Print Issue: March 6, 2003

Archbishop Donoghue Asks For Peace Prayers In Every Parish This Lent

By Erika Anderson, Staff Writer

ATLANTA-As the possibility of war with Iraq grows stronger, Archbishop John F. Donoghue has asked that during the season of Lent, all pastors in the archdiocese set aside time each week for their parish communities to come together to unite in prayer for peace.

In a letter written by Archbishop Donoghue and addressed to the pastors of the archdiocese Feb. 18, he said that in the face of this conflict "we need to do everything we can to avoid the horror of another war."

"As the holy season of Lent approaches, I would like to ask all Catholics of the Archdiocese to offer prayers and to make personal sacrifices for peace during these troubling times," he wrote. "God hears us, especially when we gather together in the name of His Son our Lord Jesus Christ, and I hope and trust that war can be averted through the power of prayer."

He asked every pastor to "set aside a specific time each week during Lent, for the parish community to come together and to pray for peace."

Enclosed in each letter was a booklet of prayers put together by Father Frank Iacona, CMF, parochial vicar at Corpus Christi Church in Stone Mountain.

Entitled "The Fire of Peace," the collection includes prayers for peace written by various saints, as well as leaders of other faiths.

As a community, parishioners of Corpus Christi have been gathering weekly since last May to pray for peace.

"We began praying last May when the violence in the Holy Land began to escalate," Father Iacona said. "We felt that at a minimum we could at least pray for peace for the Holy Land."

Then with the growing conflict with Iraq, Father Iacona and other members of Pax Christi Atlanta gathered several weeks ago and discussed ways to encourage peace.

"We wanted to get all the parishes to pray for peace, and we thought we could either contact each parish directly or seek the blessing of our archbishop and have him expedite it that way," he said.

Having the archdiocese gather together in prayer for peace is exciting, Father Iacona said, and coupling the prayers with the season of Lent gives the intentions a different dimension.

"Lent is a time when we are called to have a more intimate love with Christ who was about love, a very nonviolent love," he said. "He was the Prince of Peace, but was crucified for being a false king. Of course we believe he is the true king, the true Prince of Peace."

Lent also calls believers to look inside themselves, he said.

"Lent is a special time for us to focus more profoundly, not only on our encounters with God . . . but in finding our truest self," he said. "We are indeed called to be the body of Christ, to be messengers of his peace. To do that, we need to discover that peace within ourselves and, in turn, build a peaceful kingdom of God."

Several parishes have already planned activities and prayer times dedicated to peace, including Corpus Christi, located at 600 Mountain View Drive, Stone Mountain, where parishioners gather every Wednesday after the 8:30 a.m. Mass.

Some of the peace prayer services already planned by parishes include:

• Church of the Transfiguration, Marietta. Parishioners and the general public are invited to come to the weekly Stations of the Cross, which will be dedicated to peace. The devotion, which reflects on 14 events on Jesus' walk to Calvary, will be held every Friday night during Lent at 7:45 p.m. The church is located at 1815 Blackwell Road.
• St. Pius X Church, Conyers. A special holy hour will be held from 7 to 8 p.m. every Wednesday during Lent as a time to pray for world peace. Father John Kieran, pastor, said that the parish is "calling people to prayer to focus on the need to have God's intervention to bring about a settlement to the crisis in Iraq." The church is located at 2621 Highway 20, SE.
• Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Atlanta. Parishioners will be picketing for peace with members of Central Presbyterian Church, located adjacent to the Shrine. This will take place on Sundays during Lent at 12:15 p.m. on Washington Avenue in front of the state Capitol. The Shrine is located at 48 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.
• St. Peter Chanel Church, Roswell. The parish has held a holy hour for peace every Wednesday evening from 7 to 8 p.m. since Sept. 11, 2001 and will persevere in that commitment. "We knew that (after 9/11) people would go back to their regular lives eventually, but we're still holding the holy hour for peace two years later," said Father Frank McNamee, pastor. In addition, the parish prayed a rosary for peace before all the Masses on Ash Wednesday. "We are also asking people that their Lenten sacrifice be offered for peace," Father McNamee said. The church is located at 11330 Woodstock Road.
• St. Augustine Church, Covington. Father John Howren, pastor, said a Lenten Taizé prayer service for peace is planned. The prayer service will be ecumenical and include other Christian churches in the Covington area. The church is located at 11524 Highway 278 East.
• Holy Trinity Church, Peachtree City. The parish recently initiated a daily prayer service for peace held Monday-Thursday at 12:30 p.m. During this time, prayers are also said by name for men and women serving in the U.S. armed forces. The church is located at 101 Walt Banks Road.