Archbishop Bernard Hebda prays in front of the Blessed Sacrament at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul right after blessing the city of St. Paul March 27. DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Archbishop Bernard Hebda held the Eucharist high over the city of St. Paul March 27, on the steps of the Cathedral of St. Paul overlooking the State Capitol, as he prayed for the sick and suffering, those who care for them, lawmakers and others as the coronavirus hits Minnesota hard.

The archbishop prayed on the same day health officials announced that four people thus far in Minnesota had died of complications from COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the virus that began in China in late December, has claimed more than 27,000 lives across the world, sickened more than 500,000 and been declared a global pandemic.

He prayed the same day Gov. Tim Walz’s “shelter-in-place” order took effect across the state for at least two weeks, limiting business and other activities to essential services such as pharmacies and grocery stores, medical services and public safety, faith leaders and workers, hardware stores and banks. About 25 percent of the business done in Minnesota is affected by the order to stay home.

The archbishop prayed the same day Pope Francis delivered a special “Urbi et Orbi” (To the City and the World) blessing in an empty St. Peter’s Square. Normally delivered at Christmas and Easter, the pope’s blessing included prayers for an end to the pandemic and a homily that encouraged people to have faith in the midst of a turbulent storm.

The archbishop said he wanted to pray as the people of Minnesota enter a particularly difficult stage of the pandemic. He spent an hour in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, which was placed in a monstrance and flanked by candles on an altar at the main entrance to the cathedral.

He knelt, stood and held the monstrance high over the city as he prayed from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. He was accompanied by Father John Ubel, rector of the Cathedral, and Father Mark Pavlak.

“I realize we are moving into a more serious stage here, as we stay at home,” the archbishop said. “It was an opportunity to pray for this city, for the Twin Cities, really,” and the rest of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, he said.

In addition to the State Capitol, the cathedral looks over Catholic Charities’ efforts to help the homeless and the rest of downtown St. Paul. He prayed for the homeless, for the faithful of the archdiocese, for passersby he saw reflected in the monstrance that held the Eucharist.

Asked how people can live through this challenging time, the archbishop said prayer and reaching out to one another, helping those in need. As people cry out, “Lord, why let this happen?” it becomes a dialogue with God, who wants to hear all our prayers, he said.

“The Lord doesn’t free us from trials. But he is there with us in our trials,” he said.

The archbishop said he had received many emails, letters and telephone calls from people expressing their gratitude for his prayers.

“I prayed they might feel my prayers for them in the same way I feel their prayers for me,” he said.