p.m. New York City time on Friday, March 27. The formal blessing — usually given only immediately after a new pope’s election and on Christmas and Easter — carries with it a plenary indulgence for all who follow by television, internet or radio, are sorry for their sins, recite a few prescribed prayers and promise to go to confession and to receive the Eucharist as soon as possible. With the public joining him only by television (EWTN), radio. or internet (at www.vaticannews.va, “we will listen to the word of God, raise our prayer (and) adore the Blessed Sacrament,” he said. “At the end, I will give the benediction ‘urbi et orbi,’ to which will be connected the possibility of receiving a plenary indulgence.” An indulgence is an ancient practice of prayer and penance for the remission of the temporal punishment a person is due for sins that have been forgiven. In Catholic teaching, a person can draw on the merits of Jesus and the saints to claim the indulgence for themselves or offer it on behalf of someone who has died. A plenary indulgence is a remission of the entire temporal punishment for sin.

You can go on virtual Disney World rides such as Space Mountain, especially since Spring Break vacations there are cancelled! Visit: https://wgntv.com/news/children-stuck-at-home-can-go-on-virtual-disney-world-rides/ This is the Disney in us all!!

Catholic Charities is still providing assistance for those in need. Their food pantries are available to those who need some extra food and their case managers are still available. Folks can call their helpline - 888-744-7900 for locations and additional information. Also, remember to complete your 2020 Census as this is an important statistic to have when agencies are applying for Federal money.

Interactive Chess WebParty During this time of the coronavirus, I want to offer all elementary students the opportunity to join this high-energy WebParty until school reopens. It offers an intellectually-curious horde of kids all the fun and intellectual benefits of chess: creativity, problem-solving, critical thinking, academic confidence, goal-orientation, and a self-identity as a very smart kid. Go to: www.theKnightschool.com We offer five WebParties, one each afternoon at 4:00. Each is very different from the other because certified, veteran educators have developmentally targeted our specific audiences, and we teach straight to them. Each WebParty ends with all of us adjourning to our own private WebTourney where we all play chess together in a stress-free, private forum just for our class. Fortunately, throughout its history, The Knight School has never turned a single child away for financial reasons, and we certainly never will. I want to offer you s a special rate so that you can participate in our WebParty. You may pay the standard $100 per month, or you may opt to pay $70, $50, $30, $0, or any amount whatsoever that fits in your budget. All suggested tuition amounts are instantly welcomed. All The Knight School City Chess Coaches across the country (we now coach 3514 kids each week!) are all so thrilled that the benefits of our WebParties will no doubt help many, many kids and families who sorely need a highly professional, intellectually stimulating, and fun enrichment opportunity during these uncertain times.

