Laity called to pray, fast in support of world's Catholic priests

Published: 2007-10-17

ATTLEBORO, Mass. (CNS) -- Organizers of an Oct. 20 day of prayer and fasting at the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette in Attleboro to show support for Catholic priests urged those unable to attend in person to sign up online to participate in their own hometowns. Information on the daylong observance was available on the shrine's Web site, www.lasalette-shrine.org, under the link for "Calendar of Events." Without priests, "without the gift of their persons, of their lives, we, the laity, would no longer have the gift of our Savior daily in (the) Eucharist and we would be deeply spiritually wounded," said Anna Rae-Kelly of ARK Ministries, who helped organize the "Lay Day of Fast to Support Our Priests." Participants were being asked to fast from food, television and radio, the Internet and/or simply from unnecessary talking from dawn until 3 p.m. Oct. 20. At the shrine, exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, recitation of the rosary and a closing Benediction were scheduled.

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