Chicago Catholic Church Bells To Ring 5 Times A Day As Call To Prayer During Coronavirus Outbreak

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Catholic church bells will be ringing throughout Chicago every three hours as a call for all to unite in prayer during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cardinal Blase Cupich, archbishop of Chicago, is asking Catholic parishes to ring their church bells five times a day between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. This started Saturday.

Each of the five prayer times will be dedicated to a specific group particularly affected by the pandemic.

The groups are listed below:

9 a.m. - Prayer for those infected with the virus and all those who are ill

12 p.m. - Prayer for healthcare workers and those attending to the sick

3 p.m. - Prayer for first responders and essential workers

6 p.m. - Prayer for people of every nation and their leaders

9 p.m. - Prayer for those who have died today