Pope Francis announced Sunday that he will give an extraordinary Urbi et Orbi blessing this week with the opportunity for Catholics to receive a PLENARY INDULGENCE either by praying at home or privately at St. Helena's or by tuning in via social and other media. We will live-stream the blessing. “This Friday, March 27 at 1 p.m.EDT, I will preside over a moment of prayer outside of St. Peter’s Basilica with the square empty. As now, I invite everyone to participate spiritually through the media,” Pope Francis said March 22 in his livestreamed Angelus address. “Urbi et Orbi” means “To the City [of Rome] and to the World.” It is a special apostolic blessing given by the pope from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica every year on Easter Sunday, Christmas, and other special occasions. Pope Francis said the March 27 prayer broadcast for those suffering from the coronavirus pandemic will include listening to the Word of God and Eucharistic Adoration. In union with the pope, the Blessed Sacrament will be exposed at St. Helena for private prayer. More than 417,000 people world-wide, 54,000 people in New York, and 15,000 people in New York City have contracted COVID-19 as of March 24, according to Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center. The respiratory disease, which originated in Wuhan, China, has spread to 157 countries, and has led to the deaths of 13,672 people worldwide. “We want to respond to the pandemic of the virus with the universality of prayer, compassion, tenderness. Let us stay united,” Pope Francis said. “All those who spiritually join this moment of prayer through the media will be granted the plenary indulgence according to the conditions provided for in the recent decree of the Apostolic Penitentiary,” Holy See Press Office Director Matteo Bruni told journalists following the pope’s announcement. The Vatican’s Apostolic Penitentiary has granted a plenary indulgence for people who pray for an end to the pandemic, healing for the sick, and the eternal repose of the dead. Plenary indulgences, which remit all temporal punishment due to sin, must be accompanied by full detachment from sin. In this case, the person must also fulfill the ordinary conditions of an indulgence, which are sacramental confession, reception of the Eucharist, and prayer for the intentions of the pope, by having the will to satisfy the conditions as soon as possible for them. To receive the indulgence, a person may offer at least a half hour of adoration before the Blessed Sacrament or a half hour of prayer with scripture, or the recitation of the rosary or chaplet of divine mercy “to implore from the Almighty God an end to the epidemic, relief for those who are suffering, and eternal salvation of those whom the Lord has called to himself.” Pope Francis asked people to pray for the lonely, the elderly, doctors, nurses, healthcare workers, government authorities and the police. The pope also stressed the importance of praying for the dead during his Sunday morning Mass livestreamed from his residence in Vatican City. “These days we are hearing the news of so many people who are dying, men and women who are dying alone without being able to say goodbye to their loved ones. Let us think about them and pray for them,” Pope Francis said. “For families as well, who cannot accompany their loved ones on that journey, we pray in a special way for the dying and for their families,” the pope said.

The Stations of the Cross Will be Live-streamed The Stations of the Cross will be live-streamed on our Facebook page from St. Helena on Friday, March 20. The Stations in English will be live-streamed at 9:45 a.m., following the 9 a.m. Mass. The Stations will be live-streamed in Spanish at 7 p.m. and in French at 8 p.m. The church will be open for private prayer from 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

New York Blood Center (NYBC) needs your support now more than ever. Around 75% of our incoming blood supply was interrupted when schools, businesses and religious institutions closed due to the coronavirus outbreak. We are extending open hours at our donor centers and urgently ask that healthy donors make appointments to help replenish the region’s blood supply at this critical time. These modifications will provide controlled, safe environments for healthy donors We need healthy individuals to donate blood; it is vital for patients in need of life-saving blood transfusions. We ask that you encourage your colleagues, friends, family and community members to make an appointment donate blood at any of our donor centers. Here’s how you can help: Use this link https://donate.nybc.org/donor/schedules/centers to find a donor center and an make appointment to donate Call 1800-933-9566 (BLOOD) to make an appointment Or if you have a group of donors that want to donate, please have them contact me at [email protected] and I will help them make the appointments. I would need their full name, email address, cell number and donor center preference, in order to assist in scheduling their donation appointment Refer anyone that has a medical question to call our eligibility department at 1800-688-0900 or visit https://www.nybc.org/donate-blood/become-donor/can-i-donate-blood/ Share the U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams’s message encouraging people to donate blood during the coronavirus crisis: "You'll feel good about it, and you'll be helping your country and community during this crisis. And you might even save a life." https://youtu.be/qCDZLUl3ngA Lastly, to learn how NYBC is addressing this evolving crisis visit nybc.org/coronavirus. On behalf of the cancer, trauma, organ transplant and blood transfusion patients we serve daily, thank you for your support during this challenging time. Sincerely, Elizabeth Castro A+ New York Blood Center Cell: 914-564-4281 Office: 914-784-4604

