Bishop offers daily prayer for commuters in 'Summer of Hell'

A Roman Catholic bishop is offering prayers to New York-area commuters facing what's been billed as a "Summer of Hell."

Long Island Bishop John Barres (BAR'-ihs) is posting daily one-minute spiritual messages on a video blog .

Maybe it's working. So far, few widespread problems have been reported following Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo's initial "hell" prediction.

The Diocese of Rockville Centre says the bishop is aware that commuters are facing challenges getting to and from New York City this summer. Earlier this week, an infrastructure project began at Penn Station.

Travelers began using alternate stations, buses and ferries as schedules were altered on the Long Island Rail Road, New Jersey Transit and Amtrak.

The diocese is the country's sixth-largest, with more than 1.4 million Catholics.