“We are called to be instruments of peace to take the light of Christ to places where there is darkness, fear and doubt,” Bishop Gerald Barnes said in a letter calling on parishes to participate in the Day of Prayer. “We must not believe that the recent rhetoric and pain experienced in our local communities is the norm for our future.”
Parishes were given suggestions to observe the Day of Prayer for Peace such as offering Eucharistic Adoration and the opportunity for parishioners to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Families were also encouraged to bring candles to Mass for a special blessing and to light them in their homes and pray for peace. The parish Paschal Candle would be lit at that same Mass and placed near the Mercy Cross for the remainder of the Jubilee Year of Mercy. Special prayer cards were also made available for the day.
Archbishop Joseph Kurtz of the Archdiocese of Louisville, KT, and President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), on July 21, called on all Catholic communities across America to observe September 9, the Feast of St. Peter Claver, as a Day of Prayer for Peace in Our Communities. At the same time, Archbishop Kurtz appointed a task force to recommend initiatives to promote peace and healing in this time of national strife.
“By stepping forward to embrace the suffering, through unified, concrete action animated by the love of Christ, we hope to nurture peace and build bridges of communication and mutual aid in our own communities,” Archbishop Kurtz said in a statement announcing the Day of Prayer.