Guidance on the Contacts of a Close or Proximate Contact of a Confirmed or Suspected Case of COVID-19 Background As more cases of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) are identified or suspected across New York State, and individuals and families are required or recommended for mandatory or precautionary quarantine, it is important that there is a common understanding of the risk to contacts of contacts of a suspected or confirmed case. DOH Policy Guidance Person A is diagnosed with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19. If Person B had contact, close1 or proximate2, with Person A, Person B would be subject to mandatory quarantine3 (if close contact) or precautionary quarantine4 (if proximate contact). Any individual (Person C) who is a contact of Person B (i.e. spouse, children, co- workers, etc.) is considered a “contact of a contact”. Person C is not at risk for infection and would not be subject to quarantine unless Person B had or developed symptoms, or tested positive for the virus causing COVID-19. Person A •Confirmed Case •Required to be in isolation Person B •Contact of Case •Required to be in mandatory (direct contact) or precautionary (proximate contact) quarantine Person C •Contact of a Contact •Unless Person B has or develops symptoms of COVID- 19, or tests postive for COVID-19, Person C is not subject to quarantine 1 Close contact is defined as “being within 6 ft of a person displaying symptoms of COVID-19 or someone who has tested positive of COVID-19” 2 Proximate contact is defined as “being in the same enclosed environment such as a classroom, office, or gatherings but greater than 6 ft from a person displaying symptoms of COVID-19 or someone who has tested positive for COVID-19” 3 Mandatory quarantine is required for a person who “has been in close contact (6 ft.) with someone who is positive, but is not displaying symptoms for COVID-19; or person has traveled to China, Iran, Japan, South Korea or Italy and is displaying symptoms of COVID-19” 4 Precautionary quarantine is required for a person who “meets one or more of the following criteria: (i) has traveled to China, Iran, Japan, South Korea or Italy while COVID-19 was prevalent, but is not displaying symptoms; or (ii) is known to have had a proximate exposure to a positive person but has not had direct contact with a positive person and is not displaying symptoms” Examples of “Contact of a Contact” Scenarios:  Household Members: o If an asymptomatic individual is contacted by a local health department to be notified that they are a contact of a confirmed case, they will be required to be under mandatory quarantine or precautionary quarantine in their home, depending on if contact was close or proximate respectively, following the guidelines provided by the state. o Any spouse, children or other household members, assuming both they and the individual under quarantine are asymptomatic, are considered a “contact of a contact” and therefore are not required to be in quarantine. They can go to school, work, and engaged other activities following recommendations for social distancing as appropriate.  Co-Workers: o If an asymptomatic employee calls their supervisor and notifies them that they are required to stay home in quarantine because they were a contact of a confirmed case, the contacts they had at work are considered “contacts of a contact” and therefore not at risk. These “contacts of a contact” are not required to be in quarantine and should be permitted to continue to work, following recommendations for social distancing as appropriate.

Parish Offertory Donations As we are all forced to make unprecedented adjustments to address the coronavirus crisis, we kindly ask you to continue to financially support St. Helena. Our church remains open for private prayer daily from 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., which is longer than most parishes in the Archdiocese, and we live-stream daily Mass through our Facebook page at 9 a.m. in English and 5 p.m. in Spanish, but we can only continue to do so with your support. If you have not done so already, we urge you to sign up for our electronic giving system, WESHARE, which allows you to continue to make your donations to St. Helena. There are four simple steps required to contribute through the WESHARE program. Step 1 Parishioners should visit our parish website: https://churchofsthelena.com and click online giving, which is located on the right column. Step 2 Select the collection you want to give Step 3 Set up a donation or payment amount Step 4. Select the method of payment (bank a/c; credit card) Also, if you come to the church to pray, you can place your envelopes or donation in the offertory box located inside. You can also mail your envelopes or donation or bring it to the rectory. We are deeply grateful for your continued support of St. Helena in this time of crisis.

The spiritual well-being of our St. Helena parish family is very important, and the reconnection of the faithful with the daily and weekly celebration of Mass is very important. To achieve this, we recommend that you access daily Mass from the St. Helena Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/St.HelenaBronx. The daily English Mass is live-streamed at 9:00 a.m., and the daily Spanish Mass is live-streamed at 5:00 p.m. In addition, Mass from St. Patrick’s Cathedral is available on the Catholic Channel, Sirius XM 129 and is broadcast live and on demand by Catholic Faith Network (CFN). Here is how to get to it: https://www.catholicfaithnetwork.org/ https://www.catholicfaithnetwork.org/cfn-livestream-player https://www.saintpatrickscathedral.org/live Users can click on the Watch Live button to access the Mass. Also, Magnificat has made their online offerings free at: http://us.magnificat.net/flipbook/HTML/index.php#!VVMjMiMyMDIwIzEzMjIxMzky

