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The Congregation of Holy Cross, an apostolic religious congregation, has announced a Global Rosary for World Peace to be held on Friday, February 16. This digital prayer event will begin live from Rome and, with the assistance of Holy Cross Family Ministries, will include the participation of Holy Cross ministry centers around the world.
On January 1, the Feast of Mary, Mother of God, which is also World Day of Peace, the Superior General, Br. Paul Bednarczyk, C.S.C., invited all Holy Cross ministry centers on five continents in 18 countries to gather and pray for world peace on the First Friday in Lent, February 16. The event will kick off from Rome at 4 pm local Rome time (UTC+1), with a personal message and prayer from Br. Bednarczyk.
After having already invited the Congregation of Holy Cross to join in prayer and fasting with Pope Francis when he declared a Day of Prayer for Peace on October 27, 2021, Br. Bednarczyk was moved to do more:
The horrific violence and tragic loss of life we have witnessed with the war in Ukraine, and now the recent war in Israel and Gaza, is staggering and shocking. Such violent conflicts, however, are also taking place in other parts of the world as well. None of us are left unaffected, unmoved by these horrendous events. We seek to respond from our faith.
Br. Bednarzcyk has invited Holy Cross religious and all those with whom they serve and pray to unite in praying the Rosary of the Seven Dolors, which is a devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows, the Congregation’s patroness.
“As Mary stood by the Cross of Jesus, our Constitutions remind us that Mary has much to teach us about the cross as well as its daily hope,” said Br. Bednarzcyk. “Through her intercession, as we reflect on the sorrows of our world today, we hope that Mary will be Our Lady of Hope, helping us to be peacemakers, men and women with hope to bring in our world today, so that there may be an end to all violence and war.”
After the opening prayer from Rome, meditations and prayers on the traditional Seven Dolors or Sorrows of Mary will be led by the Holy Cross ministry centers in 18 countries on five different continents, thus seeking to truly unite the world in prayer for peace.
The phrase, “A world at prayer is a world at peace” was coined by Holy Cross priest and sainthood candidate, Venerable Patrick Peyton, the founder of the ministries of Holy Cross Family Ministries. Peyton is also well known for his message, “The family that prays together stays together.” The ministry founded by Peyton is supporting the Congregation for this digital prayer event. Father Fred Jenga, C.S.C., president of Holy Cross Family Ministries, noted:
Our founder, Patrick Peyton, believed in the power of prayer. He believed prayer began in the home and the power of that prayer overflowed to the surrounding community. We hope individuals and families around the world will join us to bring hope to the world and demonstrate by our example the power of prayer.
The Congregation of Holy Cross, founded in 1837 in Sainte-Croix, France, is an apostolic religious congregation composed of two distinct societies of religious brothers and religious priests “bound together in one indivisible brotherhood.” Founded Blessed Basile Moreau, their mission is to share in the Church’s mission by working as educators in the faith educating hearts and minds, and building communities of the coming kingdom. Today, under the leadership of Br. Paul Bednarczyk, C.S.C., the 14th Superior General in the history of Holy Cross, the Congregation of Holy Cross consists of over 1,300 professed religious brothers and religious priests. For more information: HolyCrossCongregation.org
In the spirit of its founder Venerable Patrick Peyton, Holy Cross Family Ministries, an apostolate of the Congregation of Holy Cross, serves Jesus Christ and His Church by inspiring, promoting, and fostering the prayer life and spiritual well-being of families throughout the world. HCFM is comprised of ministries: Family Rosary, Family Theater Productions, Catholic Mom, Peyton Institutes, and the Museum of Family Prayer. All founded to encourage daily family prayer, especially the Rosary, and work to increase family spirituality drawing families closer to each other and to God. For more information, visit www.HCFM.org. HCFM is an apostolate sponsored by The Congregation of Holy Cross.
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