Bishop Malooly will host an ecumenical prayer service to mark the National Day of Prayer for Peace in Our Communities today at 1 p.m. in the Cathedral of St. Peter in Wilmington.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) invited all dioceses in the country to observe the Day of Prayer in response to recent violence and racial tension that has arisen in some urban areas of the United States.
“It is fitting that brothers and sisters in Christ join together to pray for peace in our communities,” said Bishop Malooly in a statement Aug. 25. “It is my sincere hope that fellow Christians will join to ask God to bring harmony and love to communities that are experiencing conflict and hate. We hope that this prayer gathering will encourage awareness about race relations and related issues and begin dialogues with communities that face tensions and race-related strife.”
In addition to the prayer service, Bishop Malooly has asked that where possible, Catholic churches in Delaware and on Maryland’s Eastern Shore ring their church bells at 3 p.m. today, and he invites churches of other denominations to do so as a sign of solidarity.
The National Day of Prayer for Peace in Our Communities was announced by the USCCB July 21 to promote “peace and healing during this time of great strain on civil society.” September 9 was chosen because it is the feast of St. Peter Claver, a Spanish Jesuit priest who dedicated his life to ministering to African slaves in the Port of Cartagena, Colombia, and is a patron to many in the African American community.