Superintendent of Catholic Schools Mr. Michael J. Deegan has announced Catholic Schools within the Archdiocese of New York have extended the closure of all elementary schools in our system through Monday, April 20th, 2020. Informed by the current CDC guidelines and in consultation with other health professionals, the Health and Safety Task Force of the Office of the Superintendent of Schools made this decision out of concern for the well-being of our students, families and staff. We believe this decision will also help to successfully decrease risk to the whole community. Last week, our principals and teachers prepared educational materials to engage our students in a week of home-based learning activities. This extended closure now requires that our professional educators, under the guidance of their regional superintendents, continue to plan for a long-term, home-based learning experience, which will include the same religious, values-infused curriculum we teach every day of the year, utilizing innovative strategies and technology. We are committed to providing families with additional information on a regular basis. We understand our students, families, educators and the greater community are still coming to terms with all that has happened in the past few weeks. In addition to remaining faithful to our academic standards, we believe that home-based learning will provide a comforting sense of normalcy to the thousands of students we will continue to educate as we navigate these days of uncertainty together. Our website https://catholicschoolsny.org/ provides continually updated resources for school information as well as best practices for staying healthy and links to the U.S. State Department, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization and other resources.

The Piarist Fathers will celebrate three Private Masses each day so that all weekday Mass intentions will be covered. Two Masses will be live-streamed on Facebook at 9AM in English & 5PM in Spanish. Los Padres Escolapios celebrarán tres Misas Privadas cada día para que todas las intenciones de las Misas de la semana estén cubiertas. Dos misas serán transmitidas en vivo por Facebook a las 9AM en inglés y a las 5PM en español.

MASSES CANCELED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE The following are the directives we received TODAY from the Archdiocese of New York: 1. All public Masses are canceled beginning Saturday, March 14 at 4:00 PM, until further notice. This includes Sunday Masses as well as weekdays. 2. Churches will remain open for private prayer. 3. Funerals and weddings will be permitted but should be limited to family members only. If families are worried about coming to church, the burial could take place first, with a memorial Mass celebrated at a later date. 4. Parish baptism celebrations should be limited to family only if they cannot be postponed. 5. Upon a reasonable request, confessions may be heard, preferably by “appointment” at the parish office or some other appropriate place, like in the church when it is open for private prayer. 6. Experts advise people to be spaced three to six feet away from one another while in the church. 7. The obligation to keep the Lord’s day holy can be fulfilled by maintaining a prayerful attitude and through personal and family prayer. The faithful are urged to watch the celebration of the Eucharist on TV as well. 8. Mass will be celebrated in St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and will be available on many cable systems via the Catholic Faith Network and its website at www.catholicfaithnetwork.org, live-streamed on the St. Patrick’s Cathedral website at www.saintpatrickscathedral.org/live, and broadcast on radio on The Catholic Channel of Sirius XM (Channel 129). 9. Effective Monday, March 16 until Friday, March 20, Catholic schools will be closed, with the possibility of a lengthier closure. 10. Beginning Saturday, March 14 until at least Monday, March 23, in-person religious education and youth ministry programs are suspended. 11. Parish business offices may remain open. 12. It is strongly advised that all precautions should be taken when the family is visiting and when a priest is anointing the sick at home, in nursing homes, and hospitals. Protective clothing and gear should be worn as directed by medical professionals at these facilities.

SACRAMENTS CANCELED In light of the cancellation of all Sunday Masses throughout the archdiocese, baptisms, stations of the cross and other religious services and social events are also canceled. For all practical purposes, no sacraments or services shall be provided until further notice. The celebration of funeral Masses falls into a different category. If families are worried about coming to church, the burial could place now, with a memorial Mass celebrated at a later date. If the family requests, we will offer the funeral Mass, but the family should spread themselves throughout the church rather than sit close together, and people should sanitize hands and surfaces before and afterward. As the cardinal has suggested, St. Helena will remain open solely for private prayer.

