(OSV News) — Parishes and dioceses throughout the nation are taking up Pope Leo XIV’s call to pray for peace, holding April 11 vigils coinciding with the pope’s own at St. Peter’s Basilica.
The pope had announced the initiative April 5 during an Angelus address given moments after celebrating Easter Mass.
In that address, Pope Leo used the word “peace” 13 times, stressing the peace offered by the risen Christ “is not merely the silence of weapons, but the peace that touches and transforms the heart of each one of us.”
Spiraling into a regional conflict
The plea came as the U.S.-Israel war on Iran, launched Feb. 28, has spiraled into a regional conflict with thousands of casualties and extensive repercussions for global relations and markets.
Trump’s April 7 threat to Iran that “a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again” was suspended at the last minute, with a fragile two-week ceasefire agreement, although conflicting reports over the terms have emerged.
Israel’s attacks on Lebanon, where the militant group Hezbollah is based, have continued, resulting in more than 300 and over 1,000 wounded on April 8 alone. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later ordered his Cabinet to begin negotiations with Lebanon.
In the U.S., Catholic bishops have urged the faithful to join their prayers with those of Pope Leo for an end to the conflict.
To all ‘yearning for true peace’
“I make a special plea to my brother bishops, the priests, the laity, and all people yearning for true peace to join the Holy Father’s Vigil for Peace, whether virtually, or in parishes, chapels, or before the Lord present in the quiet of their hearts to join with our Holy Father as we pray for peace in our world,” said Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, in an April 7 statement.
Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore announced that same day he would celebrate an April 11 vigil at that city’s Cathedral of Mary Our Queen. He also asked archdiocesan parishes to host holy hours or other vigils for peace during the April 11-12 weekend.
“In the face of fear, division and violence, we must become witnesses to a different way — the way of prayer, solidarity and sacrificial love,” Archbishop Lori said in his statement, as reported by the Catholic Review, the archdiocese’s official news outlet. “Let our churches become places of light in a darkened world — where the cry for peace rises to heaven, where hearts are softened and where hope is rekindled.”
Cathedral of St. Matthew in Washington
Cardinal Robert W. McElroy of Washington will celebrate a Mass for Peace April 11 at that city’s Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, inviting diocesan pastors to do the same in their parishes that day, according to Washington’s archdiocesan newspaper, the Catholic Standard.
Bishop Larry J. Kulick of Greensburg, Pennsylvania, will hold a vigil at that diocese’s Blessed Sacrament Cathedral as Pope Leo leads prayer in St. Peter’s Basilica. Eucharistic adoration and benediction, along with regularly scheduled opportunities for the sacrament of reconciliation, will also take place.
The Catholic Accent, the diocese’s newspaper, said that “those unable to attend in person are encouraged to pray at their local parish, participate virtually in the Vatican vigil, or set aside personal time for prayer or fasting.”
‘Entrust world to Prince of Peace’
“As one Body in Christ, let us entrust our world to the Prince of Peace, confident that the Lord hears the cry of His people and desires to heal every wound and restore unity among His children,” said Bishop Kulick, according to the newspaper.
Bishop Earl A. Boyea of Lansing, Michigan, urged “fellow Catholics — and all people of goodwill — to embrace our Holy Father’s call for a prayer vigil for peace this Saturday, on the eve of Divine Mercy Sunday,” or the second Sunday of Easter.
“During this Eastertide, let us turn ever more earnestly to our Resurrected Lord, the Prince of Peace, in pursuit of a just settlement to all global conflicts,” said Bishop Boyea in an April 7 statement.
Joyful mysteries of the rosary
The St. Sharbel Spiritual Life Center in Pittsburgh announced it will include in its April 11 event programming a 1 p.m. EDT livestream recitation of the joyful mysteries of the rosary in support of Pope Leo’s prayer vigil.
“We offer up our prayers for those affected by war, violence, hatred and indifference,” said the center in an email.
In an April 8 Facebook post, Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Hanford, California, highlighted Pope Leo’s call to join the initiative.
“The purpose of the vigil is simple: to pray for peace in a world facing conflict, division, and tension among nations and communities,” said the parish in its post. “The Church reminds us that true peace does not begin only through political solutions but within the human heart.”
Church ‘turns first to prayer’
“Jesus teaches us to forgive, to love, and to turn away from sin. Without this interior change, lasting peace cannot be achieved,” said the parish in its post. “That is why the Church always turns first to prayer.”
Such prayer enables God “to transform our hearts,” said the parish, adding, “Joining the vigil does not require anything complicated. It can be as simple as pausing for a few moments to pray — even one Hail Mary — with sincere faith.”
The post concluded with a question: “Do you think the world relies too much on politics and not enough on prayer?”
Gina Christian is a multimedia reporter for OSV News. Follow her on X @GinaJesseReina.
