Letter of support and announcements for World Day of the Sick and for the month of February 2021.

Dear friends in parishes and on pastoral teams, ecumenical and interfaith colleagues and our community partners,

We greet you warmly and express our closeness to you in these ongoing difficult times of pandemic. We are all affected by the isolation imposed by this trying period which deprives us of the comforts of a human presence. This is an historic era, one to be lived in hope and fellowship.

Our thoughts go out especially to the lonely, sick and suffering people of your parishes, from your various places of worship and community settings. 

This year's World Day of the Sick, on February 11th, will have as its theme the verse:

"You have only one master and you are all brothers (Mt 23:8)"

In his letter for this Day, Pope Francis emphasises the following needs: 

"To stop, to listen, to establish a real, personal relationship with the other who suffers".

This trust is a real balm:  

"Confidence is the basis of the care to be lavished on every suffering person".

We can only guess the courage, creativity and perseverance you have put into reaching out to those who are suffering over the past months, and right now.  To support you, know that we and our SASMAD volunteers will be praying every day wholeheartedly for you, for those who are entrusted to you and for those who cross your path.

During the month of February, we invite you to communicate your prayer intentions to us and send them directly to the SASMAD Friends of Mercy email address: misericorde.mercysasmad@gmail.com

Activities will be organized to make February 2021 "the month of the Sick person". You are welcome to participate, to share these activities and to pray with us.  A calendar of prayer intentions has also been designed as a spiritual support.   We thank you for sharing it with those around you. For more information, we invite you to consult our SASMAD JMM-WDS 2021 web page.

Activities for the World Day of the Sick and throughout the month of February include: 

• Thursday 11th February 2021: Virtual Mass at 7.30 a.m., celebrated by Mgr Christian Lépine at the Cathedral Mary Queen of the World and televised by Sel et Lumière S+L. You can also attend mass through this link.
• Thursday 11 February 2021: Prayer time at 3 p.m. for the sick, open to all via Zoom. Animated by Francine Baudelet from SASMAD. (Bilingual)    Registration form                          
• Thursday 18 February 2021:Ressourcement for World Day of the Sick 2021, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. open to all via Zoom. Hosted by Mgr Christian Lépine. (Bilingual) Registration form
• 1 to 28 February: Prayer with daily intentions. Everyone can join us in prayer. The intentions of the day can also be shared at the daily masses broadcast on the web. (See the calendar) JMM-WDS-2021
• 1 to 28 February: Personal prayer intentions to be shared: open to all through the intercession of the Friends of Mercy (SASMAD).

In solidarity and united in prayer.
Fraternally yours,


André, Berenice, Blanca, Cathie, Christiane, Francine, Marie, Maria-Regina from SASMAD