1.

A few weeks ago Yanira Soriano, critically ill with COVID-19, was admitted to Northwell Health’s Southside Hospital in Suffolk County, NY.

She was also 34 weeks pregnant.

(Thread — and it’s worth it)

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) April 15, 2020

2. Bells ring at Notre Dame Cathedral one year after fire

3. Persecuted Christians Need You Now More Than Ever

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4. Iqbal Masih remembered on International Day Against Child Slavery

5. Surviving the Coronavirus Crisis: Current & Former Foster Youth Speak Out

6. Unsealed docs show Planned Parenthood charged $25G for body parts, blood samples within months

7. Most Americans do not have the luxury of working from home.

8. Boston Restaurants Want To Sell Groceries. Bureaucrats Say No Way.

9. Bracing for coronavirus but losing money every day, this East Texas hospital had to cut employees

10. New Mexico diocese resumes Masses, bishop credits Pope Francis for inspiration

11. Pope Francis prays for pharmacists, talks about the fullness of joy

12. Pope creates Coronavirus commission

13. Silence over Easter church raids in Italy

14. Mississippi town changes tune on ‘essential’ drive-in church services

15. I know this man and his sister, but I don’t remember if I had ever read this before. I figure people probably need to read it now. Here’s just some of it:

What has been the most difficult part of living with your disability?

The hardest part is letting others help me. Especially for me as a man I want to do things for other people; it is intrinsic to my nature. So when people do things for me, to some extent, it’s humiliating. I am weak, but being in Jesus, when I am weak, I am strong. Jesus shows me how to love. To love is not wimpy. By offering my sufferings I am loving. I am doing a very manly thing in Christ.

What would you say to someone else who is suffering?

I want other people who suffer to realize there is tremendous meaning and value to be found in it, and that they have great dignity and that God loves them. God wants them to identify themselves with Him. If you let Him enter in, He will make it light. We carry our yoke with Jesus, He takes one side and even when we don’t feel Him, He is there. I want others to know that there is hope. Your suffering is going to go away and we are going to have eternal happiness where there will be no more suffering. This life is like a race, and God wants us to become champions. But you can’t become a champion if the gold medal is just handed to you. What merit is that? Live Christ! If we live Christ, He will get us there. He is the victor over sin, suffering and death. If we are in Him we are also victors. He doesn’t want us to be sore losers. I want to run the race to win.

The rest is here.

Also, a new podcast on Resurrection from the Sisters of Life

16.

Brian Dennehy on his battle with alcohol:https://t.co/E6N0x0vVS8

— Ben Domenech (@bdomenech) April 16, 2020

R.I.P.

17. 17 Artists Capture a Surreal New York From Their Windows

(btw, I did not plan the 17/17)

18. Calgary high school students launch positive message hotline for seniors

19. Fr. Roger Landry: God’s Enduring Mercy, the ‘Great Hallel’ and Coronavirus

20.

Nuns playing basketball at a monastery in Sevilla, Spain while sheltered in place for the coronavirus. Hoops makes the world go around.pic.twitter.com/53oKV5GnNU

— Michael Dolan (@mikedolanny) April 16, 2020