Are you without transportation or medically unable to leave your home during this coronavirus crisis?

If you or anyone you know in West Deer Township is having difficulty getting out to pick up prescriptions or groceries, please call either church office for assistance.

      Transfiguration Office:   724-265-1030
      St. Victor Office:             724-265-2070

ALL PUBLIC CELEBRATIONS OF THE MASS HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

May is the month of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Blessed Virgin Mary is the Mother of the Church and therefore the example, as well as the guide and inspiration, of everyone who seeks to be the servant of God and man and the obedient agent of the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

Some ways you and your family can remember Mary during the month of May:

PRAY ~ The Rosary, the Regina Coeli (prayed in place of the Angelus during the Easter Season), and the various Litanies of the Blessed Virgin Mary are all wonderful and simple ways to increase your devotion during this month.

Use the links below for video streams or scripts of these prayers:

• • • The Rosary is prayed daily with Bishop Zubik at 5:00pm on the Diocese of Pittsburgh YouTube channel. See this letter from Pope Francis about praying the Rosary with our families during this month of May, including special prayers for Our Lady's help during this pandemic.
    • Regina Coeli as spoken prayer and sung in Latin.
    • Litanies of the Blessed Virgin Mary: The public litany (definitely approved by Sixtus V in 1587) is the Litany of Loreto. Private litanies include the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Litany to Our Lady of Good Counsel, and Litany to Our Lady of Fatima. Here is a chanted version led by two children.

CREATE ~ Make a shrine for Mary in your house or in your garden. You can use a statue or make a printable version on paper. Be sure to add flowers!

You can find lots of great ideas for Mary Gardens, both big and small, on Pinterest.

Find FREE printables for paper Mary shrines at 'Look to Him and Be Radiant' and 'Catholic Icing'. Both of these exceptional sights have TONS of ideas for kids of all ages ~ more than enough to do something every day of May!

READ ~ There are many fabulous books about Mary for Catholics of all ages. A simple Google search can turn up an overwhelming number of selections! Try these links below for a list of some of the best for you to choose.

For a really extensive list of books about Mary for adults, head to BlessedIsShe.com.

Katie has lots of favorites for kids at LookToHimAndBeRadiant.com.

SING ~ What is your favorite Marian hymn? “Sing of Mary (Pure and Lowly)”, “Ave Maria”, “Hail Holy Queen Enthroned Above” There are too many favorites to list them all here! Click HERE for a playlist on Youtube from Katie at LookToHimAndBeRadiant.com, or HERE for a similar playlist on Spotify. 

EAT ~ Blue is the traditional color of Mary. Why not make a batch of sugar cookies with blue sprinkles or an ice cream sundae drizzled with blueberry syrup? As the Mother of the Church, Mary would certainly love to know that the children in your family are enjoying a treat and thinking of her.

Lacy at CatholicIcing.com has a whole page of mouth-watering ideas if you click HERE. Check out those 'Heaven Melt cookies for Mary' above. Deeeee-lish!

SERVE ~ Mary is our ultimate example of how to be the best-version-of-ourselves. Use her perfect example as a guide when you interact with others or have to make difficult decisions. Following Mary’s path will always lead you closer to God.

When, for any reason, we cannot participate in Mass, the Church invites us to unite with Christ through this prayer of Spiritual Communion. Praying this prayer is a beautiful way to unite our hearts to Christ's when we cannot receive him physically in the Eucharist.

Act of Spiritual Communion:

“My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.”

When it is impossible to go to Confession, forgiveness of both venial and mortal sins is possible through an Act of Perfect Contrition, which is a prayer of repentance motivated by love for God, with a sincere request for forgiveness, and a firm resolution to make a sacramental Confession to a priest as soon as it is possible.

Act of Perfect Contrition:

“My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart. In choosing to do wrong and failing to do good, I have sinned against You, whom I should love above all things. I firmly intend, with Your help, to do penance, to sin no more, and to avoid whatever leads me to sin.”