Confession and Adoration at St. Helena While the Archdiocese has canceled all Masses for this weekend, the churches will remain open for prayer. Here at St. Helena, we will have Confession from 4-5:30PM on Saturday, March 14. Confessions will be followed by Adoration from 5:30PM - 6:30PM. The church will then be closed. On Sunday, March 15, we will open the church at 7:30AM. We will have Adoration from 8AM - 4PM. The church will be closed at 4:30PM. We will keep you updated as the Archdiocese sends us new information and instructions. We thank you for your cooperation. During these very difficult times, prayer is our most important spiritual tool.

MASSES CANCELED IN ARCHDIOCESE OF NEW YORK In light of the continued concern surrounding the coronavirus, and taking into consideration the advice of medical experts, all Masses in the Archdiocese of New York, including here at St. Helena, will be canceled beginning this weekend, March 14-15, 2020. This development follows upon today’s decision of Dutchess County to prohibit gatherings of more than 20 people. It is also intended to provide clarity and consistency throughout the ten counties that comprise the Archdiocese of New York (Manhattan, the Bronx, Staten Island, Westchester, Putnam, Orange, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, and Dutchess). Churches will, however, remain open for private prayer. Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York, urged the faithful to remember in their prayers all those whose lives have been impacted by the coronavirus outbreak. “Let us pray for all who are sick, as well as doctors, nurses, caregivers, and all those working hard to combat the disease. We should also remember those whose lives have been otherwise disrupted, especially anyone who has lost income from a loss of work during this difficult time.” A private Mass will be celebrated in Saint Patrick’s Cathedral and will be available on many cable systems via the Catholic Faith Network: www.catholicfaithnetwork.org, live-streamed on the Saint Patrick’s Cathedral website: saintpatrickcathedral.org, and radio broadcast on The Catholic Channel of Sirius XM (Channel 129).

In light of the serious health risks to vulnerable populations, and mindful of the instructions of medical professionals, the Archdiocese of New York has urged the faithful to use their prudential judgment on whether or not to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days during the coronavirus outbreak. This is in keeping with the teaching of the Church, which has always exempted those with serious medical issues which would prohibit them from attending Mass, as well as for all people in times of general emergencies. This is especially true during this coronavirus outbreak, particularly for adults over the age of 60, people with underlying medical conditions, and family members of such individuals, who should take special care in discerning the best course of action. At this time, while Mass will continue to be offered publicly in most cases, contingent on emergency restrictions regarding large gatherings. Those who do attend Mass are reminded that they should follow the guidelines in place, such as receiving Holy Communion reverently in the hand, not receiving the Precious Blood, being sure to wash hands/use sanitizer before and after Mass, and avoiding physical contact with or close proximity to other persons. Those who are unable to attend Mass can follow the Mass on radio, television, or online where possible. Mass from Saint Patrick’s Cathedral will be broadcast and available on many cable systems via the Catholic Faith Network and its website, livestreamed on the Saint Patrick’s Cathedral website, and broadcast on radio on The Catholic Channel of Sirius XM (Channel 129). All are urged to keep in prayer those who are suffering from the coronavirus, as well as for doctors, nurses, caregivers, and all those who are working to combat the disease. The following prayer will be shared with the parishes and people of the archdiocese. Prayer to the Virgin Mary for Protection O Mary, you shine continuously on our journey as a sign of salvation and hope. We entrust ourselves to you, Health of the Sick. At the foot of the Cross you participated in Jesus’ pain, with steadfast faith. You, Our Lady of New York, know what we need. We are certain that you will provide, so that, as you did at Cana of Galilee, joy and feasting might return after this moment of trial. Help us, Mother of Divine Love, to conform ourselves to the Father’s will and to do what Jesus tells us: He who took our sufferings upon Himself, and bore our sorrows to bring us, through the Cross, to the joy of the Resurrection. Amen. We seek refuge under your protection, O Holy Mother of God. Do not despise our pleas – we who are put to the test – and deliver us from every danger, O glorious and blessed Virgin.