POPE FRANCIS' PRAYER TO OUR LADY, IMPLORING HER PROTECTION AMID THE CORONAVIRUS

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, Salvation of the Roman People, 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.

For more information and links to a personal testimony, click HERE!

Ministry Information Form

Liturgical Minister Schedule

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Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion

Lectors

Bishop Zubik's announcement that the public celebration of Holy Mass would be suspended for the time being as we respond to the COVID-19 Coronavirus outbreak may have you anxious and worried for many reasons, including for the state of your spiritual life. However, there is no need to despair. There are many things you can do to foster spiritual health and growth at this time.

1. Live-stream Holy Mass and other devotions. While nothing can replace attending Holy Mass in person and receiving Holy Communion, the whole Church, as the Body of Christ is mystically united to every sacrifice of the Mass. Every Mass has a powerful effect for the good of the Church and her people. The Holy Masses and other devotions from Saint Anthony Chapel will be live-streamed here, at www.facebook.com/SaintAnthonyChapel, and at www.vimeo.com/pghshrines.

2. Make a Spiritual Communion. When you can't receive Jesus in Holy Communion at Mass, making a Spiritual Communion is a great way to draw near to him. St. Thomas Aquinas once defined a Spiritual Communion as “an ardent desire to receive Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament [in Communion at Mass] and in lovingly embracing Him as if we had actually received Him.” Learn more about making a Spiritual Communion at https://www.ourcatholicprayers.com/spiritual-communion.html.

3. Read the Holy Mass readings and prayers. Even if you can't make it to Holy Mass, you can meditate upon the readings and prayers of the Mass. The Letter to the Hebrews reminds us, "Indeed, the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12). Magnificat is offering free access to the online version of their daily Mass and devotion resource. Access it at https://us.magnificat.net/free.

4. Search for a church that may be open for private prayer. Even though the public celebration of Holy Masses has been suspended, churches may remain open for private prayer for those who wish. Spend time with Jesus in the Eucharist and draw ever closer to him.

5. Pray the Holy Rosary. The Holy Rosary is a powerful weapon against sin and temptation and a great source of comfort and peace as we call on the intercession of Mary our Mother. One of the names for the Holy Rosary in Latin is corona rosarum, the crown of roses. As we work to fight the coronavirus may the corona rosarum be our defense and our surest hope.
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6. Continue your habits of prayer and seek new ones. Read the Bible or a spiritual or devotional book. Pray a litany or novena, such as the Litany in Time of Plague (https://amishcatholic.com/…/…/15/a-litany-in-time-of-plague/). Meditate upon an icon or other holy image. Use every spiritual aid at your disposal for the good of your soul and the souls of those you encounter each day.

Are you new to our area, or are you returning "home" after being  away? Are you an active member of our parish who just hasn't registered as a parishioner yet or needs to update your current registration information? Regardless of your situation, we at Saint Victor Parish want to welcome you  into our parish family. Please call or stop by the parish office to register. You may also register  online by clicking on the Parishoner Registration button below.

Parish Registration

Whether it is a wedding anniversary, birth remembrance, recent death of a loved one, or celebrating a loved one’s life years after he or she passed, every day presents a reason to celebrate or mourn. Please remember your loved ones with a Mass Intention (Forms can be printed from the link below). Once completed, please put the Mass Request Form in the weekly collection basket or turn it into the Rectory with your stipend. If you do not have a preferred date, leave that space blank and your intention will be on the next available date.

Mass Request Forms for 2020

The Memorial Garden Bricks  offer a beautiful way to remember a deceased loved one and the garden is located in the field next to the Activity Building. Bricks cost $50+ each and offer up to 3 lines of engraving. Information and order forms are located on the large shelf in the Narthex or view/print by clicking Memorial Brick Form. Please turn completed forms into the Rectory.